CHAPTER I

Produced by Al Haines

[Frontispiece: NOTHING WOULD PACIFY HIM UNTIL I GAVE HIM A TUNE.]

DWELL DEEP

OR

_HILDA THORN'S LIFE STORY_

BY

AMY LE FEUVRE

AUTHOR OF "PROBABLE SONS," "TEDDY'S BUTTON,"

"ERIC'S GOOD NEWS," "ODD," ETC.

LONDON

THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY

MANCHESTER, MADRID, LISBON, BUDAPEST

1896

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I A NEW HOME

II TAKING A STAND

III THE REASON WHY

IV AN OPENING FOR WORK

V OPPORTUNITIES

VI ONLY A FRIEND

VII A FRESH ACQUAINTANCE

VIII DRAWN TOGETHER

IX QUIET DAYS

X LONG AGO

XI A DIFFERENT ATMOSPHERE

XII A TEST

XIII TAKE HOME

XIV WOOED AND WON

XV A GATHERING CLOUD

XVI DARK DAYS

XVII DAWN

XVIII WEDDED

XIX OLD FRIENDS

DWELL DEEP

CHAPTER I

A NEW HOME

'Meet is it changes should control

Our being, lest we rust in ease.'--_Tennyson._

A golden cornfield in the still sunshine of a warm August afternoon.

In one corner of it, bordering a green lane, a group of shady elms, and

under their shadow a figure of a young girl, who, gazing dreamily

before her, sat leaning her head against an old gnarled trunk in quiet

content. A small-shaped head, with dark curly hair, and a pair of

blue-grey eyes with black curved lashes, these were perhaps her chief

characteristics; more I cannot say, for it is difficult to describe

oneself, and it was I, Hilda Thorn, who was seated there.

It was a beautiful scene before me. Beyond the corn stretched a green

valley, and far in the distance were blue misty hills and moorland. My

soul seemed rested by the sweet stillness around, but from the beauties

of nature my eyes kept reverting to the Bible on my knee, and two words

on the open page were occupying my thoughts--'Dwell deep.'

I had been left an orphan at the age of ten, both parents dying in

India whilst I was at an English boarding-school. There I stayed till

I was nineteen, when I went to an old cousin in London, and for three

years I lived a quiet uneventful life in a dull London square, seeing

very little society but that of elderly ladies and a few clergymen.

Suddenly my whole life was changed. My guardian, who had been living

abroad with his wife and family, returned to England, and wished me to

make my home with him. And my cousin was quite willing that it should

be so.

'You are young, my dear,' she said to me, 'and it is only right for you

to mix with young people and see the world. I am getting to prefer

being alone, so I shall not miss you.'

It did not take long to settle matters, and I soon left London for my

guardian's lovely place in Hertfordshire, feeling both shy and curious

at the strange future before me.

But during my stay in London there had been another and perhaps a

greater change in my life than this. I had been brought up

religiously, had said my prayers night and morning, and had read my

Bible regularly once a day, but with these outward forms my religion

ceased.

I suppose all my thoughts were in the world and of the world. I had

been a favourite with my school-fellows, who assured me I had more than

my fair share of beauty, and with all the ignorance and inexperience of

girlhood had planned out glowing descriptions of the brilliant offers

of marriage I would have, and the delightful times before me. I

listened and laughed at them, yet had chafed at the quiet monotony of

my cousin's home, and had longed for a break to come in the dull

routine of our daily life.

Then one night I had attended some mission services that were held in

our church, and for the first time beheld life and death as they are in

reality. For several days I was in great distress of mind, and turned

with real earnestness to my Bible for guidance and comfort. The light

came at last, and I saw how completely Christ had taken my place as a

sinner, and how as a little child I must come and claim the pardon that

He had died to procure, and was now holding out to me as a free gift.

This brought a wonderful joy into my life, and as each day seemed to

draw me nearer to my Saviour, I felt that no life could be monotonous

with all the boundless opportunities of speaking and working for Him.

My craving for a gay, worldly life passed away, and a deep, restful

peace crept into my heart and remained there.

When I told my cousin of my experience she looked puzzled, and shook

her head.

'Young people nowadays always go to such extremes; but you look happy,

child, and I shall not interfere with your serious views.'

And then my guardian arrived on the scene--a tall, stern-looking man,

with iron-grey hair. He had just retired from an Indian cavalry

regiment, and still bore upon him the stamp of an officer accustomed to

command.

He only stayed with us a few days, and then carried me off to his

country home. It all seemed very strange to me, and, though Mrs.

Forsyth gave me a warm welcome, I could see I was an object of

curiosity and criticism on the part of her three daughters, who were

all lively, talkative girls. Two grown-up sons completed the home

circle, both of whom seemed to be at home doing nothing. I learnt

afterwards that Hugh, the eldest, wrote a great deal for some

scientific magazines, and was up in London very constantly engaged in

literary pursuits.

My thoughts were perplexed and anxious as I laid my head down on my

pillow the first night. Little as I had as yet seen of them, I knew

from the conversation around me that there was no one who would

sympathise with me in religious matters. How should I, a mere beginner

in the Christian life, be able to take a stand amongst this happy,

careless family circle, who already were including me in dances and

theatricals that were shortly coming off in the neighbourhood? And

then the next afternoon, pleading fatigue from my journey, I saw the

girls go off to a tennis party with their mother and, taking my Bible

in hand, crept out of the house and grounds, and found my way, as I

have already mentioned, into that quiet, sunshiny cornfield.

Was it by chance that my eyes alighted on those two little words in

Jeremiah? I think not. I had heard a sermon upon them, and now I

seized hold of them with a fresh realization of their strength and

beauty.

'Dwell deep!' Oh, how I silently prayed, as I sat there looking up

into the bright blue above me, that I might do so day by day and hour

by hour! Silently could I feast and refresh my soul, even amidst the

gay laughter and talk around me, for had I not an unseen Friend always

with me, upon whom I could lean for support and guidance through every

detail in my daily life?

And so I sat on, drinking in the sweet, fresh country air, and feeling

so thankful for the quiet time I was having.

Suddenly the barking of a dog and men's voices roused me from my

meditations, and in another moment Kenneth Forsyth sprang over a stile

near, and approached me, in company with another young fellow about the

same age.

'Halloo!' was his exclamation as he perceived me; 'is it you, Miss

Thorn? And all by yourself, too? What a shame of the girls! Let me

introduce my friend, Captain Gates. You certainly have selected a cool

spot. May we share your retreat? We were just lamenting the heat, and

longing for a piece of shade.'

And, without waiting for my answer, he flung himself down on the grass

beside me, whilst Captain Gates lounged against a tree close by.

I was a little vexed at the interruption, and did not feel inclined to

stay there with them. Kenneth was at present almost a stranger to me.

He had a mischievous, quizzical intonation in his voice when he spoke

to me, and Violet, his youngest sister, a bright, merry schoolgirl of

fourteen, had confided in me the previous night that 'Kenneth was never

so happy as when he was teasing people, and that he took stock of every

one, and mimicked them--very often to their faces.'

I closed my little Bible quietly. My first impulse had been to hide

it, but I conquered that as being unworthy of a Christian, and then I

said brightly,--

'I have enjoyed this so much. You don't know what a pleasure it is,

after the grime and smoke and roar of London, to come to a place like

this. Your sisters wanted me to go with them this afternoon, but I was

a little tired, so came out here instead.'

'And are you fond of solitude?' inquired Captain Gates. 'Most girls

are not, I fancy.'

'I like it--sometimes,' I replied slowly.

'This afternoon, for instance,' Kenneth said, with a laugh. 'But too

much solitude is bad for the young, so we are breaking in upon it for a

good purpose. It makes them morbid and self-engrossed.'

I saw that his quick eyes had already noted my Bible, and was vexed to

feel my cheeks flushing.

'Miss Thorn's appearance is certainly not morbid,' said Captain Gates

good-naturedly; and as I looked up at him I met a frank, kindly glance

from his dark eyes.

'No, I am not morbid,' I said; 'I am very happy.'

'Ah!' put in Kenneth with a mock sigh, 'you are looking out at life

with inexperienced eyes at present, and everything has a roseate hue to

you. Your experience has yet to come!'

For some little time longer they stayed there with me laughing and

talking, and then we all went back to the house together, and my quiet

time was over. I liked Kenneth better than his brother Hugh, who

seemed to me to be too sarcastic and supercilious for any one to be

comfortable in his presence; but there was a look of mischief in

Kenneth's eyes which puzzled me, as again and again this afternoon his

glance met mine.

At dinner I was enlightened. It was a merry home party that night.

Captain Gates and another man, a Mr. Stroud by name, had come to stay

for a few days' shooting, and they certainly proved lively additions to

our gathering. In the midst of a buzz of conversation and laughter,

there was, as so often happens, a sudden lull, and then Kenneth from

the other side of the table suddenly broke the silence:

'Miss Thorn, Nell here wants to know the name of the book you were

studying so deeply this afternoon in the corn-field?'

