Amy Walton

“ Now, if you have ever been in a beech wood, you must remember that winter and summer the ground is covered with the old dead brown leaves that have fallen from the trees. So thick they lie, that in some places you can stand knee-deep in them, especially if there are any hollows into which they have been drifted by the wind; this particular wood was full of such hollows, some of them wide and long enough for a tall man to lie down in, and Frank knew exactly where to find them. ”

“ Barney slept too with the profound peacefulness of a mind at rest, as, indeed, it was; for with the morning’s light he had firmly resolved to steal the old gentleman’s silver inkstand, and he was troubled with no doubts either as to the propriety or success of the undertaking. The fastening of that lattice-window would be easily managed by a dexterous hand, and before any of the folks were about he and Frank would be beyond pursuit; only he must be careful not to wake the Nipper before he had secured his booty, as he might make foolish and troublesome objections. ”

“ To do Barney justice he very seldom was found out; nimble of finger and quick of wit he had profited well by his lessons, and by the time Frank met him had long been a finished scholar, and able to “do” for himself. In spite of these failings he was a kind-hearted boy; he would not have hurt any living thing weaker than himself, and Frank’s pale face and slender form soon appealed to his protective instincts in much the same way that his white mice did, for which he cherished a fond affection. ”

“ The chair-factory was hopeless certainly, but there must surely be some one in Wickham who wanted a boy to run errands, or dig gardens, or help in stables. What should he do? Without money he must starve; he could neither go on to London or back to Green Highlands.
The street was almost deserted now, for all the people who had dinners waiting for them had hurried home to eat them, and no one had noticed the rustic little figure in the grey gaberdine crouched on the doorstep. Suddenly a dreadful feeling of loneliness seized on Frank, such as he had not felt since leaving home. ”

“ So the people, though poor, were contented, and had a more prosperous well-to-do air than some of the Danecross folk, who received higher wages and lived in the valley.
The room Mrs Frank Darvell entered with a heavy, tired tread was a good-sized kitchen, one end of which was entirely occupied by a huge open fireplace without any grate; on the hearth burned and crackled a bright little wood-fire, the flames of which played merrily round a big black kettle hung on a chain. ”

“ Happy Nan! They put a scarlet cloak on her, very full in the neck, and a queer little tow wig with a top-knot, and painted a red patch on each cheek; and there she was, a member of the wax-works, and the happiest little soul in the county.
She was to be a wax-work! The honour was almost too much, and the only drawback was poor Johnnie’s disappointment. She thought of that, driving home that evening, and was so quiet that Fräulein thought she was asleep, but she was only resolving that she would offer Johnnie her spotted guinea-pig to make up. ”

“ Don’t you dare to come back without the lad. I’ll stop here, and burn a light and keep his supper ready. Poor little lad, he’ll be starved with hunger!”
But the night waned, and no tidings came of Frank. Jack Gunn came back from Danecross having learned nothing, and the poor mother’s fears increased. The boy must be wandering in those weary woods, afraid to come home—or perhaps lost. Such a thing had been known before now; and as the first streaks of light appeared in the sky, and she saw the dim figure of her husband returning alone, Mrs Darvell’s courage quite forsook her. ”

“ He shrank from the hard words or the uplifted hand with an evident fear, which only strengthened Mr Darvell’s anger, for it mortified him still more to find his lad a coward as well as a bungler over his work.
Frank, on his side, found his life almost intolerable just now, and all his trembling efforts “to work like a man” seemed utterly useless, for he was crippled by fear as well as weakness. He could not take things like the other Green Highland lads of his age, who were tough of nerve and sinew, and thought nothing of cuffs on the head and abuse. ”

“ Frank’s only refuge in these hard times was his mother’s love. That never failed him, for the very incapacity that so excited the wrath of his father only drew him more closely to Mrs Darvell, and made her watchful to shield him, if possible, from harsh treatment. She was always ready to do battle for him, and her strong big husband quailed before the small determined mother when she had her boy’s cause in hand. ”

“ After her usual little chat with them she said just before going away:
“I am sorry to hear from Miss Tasker that Bridget does not seem to think it worth while to take pains with her dancing, though she knows how anxious I am about it.”
She looked at Bridget, who blushed hotly, but made no answer; and, indeed, she could not, for she felt as though Bobbie’s largest ball were sticking in her throat.
“I know,” continued her mother, “that you cannot all do the same things equally well, but you can at least try to do your best, however much you may dislike any particular lesson. ”

“ A man leant on the orchard gate smoking a pipe.
“Andrew,” said the rector, “when those two boys have weeded that path they are to have supper and a bed in the loft.”
The man touched his cap with a very ill-pleased expression, and the old gentleman strolled back into the house and left the boys to their work, which they undertook with very different feelings. On Barney’s side there was a distinct sense of injury, and he performed his task with great bitterness of soul; for to work for anything was contrary to his inmost nature, and to every principle of his life hitherto. ”

“ The lowing of cattle, the bleating of sheep, the squeak of some outraged pig, mixed with the shouts of the drovers and the loud excited voices of buyers and sellers. In the midst of all this turmoil the little boys stood steadily at their post, looking up anxiously as some possible buyer elbowed his way past and stopped a minute to notice the black pigs; but none got further than “Good-day, sir,” and a grin of amusement.
So the day wore on. They had brought their dinner tied up in Roger’s handkerchief, and some acorns for the pigs, so at one o’clock they all had a little meal together. ”

“ Those of you who live near any of the great high-roads that lead to London may remember to have been awake sometimes in the middle of the night, and to have heard the sound of horses’ feet, and of cart wheels rumbling slowly and heavily along. ”

