DESPONDENCY.
Much as we would like to follow other friends we cannot yet leave
Phillip Lawson. He is now in great trouble having met with a loss
that is great.
"I might have known that it was too much good fortune for me," cried
the young man in sad and pathetic voice. "Fool that I was to carry
it about when I was so lucky for once in my life."
Phillip Lawson was the picture of despondency. A heavy cloud had
settled down just as all had promised fair and now all was darkness
and gloom, not a ray of hope pierced the grim portals which had
closed so suddenly upon him.
He thought of the Tuscan poet and wondered if it were possible that
his bitter experience had called forth that direful inscription--
"Abandon hope all ye who enter here."
"Ah, my life is Hades! I look for none other!" cried Phillip, his
mind now in an unsettled state and ready almost to doubt truth and
revelation.
"I have tried hard to lead a good moral life, to live according to
the teachings of the Golden Rule and to live with God's help in
accordance with the teachings of His holy doctrine, and why is it
that I am thus hardly dealt with?"
We cannot blame our young friend if he be somewhat rebellious. His
faith is sorely tried and he is at first found wanting; but unlike
many others who have gone down under the weight of the angry
billows, stems the torrent and with his eye straight for the beacon
light reaches the haven in safety.
"I believe that some good may yet spring from it. Hubert Tracy will
not have the power to injure my reputation. He may succeed for a
time, but there is a Nemesis cruel as death."
Phillip repeated these words as if he were the avenging Deity
himself and the hoarseness of his voice made them sound doubly
prophetic.
"If they could only have passed into Mr. Verne's hands instead of
mine it would have been better for all parties; but what's the use
of talking."
Phillip looked sad and careworn, aye, ten years older than on the
previous night, and had Mrs. Montgomery looked in upon him then she
would surely have been more perplexed than ever.
"It will never do for me to be hunting around the doors at
'Sunnybank.' For the life of me I cannot see how such a thing could
have happened."
For the sake of explanation we must admit that our legal friend had
a failing which often turned out disastrously for himself and at
times for others--he was simply speaking--absent-minded, but bear in
mind it was only outside of business matters. As a clear thinker Mr.
Lawson had no superior, he was equal to any question, running over
with brilliant repartee and thoughtful speech.
It was only when the office door was closed and business suspended
that he was guilty of this weakness, and as it on this occasion,
caused him to suffer much from the consequence we hope to prove that
he had overcome it. The fact was the paper had slipped between the
folds of his handkerchief when he had taken it to brush off some
dust that persistently adhered to his coat sleeve. There was another
view of the matter from a more jubliant source, Mr. Moses
Spriggins.
The latter toiled away in the ten acre lot at Mill Crossing in the
happy thought of some day being "as big a gun as the rest of 'em,"
and with the kindness received from Mr. Verne the happy climax was
almost reached.
"Would'nt it be great," mused Moses as he followed the plough in the
field above referred to, "if when Melindy and myself go to town that
we would put up at them 'ere Verneses. Golly it would make the
Wiggleses eyes stick out furder than ever. They're a jealous lot at
the best o' times, and its sich a silly idear for Melindy to be
a-naggin' at me for goin' there when I never go nearer than the
rickety old gate."
Mr. Spriggins was evidently taking on a few airs for he seemed quite
exasperated and ready to battle against such aspersions. Instantly
his face became radiant as the noonday sun, and he burst forth in
rapturous strains--
"What a man I would be and what sights I would see
If I had but ten thousand a year,"
until the hills and dales in the vicinity of Mill Crossing caught up
the refrain and all nature seemed to rejoice.
"What's the use of wishin'? it won't bring the ten thousand any more
than I could turn that old millstream yonder tother way. But what's
the odds so long as yer happy?" and once more there floated on the
breeze--
"If I had but _one_ thousand a year."
"Yes sir, I'd be content," exclaimed Mr. Spriggins, as he finished
the last stanza and took a vigorous pull at his pipe as means of
reconciliation with his present circumstances.
"And, by-the-bye, I must go up to Ned Joneses to-night and talk him
into that business. It aint any sense for Ned and me to be a keepin'
up spite 'cause the old folks want ter. No sir, not this child,
anyhow."
Between eulogizing and soliloquizing Moses' morning wore into
evening and having hitched up the old mare he set off for the post
office--a spot doubly endeared to him since Melindy Jane Thrasher
went to service, since which time there regularly arrived every
Monday evening a suspicious letter addressed:--
MR. MOSES SPRIGGINS,
Mill Crossin',
Kings County, N. B. In haste.
Imagine the surprise of our friend on being presented with three
whole letters--nothing more, nothing less--and one was addressed
"Moses Spriggins, Esq."
"I wouldn't take that as a joke, nohow, Mose," said a lugubrious
looking individual, whose face looked as if it had been playing "I
spy" with a tallow candle and got the worst of the battle.
"Bet your life on it it's no joke; you're jest right Zeb, it's real
down airnest; the fellow that rit that ain't one of your jokin'
consarns."
Mr. Spriggins glanced over Melindy's letter to see if she was in
good "speerits," and being more than satisfied, broke open the seal
of the second one, which was from Mr. Verne.
It was written in a large and legible hand, and was couched in the
most simple language, and ended with a request that the finding of
the paper should be kept secret until such time as he (Mr. Verne)
should see fit to acknowledge it. "I do not doubt you, Mr.
Spriggins, only you might carelessly let it be made known among your
friends."
When Moses read these lines he was more than delighted. They
expressed such confidence in him that he felt so proud, to quote his
own expression, "that he wouldn't claim relationship with the
Attorney Gin'ral."
The third letter which drew our friend's attention, was a notice
from the Dominion Safety Fund Company, which almost gave as much
pleasure as the other, for in it lay, as Moses expressed it, "a big
bonanzer one of these days."
But Moses was not destined to live many days in a perpetual ray of
sunshine.
Mrs. Spriggins was a motherly and kind woman, careful, industrious
and economical, but she had one bad habit--that of scolding.
"Mother could no more live without scoldin' than dad could live
without his tobaccer," was Moses' frequent comment when beyond the
old lady's hearing.
The happy first-born was dear to Mrs. Spriggins as "the apple of her
eye," but he always came in for a decent share of the scolding.
"Now, what that critter is a galavantin' to town and gettin' so many
letters is mor'n I can tell. Seems to me he must be neglectin'
sumthin', for I tell ye things won't git along without puttin' your
shoulder to the wheel." (Mrs. Spriggins had evidently heard of the
fable of Sisyphus, and gave it an original translation.)
"That's all right Jerushy, but I don't think there is any danger of
our Moses. He's as stiddy as a rock."
"Don't let him hear you say so, Simon, for its the worst thing in
the world to be a-praisin' your own children, and a-tellin' them
they're so smart, and good lookin', it makes them so ever-lastin'
conseity."
Mr. Spriggins, Sr., was going to remark that there was no danger of
_her_ children getting spoilt, but he knew what was best for
himself, and kept a quiet tongue in his head.
The next evening after Moses had been to the post office, he became
aware of the startling fact that his mother had been peeking into
his trousers pocket while she rearranged his neat little room, and
made it look more spicy by the addition of a set of snow-white
curtains.
"'Pears to me Moses you have a lot of business agoin' on. Hope you
ain't writin' to any girls but Melindy. You know anything I despise
is a young man a-flirtin' with every girl he sees, and besides its
not what any honest man would do. It's well enough for them 'ere
city chaps that thinks no more of their word than eating their
supper, to be runnin' arter every piece of calicer they see, but I
tell you none of the Spriggins is agoin' to do it."
Mrs. Spriggins evidently meant what she said if one could judge from
her vehemence, her snapping eyes and sharp tongue.
"Don't be skeered of me a flirtin' mother, I'll stick to Melindy
while there's a button to my coat," said Moses trying hard to look
very dignified.
"Well, what is all of 'em letters about?"
"What letters mother?" queried Moses, with the evident delight of
extorting a confession.
"Why as I was a-hangin' up your Sunday trousers some of 'em fell out
and I couldn't help a-lookin' at the writin' on the back.
"From as fine a gentleman as ever walked the streets of St. John,"
cried Moses quite emphatically.
"What's comin' next! You, Moses Spriggins of Mill Crossin', a ritin'
letters to a gentleman. Let's hear all about it.
"I'm not at liberty to tell you jest now mother, I'm sorry to say,
but it's all right."
"Am I in my sober senses or am I in a nightmare? (No, there's Mose
as nateral as life.)" Then pointing her finger at the supposed
culprit Mrs. Spriggins exclaimed: "I tell you what it is Moses
Spriggins it's nothin' very good that you're ahidin' from your own
mother. Got into them lawyer's clutches at last? Ye used ter say ye
liked law and if I'm as good a prophet as I think I ort to be you'll
get enough of it. Like as not the farm and the stock and all the
utensils will go afore long. Oh dear me!"
Mrs. Spriggins now stopped for want of breath and fawning herself
violently with the bottom of her blue gingham apron made a second
onslaught.
"I tell ye what it is Mose there is no good comin' of this 'ere
gallivantin' to town every t'other day, anyhow."
"Mother, if you would only have patience a few minits I might make
some explanation, but you seem to want to have it your own way,"
said Moses, who had now determined to venture a word or two in his
defence.
"Be keerful, Moses, how you speak to your own mother. It's time I
_had_ everything my own way, when other folks can't manage
their own affairs," said Mrs. Spriggins, with an angry toss of her
head.
"Now jest listen a minit, mother, and if I'm wrong I'll give in,"
said Moses, trying to effect a compromise.
"Well, let's hear what you have to say for yourself; but remember,
you must not palaver it up to suit yourself, or I'll soon find
out--sure as my name is Jerushy Ann Spriggins."
Moses had, to a certain extent, allayed Mrs. Spriggins' fears, and
brought matters to a satisfactory close, when a load knock at the
front door caused the latter to utter a startling exclamation, and
then run to the glass to see if her hair was parted straight.
"Gracious goodness, mother, if there ain't the greatest crowd you
ever saw. There's Mister and Missus Squires and Deacon Rider, and
Missus Rider and little Joe Rider, and there's Huldey Ameliar
Dickson and Marthy Ann, and a hull lot more."
"Moses Spriggins, are you a-takin' leave of your senses to be
a-standin' gapin' with your mouth open instead of runnin' to the
door and a-showin' 'em into the best room, and I'm not fit to be
seen. It's allus the way. If I had all my fixin's on there'd not be
a soul to come, but let one sit in their old rags, and the hull
country side will pop in."
Moses had not heard the last part of the speech, for in less than a
minute he was at the front door, doing the honors with all the grace
imaginable.
"Nell has gone to the store, but mother will be here in a few
minutes, so make yourselves to hum," cried the genial host, showing
the female guests the way into the spare room "to take off their
bunits."
When Mrs. Spriggins appeared not a trace of the recent encounter was
visible.
"Wal, Mrs. Spriggins, yer growin' younger lookin' every day," said
the good old deacon as he glanced at the hostess in her best gown
and black lace cap, not forgetting to admire the coquettish white
linen stomacher that completed the costume.
"Deacon Rider, I'm afraid you are guilty of sayin' little fibs as
well as the rest of the folks. What do _you_ think, Mr. Squires?"
Mrs. Spriggins' appeal placed the minister in a trying position, and
his better half came boldly to the rescue. "I tell you what it is,
Mrs. Spriggins, I'm not going to allow you to get all the
compliments. Just think of it, Deacon Rider drove all the way over,
and never paid one of us a compliment."
"Well, well, if here ain't all the folks," exclaimed good natured
Simon Spriggins, bursting into the best room with several straws
clinging to his trousers--a practical illustration of attraction of
adhesion.
"Missus Squires, I do declare! Why, it does one's eyes good to see
you. And Missus Rider, too--I haven't seen her for an age. Why it
makes me feel young agin to see one of my old beaux around. Eh,
Jerushy."
"A pretty thing you, to be a-talkin' of beaux. Better go and get off
your old clothes first, for you'd scare the crows."
Mrs. Spriggins then became deeply interested in the affairs of her
visitors and began bustling about at a great rate, and making hosts
of excuses for things "not a-lookin' as nice as they had orter, for
Nell had been a-spinnin,' and they had extry work besides."
"Come, come, mother, you needn't be a-puttin' on airs now, for the
folks won't believe you, nohow."
At this sally from Moses Spriggins the younger visitors set up a
laugh, and the older ones smiled and said "Moses is full of fun."
And after a few such preliminaries the party were ensconced in the
best room, enjoying the unbounded hospitality proverbial to the
Sprigginses, while Moses went up to his room to have another spell
at the important letter, and as he read over for the seventh time
the neatly rounded sentences, he felt that he could well afford to
bear reproof for the sake of having the good will of such a man.