My cheeks flushed a little; for one moment I hesitated, and every one

seemed to be waiting for my answer; then I said in a tolerably steady

voice,

'It was my Bible.'

I felt, rather than saw, the astonishment depicted on the faces of

those at the table.

Nelly, who was always overflowing with fun, burst out laughing:

'You don't mean to say that you are religious?' she said; but her

mother hushed her rather sharply, and changed the subject at once.

I felt I had difficult times coming. Later on in the evening, when

music was going on, Captain Gates came over to me as I sat looking out

into the dusky garden by one of the long French windows, and said,

'I see you have no difficulty in showing your colours, Miss Thorn.'

I looked up at him gravely. 'I ought to have no difficulty,' I said;

'it is nothing to be ashamed of.'

He smiled, and leaning against the half-open window seemed to regard me

with some amusement.

'Is it a rude question to ask with whom you have been living before you

came here?'

I told him, and then he said reflectively,

'It's a strange thing why the Bible should be thought so out of place

sometimes; but I wonder now if you read it out of pure pleasure, or

only from a sense of duty?'

'Why, I love it!' I exclaimed; then a little impulsively I added,

'I don't mind telling you, Captain Gates, or any one else, for that

matter, it is only just lately that I have felt so differently about

it. I used to think it dull and tedious, but it has changed now, or

rather, I have changed, and there is nothing I like better than getting

away alone somewhere and having a nice read all by myself.'

'You will not find much quiet time in this house,' he rejoined. 'We

are always on the go here; you have come into a different life. I

fancy your Bible reading will soon be a thing of the past.'

'Never, I hope!' I said a little warmly. 'I don't mean to lead a gay

life, Captain Gates; I don't care for those kind of things now!'

He laughed. 'Perhaps you have never tried it?'

'I never mean to.'

Our conversation was interrupted here, and for the rest of the evening

I said very little to any one; but a short time after I had been in my

bedroom that night Nelly, knocked at my door.

'I'm coming in for a talk,' she said; 'I'm very curious about you. Do

you know that we have all been discussing you downstairs?'

'I dare say,' I said, laughing. Somehow, I felt very much drawn to

Nelly; she seemed such a pleasant, outspoken girl. Constance, the

eldest of them, though full of life and spirits, was rather cold and

distant in manner towards me. In fact, she had given me the impression

that my arrival had not been welcome to her.

Nelly seated herself in a low rocking-chair, and scanned me rather

mischievously before she proceeded:

'You are such a pretty, bright little thing to look at, that Bible

reading seems so incongruous! Of course, I read my Bible in the

evening when I go to bed--at least, when I am not too tired--but that's

a different matter. Mother said we mustn't take any notice of you, and

you would soon shake off these notions; but Captain Gates said you told

him you didn't intend to lead a gay life as we do--you have evidently

taken him into your confidence--and he said he would back you against

us for your determination of purpose. Now will you take my advice,

Hilda? Don't look so hot and uncomfortable. You haven't come into a

houseful of saints, you know, so you can't expect us to fall in with

your views at once. Mother, of course, won't like it if you go against

her plans for you; she will be very vexed, but she will eventually give

in; but it's a different matter with father, and he is your guardian,

remember. He hates "cant," as he calls it, and he has great ideas of

your taking your position in society as you should. If you cross his

will, I warn you you will bring the house down upon your ears; he never

will stand any opposition. And what father will do by his authority,

Kenneth will do out of sheer love of teasing. He will lead you a life

of it, I can tell you; so I warn you beforehand.'

'But,' I said, flushing a little, though I tried to speak quietly, 'I

have no intention of setting up my will in opposition to your

father's--I wouldn't dream of it. What do you think me like, Nelly?'

Nelly laughed. 'I think you are a curiosity,' she said, 'and whether

we shall crush your originality out of you in a few weeks' time,

remains to be proved. I thought I would give you a friendly intimation

of what to expect. And now good-night!'

She left me, and, perplexed and troubled by her words, I went to my

window, and, opening the casement, leant out to cool my hot cheeks.

Such a soft, still night it was! As I raised my eyes to the

innumerable stars above, and felt the hush and solemnity of the

darkness, again the words came to me: 'Dwell deep.' What did it matter

if I found I should have a cross to take up, if I had to bear a little

teasing from others who did not think as I did? When I realized in the

depths of my heart the riches I had, and the stores of hidden wealth of

which they knew nothing, I could rest down upon it with such comfort,

feeling that my inner life would be sustained and strengthened by One

who never left me. And so I went to sleep that night at perfect peace

in my new surroundings.