Rag Fair

“ His farm was a poor little place, and he never did much good at it, so that this year he had only been able to keep one horse, a big grey brute that could both jump and gallop, but never by any chance would do either properly. Poor old. Rags didn't have much fun out of him. Sometimes the brute would begin a run well, and then stick him up at a little bit of a fence that he could have hopped over. Rags used to say that once he had done a stunning gallop after kangaroo, when he was alone, but no one ever believed it, the horse was such a nasty-tempered beast. ”

“ For Rags did not live a life calculated to fit young men for sudden trials of speed.
He stumbled back down the narrow stairs, and, with a vivid recollection of the bucket he had already fallen upon, felt his way cautiously with his hands and with one foot stuck out in front of him. If he had been in his own bailiwick, he would have rather enjoyed the tense excitement of the chase than otherwise, for there he was at home and knew all the cross-cuts and where to find each broken paling in the roof-fences, and all the traps in the roofs. ”

“ The boy was coming nearer, and Rags stopped and leaned forward to listen.
“Extry! Extry!” shouted the newsboy, running. “Sun, World, and Mail. Full account of the murder of Pike McGonegal by Ragsey Raegen.”
The lights in the street seemed to flash up suddenly and grow dim again, leaving Rags blind and dizzy.
“Stop,” he yelled, “stop. Murdered, no, by God, no,” he cried, staggering half-way down the stairs; “stop, stop!” But no one heard Rags, and the sound of his own voice halted him. He sank back weak and sick upon the top step of the stairs and beat his hands together upon his head. ”

“ Our life is twofold; and of that double life, which, like all of us, Rachel bore within her, we have as yet said but little. She was now twenty six; a tall, thin, sallow woman, ungraceful, of shy manners, and but little speech; but with a gentle face, a broad forehead, and large brown eyes. By trade, she was a dress-maker, of small pretensions; her father had forsaken her early, and her step-mother had reared her. This much, knew the little world in which moved Rachel Gray, this much, and no more. We may add, that this some little world had, in its wisdom, pronounced Rachel Gray a fool. ”

“ Rags woke up.
He said, "Woof. Woof!"
Gary understood him.
"You want to stay with me, don't you?" he asked.
"Woof! Woof! Woof!" Rags answered.
And Gary knew that he meant, "Yes! Yes! Yes!"
Gary gathered him in his arms.
"You're so ragged and dirty," he said, "I'm going to name you Rags."
And Rags said, "Woof." Which meant, "All right."
"Grandma!" Gary shouted, as he ran toward the kitchen. "Rags has come to live with us."
When Grandma saw Rags she dropped the potato that she was peeling. It rolled across the floor. "Good gracious, Gary! Where did you find him!" ”

“ Rags's judgment was generally to be trusted.
"I might be," responded Daniel slowly, "and then again I mightn't. Who are you?"
Charles understood that the boy was testing him, and he liked him the better for it. His heart warmed toward the one who had protected Dawn.
"That's all right," responded Charles heartily. "I'm ready to identify myself. I'm one who loves her better than my life, and I've done nothing for a year but search for her." ”

“ It is evening, as you know, and three are sitting in the little parlour of Rachel Gray. An autumn evening it is, somewhat chill with a bright fire burning in the grate, and lighting up with flickering flame the brown furniture and narrow room. And of these three who sit there, one is a grey, childish old man in an arm-chair; another, a man who is not old, but whose hair has turned prematurely white with trouble and sorrow; the third is a meek, thoughtful woman with a book on her knees, who sits silently brooding over the words her lips have uttered ”

“ It became a matter of interest throughout the circus, that affection of Ragsy for those sorrels. When the big eight-horse team was taken to water, there was Ragsy. When the night hauls came, Ragsy was there too, at last to augment her parade performance by riding wherever the big team went. In mud or in rain, in storm or in sunshine, she never left the big team. Those horses belonged to Ragsy as much as to the circus! ”

“ Suddenly a shape rushed out of the hedge into the light of the lamps, and a man laid a violent hand upon the horse's reins. The horse reared, and Rachel cried out,—
"What are you doing? Let go!"
But the man held the struggling horse, at once coercing and taming it, with an expert hand. A voice!—that sent a sudden horror through Rachel,—
"Sit where you are—hold tight!—don't be a fool!—he'll quiet down."
She sat paralysed; and, still holding the reins, though the trembling horse was now quiet, a man advanced into the light of the left-hand lamp. ”

