Mr Whittlestaff

“ Fitzwarren: "and be your happiness whatever you choose to make it."
Whittington rose, and was preparing to retire to improve his dress. "Hold! hold!" said the captain: "these trunks are not all the king and queen have sent you. Holla, there!" cried he, to a sailor in the hall, “bring in that article." When, lo! what should present itself to the delighted eyes of Whittington, but the well-known wicker basket, out of which leaped Mrs. Puss, and paid her due compliments to the company; for the creature knew them all, rubbed her head against her master's face, twirled herself round Mr. ”

“ And whilst poor Whittington was shocked at remembering his loss, when so many of his fellow-beings were gone to the bottom, yet was he unable to forget the love he bore his cat, or forbear to lament he had exposed her to the perils of the sea.
Mr. Fitzwarren, to whom the captain was endeared from his manifold virtues, he setting him down for a human gem, above all price, was greatly concerned to think he was no more. One morning, however, when these friendly regrets were nearly overpowering his mind, who should he behold at the door, but the very man he utterly despaired of ever seeing again. ”

“ Whittington, most heartily do I rejoice in the news these gentlemen have brought you, for the captain has sold your cat to the King of Barbary, and brought you in return more riches than I possess in the whole world; and may you long enjoy them!"
Mr. Fitzwarren then desired the men to open the immense treasures they had brought, and added that Mr. Whittington had now nothing to do but to put it in some place of safety.
Poor Dick could scarce contain himself for joy. He begged his master to take what part of it he pleased, since to his kindness he was indebted for the whole. ”

“ Dr. Whitty got down from the table, and was seen shaking hands warmly with Colonel Beresford, Mr. Jackson, and Father Henaghan. When the cheers had subsided and the last of the crackers had exploded, Dr. Whitty mounted the table again.
"It is now my pleasant duty," he said, "to thank you, on behalf of Mrs. Whitty and myself, for the enthusiastic welcome you have accorded to us. It is far beyond anything we deserve. ”

“ Whittington by name.”
It is not our business to animadvert upon these lines; we are not critics, but historians. It is sufficient for us that they are the words of Mr. Fitzwarren; and though it is beside our purpose, and perhaps not in our power to prove him a good poet, we shall soon convince the reader that he was a good man, which was a much better character; for when some, who were present, told him that this treasure was too much for such a poor boy as Whittington, he said, “God forbid that I should deprive him of a penny; it is his own, and he shall have it to a farthing.” ”

“ When, no longer able to suppress her desire to know how Puss had borne the voyage, Miss Fitzwarren telling the captain as much, he immediately opened on their knowledge the wonderful events that animal had produced; adding, that he much feared it would be dangerous to let the poor lad know all his good fortune at once! or, even to be made master of the wealth he had brought him. "Let him be called," cried Mr. Fitzwarren—"instantly called," said the worthy man, with heartfelt joy at the news: "Tho gifts of Providence must be held sacred ”

“ Word would be tossed about from one to another, “There’s Mr. Whittier! Is he coming in?” And eager eyes would watch his movements. “Oh, he’s going by!” in accents of deep disappointment—“No, he’s coming in!” in jubilant tones.
And the visit would be one to be remembered.
It was upon some such occasion that the poet eagerly caught up a remark by his hostess, that people liked a good listener.
“Yes, that’s it, Mrs. S——,” he said, “a good listener.”
For the poet was quite able to talk, and he liked to do it.
It was Whittier’s habit to put on his hat when he chanced to answer the doorbell. ”

“ Wheatcroft accused me, I confessed at last, thinking you might be easier on me than you would be on the boy."
"My poor friend," said Mr. Whittier, sympathetically, holding out his hand, which the Major clasped gratefully for a moment.
"Now that we know who was selling us to the Tuxedo people, we can protect ourselves hereafter," declared Mr. Wheatcroft. "And in spite of your trying to humbug me into believing you guilty, Major, I'm willing to let your son off easy."
"I think I can get him a place where he will be out of temptation, because he will be kept hard at work always," said Paul. ”