“ At the moment when Mrs Darvell began to climb Whiteleaf Hill with her heavy basket, Frank was lying at the foot of a big beech-tree in the wood near his home; his face was buried in his hands, and every now and then sobs shook his little thin frame. ”

“ Zillah, the cook, allowed the hutch to be brought into the kitchen at night, and undertook to feed the pigs at six o’clock in the morning, but until then the boys were responsible and never once flinched from what they had undertaken. It was getting cold weather now, and bed was delightfully cosy and warm, but nevertheless little Gabriel would tumble out with his eyes half shut, at Roger’s first whisper of “Your turn now,” and creep through the lonely house and down the kitchen stairs. ”

“ Penny did not feel at all sure about that, she was rather afraid of Mrs Hathaway, who was a severe old lady, noted for her exquisite needlework; however, it was a treat to go anywhere with mother, even to see Mrs Hathaway.
The embroideries were, indeed, very beautiful, and exhibited with a good deal of pride, while Penny sat in modest silence listening to the conversation. She privately regarded Mrs Hathaway’s handiwork with a shudder, and thought to herself, “How very little time she must have for reading!” ”

“ It is always easier to bear things if there is some one to bear them with you—unless you are a hero.
One December evening the carrier’s cart was just starting homewards from the door of the Magpie and Stump. Joshua, reins in hand, and closely buttoned up to the chin, stood ready to mount to his perch, saying a few last words to the landlord, who was a crony of his; Tim was already in his place. From where he sat he could see something which interested and excited him a good deal, and this was an old woman close by who was selling roasted chestnuts. They did look good! ”

“ Nan stood in a corner in her quaint little dress, waiting for someone to wrap her up, and at last her sister Sophy saw her.
“Why! There you are, you quiet little Nan,” she said, “I will find your hood if I can. Here it is, and here is a shawl.” She bundled the child up warmly, and kissed her. “You were a jolly little Jack,” she went on, “and now you are to go home with cousin Annie and sleep at her house to-night. Run into the school-room and find her.”
Cousin Annie was the Vicar of Ripley’s wife, and had a little girl of Nan’s own age, so it was a great treat to stay with her. ”

“ Mrs Hawthorne knew what an effort this resolve had cost her little daughter.
“Well, dear Penny,” she answered, “if you do that I think you will be giving her a more valuable gift than the charity-box full of money.”
“Why?” said Penny.
“Because you will give her what costs you most. It is quite easy to put your hand in your box and take out some money; but now, besides the things you make for her, you will have to give her your patience and your perseverance, and also part of the time you generally spend on your beloved books.” ”

“ Frank remembered the great cart-loads of chairs that he had seen passing through Danecross, but what chiefly struck him in his companion’s answer were the two words “Lunnon Town.” They fell on his ear with a new meaning. He had read of Lunnon Town, and heard schoolmaster talk of it, but had never imagined it as a place he could see, any more than America. Now, suddenly, an idea of such vast enterprise seized on his mind, that it stunned him into silence. He would go to Lunnon Town! Everyone became rich there. He would become rich too ”

“ Why, then, men soon leave off trusting him, and say, ‘He’s not the man his father was;’ and so the name of Darvell, which used to be so honoured and respected, comes to be connected with evil things. Then, perhaps too late, the son finds that ‘a good name is more to be desired than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.’ But he has thrown away the good name and the loving favour too, for he has drifted away from his old friends and companions. ”

“ The vicar shook his head.
“Hard blows are bad things, Mrs Darvell, but hard words do quite as much mischief in their way. If your husband has driven Frank from home, does it mend matters for you to drive your husband to the public-house?” ”

“ And now I am going to tell you how on one occasion Nan conquered her fears all by herself, with no help from anyone on earth; and you must remember that it is a far braver thing to do what one is told in spite of being afraid, than not to be afraid at all.
At Ripley, which was the next village to that in which Mr Beresford, Nan’s father, was rector, lived Squire Chorley, who had a large family of boys and girls. They were fond of getting up concerts, and theatricals, and readings for the poor people, and in all these things the Beresfords were always asked over to help. ”

“ I’m Frank Darvell’s lad, what lives at Green Highlands. And Parson knows me—and Schoolmaster. And I’ve niver stolen nowt in my life. Don’t ye let ’em lock me up!”
“A likely story!” growled Andrew. “Honest lads don’t go trampin’ round with thieves.”
The rector, whose face had softened at the boy’s appeal, seemed to pull himself together sternly at this remark; he frowned, and said, turning away a little from Frank’s tear-stained face: “I would gladly believe you, my boy, but it is too improbable. As Andrew says, honest boys do not associate with thieves.” ”

“ He’s no tramp.”
Frank lay awake long that night in the fragrant hay-loft thinking. The kind old rector, the work, the supper, had roused old memories in his mind, and his tramping life of late seemed suddenly distasteful. He longed to “work honest and get wage,” and feel a respectable boy again. If only this nice old gentleman would let him stay and work in his garden; but that, Frank remembered with a sigh, was hopeless, because he had “no carikter.” And then, there was Barney—Barney, who had always been good to him, and who had helped him when he most wanted it, he could not desert him now ”

“ However, it did not interfere with any pleasure or advantage that Bridget could see. She could run faster than most of her brothers and sisters, who were not plain but pretty; she could climb a tree very well indeed, with her stout little legs, and she could say a great many verses of poetry by heart. Besides, she felt sure that Toto the black poodle, and Samson the great cat, and all the other pets, loved her as well as the rest, and perhaps even better. So she did not mind being plain at all, until she was about thirteen years old and the new governess came. ”

“ The wind, blowing softly from the west, brought with it little gentle showers, just enough to freshen the leaves and wash the upturned faces of the blossoms; tramping was a luxury in such weather, and those people much to be pitied who had to work in close dark rooms, hidden away from the glorious sunshine. ”