“ Nothing, however, of the kind; and Tag-rag quietly opened a small shop in the neighborhood of St. George's in the East, and began to scrape together a tolerable business. Reading one day a flourishing speech in Parliament, on the atrocious enormity of calling upon Dissenters to pay Church-rates—it occurred to Mr. Tag-rag as likely to turn out a good speculation, and greatly increase his business, if he were to become a martyr for conscience sake ”

“ We'd be church worms if there were any! But Rags was in love with Pobbles for years, and she wouldn't believe it. She thought, because she's not exactly pretty, it must be her money he wanted. They never understood each other a bit. You mustn't say anything about this, and I won't say anything about what you tell me. You will tell me about the girl, won't you? Maybe I can help. You see, though I don't know so very much about men yet—except Rags—I know a whole lot about girls."
"There isn't much to tell," said Petro. "I met a girl in rather a queer way—sort of romantic, it seemed to me. ”

“ But you are wonderfully complete as you are!"
"That is so true!" acquiesced Raggie, with perfect complacency. "I am very beautiful. And you, Fustian, you are so energetically inert. Are you going to blow up to-night? You are so brilliant when you blow up."
"I have not decided either way. I never do. It will depend upon how I feel in the bonfire. I let it come if it will. The true impromptu is invariably premeditated."
"Isn't that rather self-contradictory?" said Raggie, with his pretty quick smile.
"Of course it is. Does not consistency solely consist in contradicting oneself? ”

“ Nor is that instance any more marked than the one of Ragsy, who was nothing to the circus, yet everything. Ragsy belonged to a “skinner” or teamster, and she had a place all her own in the life of the big show. Circus folk live in a small circle. The world is theirs to travel, yet the world really means nothing to them; the happenings of that little universe all their own are the ones which really count, and every animal, every horse, every trifling incident in that circus is a part of their lives. Ragsy played a big part. ”

“ He did not feel it coming on, or he would have fought against it, but the heat of the day and the sleeplessness of the night before, and the fumes of the whiskey on his empty stomach, drew him unconsciously into a dull stupor, so that the paper fan slipped from his hand, and he sank back on the bedding into a heavy sleep. When he awoke it was nearly dusk and past six o'clock, as he knew by the newsboys calling the sporting extras on the street below. He sprang up, cursing himself, and filled with bitter remorse.
“I'm a drunken fool, that's what I am,” said Rags, savagely. ”

“ Then on the floor, beside my chair, that little cock-eared dog was sitting up, quietly begging.” Mr. Great Man opened his eyes to find Raggety sitting up on his haunches, waving entreating paws. Nor would he get down until The Great Man stretched out a forgiving hand, took his paw, and there was peace between them. As The Great Man says, “When [Pg 44] one gentleman asks pardon of another whom he has hurt, what can the latter do but forgive him generously?” So The Great Man and Raggety have been firm friends ever since. ”

“ Rags asked.
"Oh, yes, I'll start her. I'll probably lay an information against Maybrick as well, but what's the use? That won't affect the race. I hardly think I've any chance of making it warm for the cur afterwards, for I don't expect anyone will take Harry's word against his." And Dick glanced scornfully at the sobbing, prostrate form. "Here, get up, curse you, and saddle the mare!" he said, and the boy came unwillingly to do his bidding. " If you'll excuse me a minute, Rags, I'll go and change," Dick went on. "Don't leave that hound alone with Countess, like a good chap." ”

“ Stunned, astonished, surprised, Raggety remained passive. Then The Great Man came to him and took him by the collar to pull him ignominiously from the room. Now neither a well-bred dog nor man allows fingers to be inserted under his collar without protest. ”

“ There was something so wonderfully soft and sweet in this that Rags drew the baby nearer and gave a quick, strange gasp of pleasure as it threw its arms around his neck and brought the face up close to his chin and hugged him tightly. The baby's arms were very soft and plump, and its cheek and tangled hair were warm and moist with perspiration, and the breath that fell on Raegen's face was sweeter than anything he had ever known. ”

