THE CHILDREN
On a winter's morning the Red House children were playing in a great
ruin which stood near their home. