DR. OWEN
It was New Year's Day, the merriest and most festive day of the year,
and Ebben Owens, sitting under the big chimney, seemed for a time at
least to have shaken off the cloud that had hung over him of late.
Christmas Day in Wales is by no means the day of festivity that it is
in England, the whole day being taken up with religious services of
some kind; but the first day of the year is given up entirely to
pleasure and happy re-unions. For the children it is the day of days.
Before the sun has risen they congregate in the village streets, and
set out in the dark and cold of the frosty morning in noisy groups, on
expeditions into the surrounding country, with bags on their shoulders,
in which they collect the kindly "calenigs," or New Year's gifts,
prepared for them in every farm and homestead. 'Tis a merry gathering,
indeed, the tramp through the frost and snow under the bright stars in
the early morning, adding the charm of novelty and mystery to the usual
delight of an expedition.
Ann and Morva had cut the generous hunches of barley bread and cheese
overnight, and well it was that they were thus prepared, for before the
hens and turkeys had flown down from their roosting-place, and before
the cows had risen from their warm beds of straw in the beudy, or the
sheep had begun to shake off the snow which had fallen on their fleeces
in the night, fresh young voices were heard in the farmyard singing the
old refrain familiar to generations of Welsh children:
"Calenig i fi, calenig i'r ffon,
Calenig i fytta ar hyd y ffordd.
Un waith, dwywaith, tair!"
_Translation._
"A gift for me and a gift for my staff,
And a gift to eat as I trudge along.
Once, twice, thrice!"
It is a peremptory demand, sung in a chanting kind of monotone, and
very seldom refused. A boy is chosen to knock at the farm door and
rouse the inmates, it being considered unlucky for the household if a
girl first crosses the threshold.
The family at Garthowen had risen hurriedly, and with smiling faces had
opened the door to the children. Bags were filled, greetings were
interchanged, and the happy troop were sent on their way rejoicing,
shouting as they went, "A happy New Year to you all!"
When the bread and cheese had come to an end, Ebben Owens had
distributed pennies from a large canvas bag which he had filled for the
occasion; and in the afternoon, when the calls were becoming less
frequent, he sat under the open chimney with an almost empty bag.
Suddenly the doorway was darkened by a portly figure in black. A
genial face glowing from the frosty air, a voice of peculiar
mellowness, which always added a musical charm of its own both to
singing and conversation; a chimney-pot hat not of the newest, his
black clerical coat uncovered by greatcoat or cloak, a strong knobbed
walking-stick in the right hand, while the finger and thumb of the left
hand were generally tightly closed on a pinch of snuff, well-shined
creaking shoes, completed the costume of the visitor, who was no other
than Mr. Price, the vicar of Castell On.
"I saw the children coming to the back door, and I am come with them,"
said the vicar as he entered, pointing with his stick to a queue of
children in the yard. "How do you do, Owens?" and he shook hands
warmly with the old man, who rose hurriedly to greet his visitor.
"Caton pawb, Mr. Price!" he said, flinging his remaining pence into the
yard, where the children scrambled for them. "Come in, sir, come in,"
and he opened the door of the best kitchen, where the rest of the
family were sitting in the glow of the culm fire.
Will started to his feet, exclaiming, "Mr. Price!" and for a moment he
hesitated whether to speak in English or in Welsh, but the visitor
settled the matter by adhering to his mother-tongue.
Ann rose, calm and dignified, and held out her hand without much
empressement. Mr. Price was a clergyman, and a little antagonism awoke
at once in her faithful bigoted heart.
"My husband," she said, pointing to Gwilym, who flung away his book and
came forward laughing.
"My dear girl," he said, "although Mr. Price and I work apart on
Sundays, we meet continually in the week, and need no introduction, I
think."
Mr. Price joined in the laugh, and shook hands warmly with the preacher
and Will, and the conversation soon flowed easily. Will's career was
the chief topic, the vicar appearing to take a personal interest in it,
which delighted the old man's heart.
"I am very glad, indeed," said the former, with his pinch of snuff held
in readiness, "to hear such a good account of you from my friend, the
dean," and he disposed of his snuff. "He wrote to me, knowing I was
particularly interested, and also that we are neighbours. He says,
'There is every reason to think your young friend will be an honour to
his father, and to his college, if he goes on as he has begun. I have
seldom had the privilege of imparting knowledge to one whose early
teaching presents such well prepared ground for cultivation. Who was
his tutor?' I have told him," added the vicar, "how much you owe to
your brother-in-law."