“ An Irish crowd is always courteous, and it was felt quite rightly that a prayer for the welfare of Ireland would be regarded as an insult to Colonel Beresford. Dr. Whitty watched the scene anxiously, casting hurried glances from the dogcart to the convent gate, and back from the convent gate to the dog-cart. He saw Mr. Thady Glynn start, saw him make a remark which he supposed, from the gesticulation which accompanied it, to be a violent oath. The colonel drove on. Dr. Whitty saw Michael Geraghty seize Thady by the arm and whisper eagerly to him. ”

“ Do you think somebody else is the Tuxedo Company again?"
"What of it?" asked Mr. Whittier. "Surely you don't suppose——"
"Yes, I do," interrupted Mr. Wheatcroft, swiftly. "I do, indeed. I haven't been in this business thirty years for nothing. I know how hungry we get at all times for a big, fat contract; and I know we would any of us give a hundred dollars to the man who could tell us what our chief rival has bid. It would be the cheapest purchase of the year, too."
"Come, come, Wheatcroft," said the elder Whittier ”

“ Whittingham will give you the address of my guardian, Mr. Monroe; and that gentleman will consult with you upon the proper course to be pursued. He will also answer any pecuniary demands you may have occasion to make upon him."
Richard had preserved an unnatural degree of calmness as he uttered these words; and Whittingham was himself astonished at the coolness with which his young master delivered his instructions. The old butler wept bitterly when he took leave of "Master Richard;" and it cost the young man himself no inconsiderable effort to restrain his own tears. ”

“ Whittaker was as poor as anything when he started out.
It always amused Paul to hear more about Mr. Whittaker; he took up the subject.
Did he fight hard, Vera?
Did he? She served herself to a bountiful helping of a particularly fattening variety of pudding. Did he? Well, he just fought until he conquered down among the bears and oxen. It was wheat that made his fortune, she mused. Ceres, the great nature goddess, did that for us. I always told Bristol that we should worship nature! Now if I had been a Roman. . . . ! ”

“ There was a little waiting-room hard by the ticket office and Regina turned sharply round and took refuge in this dingy little retreat.
[Pg 269]
“My dear!” said the lady who had been listening to the one who had mentioned Mr. Whittaker’s name, “you have done the most awful thing you ever did in your life. Mrs. Whittaker was standing just behind you, and she heard every word you said.”
“Poor woman! Did she, really? I am sorry! Well, I never believe in making mischief between husband and wife, but it’s a shame, and I do think that a man who is carrying on a double game ought to be found out.” ”

“ Even to his enemy, the cook, he gave a hundred pounds.
Richard Whittington was now a rich man. He laid aside his poor clothes, and was dressed well and handsomely. He had grown strong and tall in service, and was indeed a fine man to look upon.
He was well behaved and of a good mind and heart. Mr. Fitzwarren made him known to the other merchants, and let him see how business was carried on. Then, seeing that he was as honest and good as he was rich, he told Whittington that he might have his daughter in marriage.
At first, Dick felt himself unworthy of Mistress Alice. ”

“ He had just entered the compting house, and seated himself at the desk, when somebody came, tap tap, tap, at the door. “Who’s there?” says Mr Fitzwarren—“A friend;” answered the other. “What friend can come at this unseasonable time?”—“A real friend is never unseasonable,” answered the other. “I come to bring the good ship Unicorn.” The merchant bustled up in such a hurry, that he forgot his gout, instantly opened the door, and who should be seen waiting but the captain and factor, with a cabinet of jewels and a bill of lading ”

“ Whittier, in his most conciliatory manner, "and the Tuxedo people have captured them. But that may be only a coincidence, after all."
"It is a pretty expensive coincidence for us," snorted Mr. Wheatcroft.
"But because we have lost money," the senior partner rejoined gently, laying his hand on Mr. Wheatcroft's arm, "that's no reason why we should also lose our heads. It is no reason why we should depart from our old custom of treating every man fairly. If there is any one in our employ here who is selling us, why, if we give him rope enough he will hang himself, sooner or later." ”

“ Whitty.
"I shall ask Mr. Jackson to do so, too. That is the only kind of advertisement we adopt. As a rule, we find it most effective."
Dr. Whitty went straight to the priest's house as soon as Miss Mulhall left him.
"Good morning. Father Henaghan," he said. "I came round to have a chat with you about Lady Claneder and her Guild. She's a very remarkable woman and engaged on a most important work."
"Is it her," said the priest, "that sent me a lot of books and papers about the proper way of feeding babies?" ”

“ Looking narrowly around, he espied a young lad, whom he found belonged to Mr. Whitfield, and going up to him very civilly, he begged he would do an unfortunate man the kindness to present that paper (giving him his petition) to Mr. Whitfield: and as soon as they perceived him, the quakers pressed round him, one crying, Pray thee, friend, come and pray by my dear wife; and another, Pray thee, friend, come and see my dear brother. Mr. Whitfield made his way through them all, as well as he could, towards Mr. Carew, whom the young lad pointed out to him. ”

“ Whitford's having come up at the moment and interrupted the conversation—"right about that; and you, I greatly fear, will be one of the number."
"Our friend isn't just herself to-night," remarked Mr. Elliott as he and Dr. Hillhouse moved across the room. "A little dyspeptic, maybe, and so inclined to look on the dark side of things. She has little cause, I should think, to be anxious for her own son or husband. I never saw Mr. Whitford the worse for wine; and as for Ellis, his earnest purpose in life, as you so well said just now, will hold him above the reach of temptation." ”

“ From hence he went to Newcastle, where he raised contributions from several gentlemen, as he had done before, but not under the former name, from hence to Castle, Brandywine Ferry, Chester, and Derby, where he got relief from the same miller that Mr. Whitfield was with when he was there before, and lodged at the same house, but took care to disguise himself so as not to be known: he there got a pass from the justice as a sick man bound to Boston. ”

“ Shortly before the marriage of his niece Lizzie to Mr. Pickard in the April of 1876, Whittier in a letter to Mrs. F——, expressing pleasure at hearing from her and sending her the requested autographs, announced:
“I am not going to give up my residence in Amesbury. But I expect to spend some time with my cousins at their delightful home, Oak Knoll, in Danvers. Lizzie sends love. She is busy with her preparations for a change of base.” ”

“ Whittaker can testify,” he added, as if in anticipation of what might be his uncle’s next question. “Whittaker came in before papa had quite finished the mixture—that is, he was putting the paper round the bottle—and we neither of us, I or Whittaker, quitted the room until Dick had gone out with it.”
“Well, it appears most incomprehensible,” exclaimed Mr. John Grey.
The first thing they did on entering was to question Dick. He slept at the top of Mr. John’s house, and they proceeded to his room, rousing Mr. ”

“ Grimwig was an old friend of his, and he must not mind his being a little rough in his manners; for he was a worthy creature at bottom, as he had reason to know.
“Shall I go downstairs, sir?” inquired Oliver.
“No,” replied Mr. Brownlow, “I would rather you remained here.”
At this moment, there walked into the room: supporting himself by a thick stick: a stout old gentleman, rather lame in one leg, who was dressed in a blue coat, striped waistcoat, nankeen breeches and gaiters, and a broad-brimmed white hat, with the sides turned up with green. ”

“ Doctor Twist is a hospitable chap. He wouldn't let me go."
Mr. Carmody, on the point of speaking, checked himself. His position, he suddenly saw, was a delicate one. Unless he were prepared to lay claim to the possession of special knowledge, which he certainly was not, anything in the nature of agitation on his part must inevitably seem peculiar. To those without special knowledge Mr. Twist, Mr. Molloy, and Dolly were ordinary, respectable persons and there was no reason for him to exhibit concern at the news that John had spent the night at Healthward Ho. ”

“ Whittington’s face was washed, his hair curled, and he dressed in a rich suit of clothes, that he turned out a genteel young fellow; and, as wealth contributes much to give a man confidence, he in a little time dropped that sheepish behaviour which was principally occasioned by a depression of spirits, and soon grew a sprightly and good companion, insomuch that Miss Alice, who had formerly pitied him, now fell in love with him. ”

“ How do we know what our own children may come to! The Lord have mercy on the poor, and defend them from the proud, the unconsiderate, and the avaracious.
But, to return to Whittington, who would have lived happy in this worthy family, had he not been bumped about by the cross cook, who must be always roasting or basting; and when the spit was still, employed her hands upon poor Whittington; till Miss Alice, his master’s daughter, was informed of it, and then she took compassion on the poor boy, and made the servants treat him kindly. ”