“ Mary did not reply.
"Good-night, Mr. Jones," said Rachel, passing through the shop.
"Good-night, Miss Gray," he replied, formally. "My best respects to Mrs.
Gray, if you please."
When people have done an insolent and ungrateful thing, they generally try to persuade themselves that it was a spirited, independent sort of thing; and so now endeavoured to think Richard Jones and his daughter— but in vain. To both still came the thought: "Was this the return to make to Rachel Gray for all her kindness?" ”

“ Even after she had hung up her bonnet and cape, and opened the high lid of her desk, her heart was beating like a trip-hammer. Now and then she looked apprehensively toward the door, and was reassured when at last she saw Daniel saunter in with a comfortable smile on his face, while the dog took up his station on the door-step. Rags often came to school. It was a part of his privilege to guard the teacher, and he felt he had earned a morning session by his gallantry in defending her against the rude stranger who had dared to lay hands upon her. ”

“ We were like one great family in our Father’s house.’”
“Are the chairs rented?” asked Rahal.
“Rented!” cried Ragnor scornfully. “No, indeed! There are no dear chairs and no cheap chairs, all are equal and all are free. I never felt so like worshipping in a church before. The religious spirit had free way in our midst.”
“What did Macrae say?”
“He said, he supposed the rush chairs were an ‘Armenian innovation’; and I answered, ‘The pews, sir, they are the innovation.’”
“Did thou have any argument with him? I have often heard Ian say he plunged into religious argument with every one he met.” ”

“ But Rachel needed no artificial aid. She became the idol of the town. The Opera House was crowded to excess. Fashion flew into the wildest raptures. The enthusiasm of Paris in 1838 was equalled and even surpassed. She was hailed with fanatical admiration. She became the rage.
It is now nearly half a century since Rachel first appeared among us. She died ere the young men of this generation were born, yet the echo of her words and the memory of her influence have been transmitted to them as a living presence by those who saw her. Philosophers, poets, critics, novelists, are unanimous. ”

“ Like all their nationality, Rachel's family were superstitious: Madame Félix told fortunes by cards. "I often cried as a child," Rachel would say in later years, "when my mother predicted ill-luck." This evening when she returned to the wretched garret they inhabited in the Rue des Lions-Saint Paul, she asked her mother to tell her fortune. It turned out a brilliant one, and the little girl went to bed full of hopes for the future. Next day she received a message that M. Poirson, manager of the Gymnase Theatre, wished to see her, on the recommendation of M. Saint Aulaire. ”

“ With those older than herself [he goes on to say] little Rachel was punctiliously polite; grave and simple beyond her years, every feature of the long childish face bore the impress of modesty and even dignity, with which education had little to do.
M. Villemont, the correspondent of the Indépendance Belge, also describes Rachel at this period of her life:—
It was at the Salle Molière, where Saint Aulaire made his pupils act, that I first saw her in 1835. ”

“ Dare is so good—the finest fellow in all the world; come down and see Dare, and let us have a real Mexican dinner, madre. I have not tasted an olla since I left you.”
She could not resist him. She made Rachela lay out her prettiest dress, and when Jack said “how beautiful your hair is, mother; no one has hair like you!” she drew out the great shell pins, and let it fall like a cloud around her, and with a glad pride gave Rachela the order to get out her jewelled comb and gilded fan and finest mantilla. And oh! how happy is that mother who has such pure and fervent admiration from her son ”

“ And, surely enough, hearing the noise in the weeds, Policeman Paddock came rushing in, as I have told you, but all he saw was a dog. By this time Racky had rocked far enough away to be out of sight.
"I'm glad they didn't catch me!" murmured the chair to himself as he traveled on over the vacant lots. "If it hadn't been for Thump, though, my adventures would be at an end before they had fairly begun.
"But now I am off to see the world! No more fat old ladies, however nice they are, can sit on me, making me creak and groan. I am going to do as I please!" ”

“ CHAPTER IX. What airs little Mary took; how Jane taunted and twitted her, how Rachel had to interfere; how even Mrs. Brown chose to comment on the startling fact of a new grocer's shop, and what predictions she made, we leave to the imagination of the reader.
We deal with the great day, or rather with the eve of the great day. It was come. Rachel, her mother, Mary, and Mr. Jones were all busy giving the shop its last finishing touch; on the next morning the Teapot was to open.
"Well, Miss Gray, 'tain't amiss, is it?" said Jones, looking around him with innocent satisfaction. ”