"It has been a pleasure to instruct Will," said the preacher. "For one
thing he has a wonderfully retentive memory. Of course it is useless
to pretend that I should not have been better pleased if he had
remained a member of 'the old body'; but, wherever he is, I shall be
very grateful if the small seeds I have sown are allowed to bear the
blossom and fruit of a useful Christian life."
"Yes, yes! just so, exactly so!" said the vicar; "but having chosen the
Church of his own free will, I am very anxious he should get on well
and be an honour to her."
He held out his silver snuff-box towards the preacher, who declined the
luxury, but Ebben Owens accepted it with evident appreciation.
"There is one thing," said the vicar, turning to Will, "which I think
very necessary for your advancement. You must make your uncle's
acquaintance. Dr. Owen is a personal friend of the bishop's, and they
say no one to whom he is unfriendly gets on in the Church."
"I hope he is not unfriendly to me," said Will, tossing his hair off
his forehead. "I have never troubled him in any way, or claimed his
acquaintance."
"Have you never spoken to him?"
"Only as a child," said Will haughtily. "He has not been here for a
long time, and when he came I did not see him for I was not at home."
As a matter of fact Will had been ploughing on the mountain-side when
the Dr. had honoured his brother with a call. He was beginning to be
ashamed of the farm work and kept it out of sight as much as possible.
"Well, well!" said his father apologetically, "we are three miles from
Castell On, you see, and it is uphill all the way, and Davy my brother,
never comes to the town except to some service in the church, and so I
can't expect him to spend his time coming out here."
"No, no, perhaps not! He is a very busy man," said the vicar, who was
never known willingly to hurt anyone's feelings or to speak a
disparaging word of an absent person. "Well, now, he is coming to
lunch with me on Friday on his way to the archidiaconal meetings at
Caer-Madoc, and I want you to come too."
"He won't like it, perhaps," said Will, "and I should be sorry to force
my company upon him."
"Oh! you have no reason to think that," said the vicar. "I think when
he has seen you he will like you; anyway, I hope you will come."
"Of course, Will, of course," said Ebben Owens. "He'll come, sir,
right enough."
"You are very kind, sir," said Will, slowly and reluctantly. "I would
give the world if it could be avoided, but if you think it is the right
thing for me to do I will do it."
"I am sure it is! I'm sure it is!" said the vicar, taking snuff
vigorously; "so I shall expect you. Well, Miss Ann, I beg pardon--Mrs.
Morris, I mean, I have not congratulated you yet. 'Pon me word, I am
very neglectful; but I do so now heartily, both of you. May you live
long and be very happy. In fact, my call was intended for the bride
and bridegroom as well as for my young friend here. And where is Morva
Lloyd? She works with you, does she not?"
"She's at home to-day. 'Tis a holiday for her.
"She is a great favourite of mine; what a sweet girl she is! I never
have a great beauty pointed out to me but I say 'Very lovely; but not
so lovely as Morva of the Moor.'"
"Yes; she is a wonderful girl," said Ann, "for a shepherdess."
"Well, yes!" said Gwilym Morris; "I think she owes her charm in a great
measure to her foster-mother. Do you know old Sara?"
"Oh, yes!" said the vicar; "we have all heard of old Sara ''spridion.'
Something uncanny about the old woman, they say. But, 'pon me word,
there is something very interesting about her, too."
"Yes," said Gwilym Morris, "she has a wonderful spiritual insight, if I
may call it so. She often shocks me by her remarks, but if I lay a
subject before her upon which I have been pondering deeply but have not
succeeded in elucidating, she grasps its meaning at once and explains
it to me in simple words, and I come away wondering where the
difficulty lay."
After the vicar was gone, Will accompanying him half a mile down the
road, the whole family were loud in his praise.
"There's a man now!" said Ebben Owens; "if every clergyman was like him
'twould be a good thing for the Church. No difference to him whether a
man is a Methodist, a Baptist, or a Churchman, always the same pleasant
smile and warm greeting for them all, and as much at home in a
Dissenter's house as a Churchman's."
"Yes, a true Christian," said Gwilym Morris, "and so genial and
pleasant. At 'Bethel' on Wednesday night, when Jones 'Bethesda' was
preaching, he was there, and seemed much impressed by the sermon; and
well he might be! I have never heard such an eloquent preacher.
Wasn't he, Ann?"
"Oh, beautiful!" she replied. "I wish Mr. Price could have stopped to
tea, but, of course, that meeting prevented him."
Next day when Will, having rung the bell, stood waiting on the vicar's
doorstep, he was certainly not in as equable a frame of mind as his
outward demeanour would lead one to suppose. He was in a few moments
to meet face to face the man who of all others had interested him most
deeply, though his feeling towards him was almost akin to hatred. It
was a sore point at Garthowen that Ebben Owens' own brother had so
completely ignored his relationship with him; and Will's hopes of
success were greatly sweetened by the thought that in time he might
hold his head as high as his uncle's, and bring that proud man to his
senses; but to-day as he stood waiting at Mr. Price's door he called to
mind the necessity of hiding his feelings, and conciliating the great
man, who perhaps might have the power of helping him in the future.
When shown into the hall he heard voices within; the vicar's jovial
laugh, and a pleasant voice so like his own, that he was startled.
"Hallo! Owen, how do you do? so glad to see you," said the vicar in
English.
And the tall man who was standing by the window received him with an
equally pleasant greeting.
"My nephew, I am told. Well, to be sure, this makes me realise how old
I am getting."
"Nay, sir," said Will, "you are many years younger than my father."
The Rev. Dr. Owen looked over Will with secret surprise and
satisfaction. He had expected a raw country youth, his angles still
unrubbed off, his accent rough and Welshy, but Will was on his guard;
it was his strong point, and though the care with which he chose his
words was sometimes a little laboured and pedantic, yet they were
always well chosen and free from any trace of Welsh accent. Dr. Owen
was delighted; he had dreaded a meeting with his brother's uncouth
progeny, and had been rather inclined to resent the vicar's
interference in the matter, but when Will entered, well dressed, simple
and unaffected in manner, and yet perfectly free from gaucherie, a
long-felt uneasiness was set at rest, and the unexpected relief made
Dr. Owen affable and pleasant.
Will was relieved too. He had feared a haughty look, a contemptuous
manner, and dreaded lest his own hot temper might have refused to be
controlled.
The vicar was delighted; he felt his little plan had succeeded, and his
kind heart rejoiced in the prospective advantages which might accrue to
Will from his acquaintance with his uncle.
"And how is my brother Ebben?" said Dr. Owen. "Well, I hope. I am
ashamed to think how long it is since I have called to see him; but,
indeed, I never come to Castell On except on important Church matters,
and I never have much time on my hands. You will find that to be your
own case, young man, when you have fully entered upon your clerical
duties. The Church in Wales is no longer asleep, and she no longer
lets her clergy sleep. I hope it is not with the idea that you will
gain repose and rest that you have entered her service, for if it is
you will be disappointed."
"Certainly not, sir," answered Will; "my greatest desire is a sphere in
which I can use my energies in the services of the Church. I don't
want rest, I want work."
"That being so," said the Dr., "we must see that you get it. I have no
doubt with those feelings and intentions you will get on. You will
take your degree, I suppose, before leaving college?"
"I hope so," said Will, modestly; "that is my wish."
"Your sister Ann," inquired his uncle at last, "how is she? And your
eldest brother? Turned out badly, didn't he?"
"Well," said Will, "he is of a roving disposition, certainly; but that
is all. My sister is quite well."
He intentionally left unmentioned the fact of her marriage, but the
vicar, whose blunt, honest nature never thought of concealment,
imparted the information at once.
"She was married about a month ago, and I should think has every
prospect of happiness."
"Married! Ah, indeed! To whom? A farmer, I suppose?"
"No; to the minister of the Methodist Chapel at Penmorien. A very fine
fellow, and one of the best scholars in the county. You know his
'Meini Gobaith,' published about a year ago?"
"Oh, is that the man?" said the doctor. "Ts! ts! you have left a nest
of Dissenters, William. I am glad you have escaped."
"Yes," said Will, laughing; "a nest of Dissenters, certainly."
"Well," said the vicar, "you owe a great deal to Gwilym Morris. You
would never have begun your college career on such good standing had it
not been for him. In fact, you have had exceptional advantages."
"Yes," said Will; "he is a splendid teacher, and a good man."
"Well, well," said his uncle, "let the superstructure be good, and the
foundation will soon be forgotten."
"A good man's silent influence is a very solid foundation to build
upon, whatever denomination he may belong to," said the vicar.
"Oh, certainly, certainly," agreed Dr. Owen. "My carriage is at The
Bear; perhaps you will walk down with me, both of you?"
"Of course, of course," said Mr. Price; "if you must go."
"Yes, I must go; I must not be late for the meeting at Caer-Madoc."
The vicar hunted for his walking-stick, and Will helped his uncle to
get into his greatcoat.
"Thank you, my boy," said the old man, almost warmly, for he was
beginning to feel the ties of blood awakening in his heart.
In truth, he was so pleasantly impressed by his new-found nephew's
appearance and manners that already visions of a lonely hearth passed
before him, lightened by the presence of a young and ardent spirit, who
should look up to him for help and sympathy, giving in return the warm
love of relationship, which no heart, however cold and isolated, is
entirely capable of doing without.
Will was elated, and conscious of having stepped easily into his
uncle's good graces, he walked up the street with the two clergymen,
full of gratified pride.
On their way, to his great annoyance, they met Gryff Jones of
Pont-y-fro, a farmer's son holding the same position as his own. He
would have passed him with a nod, but the genial vicar, to whom every
man was of equal importance, whether lord or farmer, stopped to shake
hands and make kindly inquiries.
Will and the doctor moved on, and John Thomas the draper, standing at
his shop-door, turned round with a wink at his assistant and a knowing
smile.
"Well, well," he said, "Will Owens Garthowen _is_ a gentleman at last.
That's what he's been trying to be all his life."
At the door of the Bear Hotel they came upon a knot of ladies, who at
once surrounded Dr. Owen. He was a great favourite amongst them, his
popularity being partly due to his good looks and pleasant manners,
partly to his good position in the Church, and in some measure
certainly to his reputed riches.
Soon after entering the Church he had married a lady of wealth and good
position, who was considerably older than himself, and who, having no
children, at her death had bequeathed to him all her property. Many a
net had been spread for the rich widower, but he had hitherto escaped
their toils, and appeared perfectly content with his lonely life.
Will was almost overwhelmed with nervousness and shyness as they
reached the group of ladies; but, true to his purpose, he put on a look
of unconcern which he was far from feeling.
"How do you do, Mr. Owen?" said one of the girls, holding out her hand
with a shy friendliness, "I am Miss Vaughan, you know, whom you saved
from that furious bull."
"Yes, of course," said Will, shaking hands.
"I thought perhaps you had forgotten me," she said.
Will had flushed to the roots of his hair from nervousness, but he
quickly regained his self-possession. He looked down the side of his
leg and pondered his boot.
"Would that be possible, I wonder?" he said, half aloud.
"I don't see much difficulty," said the girl laughingly.
Will laughed too, and his laugh was always charming, the ice was
broken, and the chat was only disturbed by the Dr.'s hurried good-bye.
"Good-bye, ladies," he said, as he stepped briskly into his gig. "I am
grieved to have to leave you, but that meeting calls. Good-bye, Will,
I shall see you at Llaniago, and you, Miss Vaughan, I hear I am to have
the pleasure of meeting you at Llwynelen." And the Dr. drove off
amongst a flutter of hands and handkerchiefs.
And now Will would have been in a dilemma had not the vicar arrived on
the scene. Again there were many "How do you do's?" and much shaking
of hands, while Will was debating within himself what he should do.
The vicar at once introduced him to each and all of the young ladies,
some of whom would have drawn back in horror had they known that the
young man who addressed them with such sang-froid was the son of a
farmer, and a brother-in-law of a dissenting preacher.
Will knew this obstacle in his path, and was determined to overcome it.
Gwenda Vaughan, he thought, was delightfully easy to get on with, and
their conversation followed on uninterruptedly until they reached the
vicarage door, where they parted, the ladies separating, and Will
staying to bid the vicar good-bye.
"Who on earth was that handsome man, Gwenda?" asked Adela Griffiths
before parting. "I don't know how it is, but you always manage to get
hold of handsome men.
"And nothing ever comes of it," whispered Edith Williams.
"Why, he's Dr. Owen's nephew," said Gwenda; "didn't you hear Dr. Owen
introduce him?"
And she said no more, but carried away with her a distinct impression
of Will's handsome person and charming smile.
* * * * * *
About this time a strange thing happened at Garthowen. It was midday.
Ann had just laid the dinner on the table, and Ebben Owens had lounged
in.
"Well, the threshing will be done soon," said the old man; "Twm is a
capital fellow. Don't know in the world what I should do without him."
"What is that noise?" asked Morva, pushing back her hair to listen, as
a curious sound as of shaking and thumping was heard by all.
"'Tis upstairs, and in your room, Gwilym," said Ann.
Suddenly there was a jingling sound and rolling as if of money,
followed by a satisfied bark.
"Run up Morva and see," said Ann; "what is that dog doing?"
The girl ran up, passing Tudor on the stairs, who entered the kitchen
with waving tail and glistening eyes carrying in his mouth a canvas bag
from which hung a draggled pink tape, and at the same moment Morva's
voice was heard calling, "Oh, anwl! come up and see!"
Ann and Gwilym hurried up, followed by Ebben Owens and Will, to find
Morva pointing to the floor which was strewn with pieces of gold.
"My sovereigns!" said Gwilym, "no doubt! and Tudor has emptied the bag.
Where could they have come from?" and everyone looked through the open
window down the lane to where in the clear frosty air the blue smoke
curled from a little brown thatched chimney.
Ebben Owens jerked his thumb towards the cottage.
"There's no need to ask that," he said. "'Twould be easy to stand on
the garden wall and throw it in through the window."
Ann was busily counting the sovereigns which had rolled into all sorts
of difficult corners.
"Thirty-eight, thirty-nine, forty!"
"Every one right," said Gwilym; "how fortunate! but how I should like
to tell Gryffy Lewis I forgive him, and that he has done right in
returning the money."
"I expect fear as well as a guilty conscience made him return them, the
blackguard!" suggested Will.
"No doubt; no doubt," said the old man.
As for Morva, she was so overcome with joy at this proof of Gethin's
innocence that she was scarcely able to hide her agitation from those
around her.
When all the money had been gathered into Ann's apron they returned to
their dinner to find Tudor occupying the mishteer's chair, with a
decided expression of satisfaction on his face, the canvas bag lying
beside him.
"Well," said Ebben Owens, ousting Tudor unceremoniously from his seat,
and speaking in an agitated and tremulous voice, "one thing has been
made plain, whatever, and that is that poor Gethin had nothing to do
with the money. You all see that, don't you?"
"Well I suppose he hadn't," said Will; "but why then did he go away so
suddenly? That, I suppose, must remain a mystery until he chooses to
turn up again."
"Yes, it is strange," said his father, with a deep sigh.
"Well, thank God!" said Gwilym; "'tis plain he never took the money,
Ann. There is no more need for tears."
"No, indeed," she said, "but will he ever come back? Oh! father, anwl!
no more sighs. Will is a collegian and getting on well. Gethin is an
honest man wherever he is. He will come back suddenly to us one day as
he did before, and there is no need for heavy hearts any longer at
Garthowen. Morva, lass, art not glad?"
"Yes, indeed," said the girl, "but I never thought it was Gethin."
Ebben Owens looked up at her quickly.
"Who then?" he said.
"Oh, I didn't know," said the girl, "but I thought God would make it
plain some day."
"I don't think there is much doubt about it," said Gwilym. "Poor
Gryffy; we know he must have suffered much remorse before he threw that
bag in at the window again."
"'Twas not Gethin, and that's all we need trouble our heads about now,"
said the old man rising from the table.
The frosty wind was scarcely more fleet than Morva's flying footsteps
as she crossed the moor that evening.
"Mother, mother!" she called, even before she had reached the doorway.
"Mother, mother! the money is found and everyone knows now that Gethin
is innocent!" and the whole story was poured into Sara's ears.
Tudor, who sat beside the girl on the settle, her arm thrown round his
neck, looked from one face to another as the story proceeded,
interpolating a bark whenever there was a pause.
"So the clouds roll by," said Sara. "Patience 'merch i! and the sun
will shine out some day!"
"How can that be, mother, when I am bound to Will? A milkmaid to a
clergyman; and he already ashamed of her!"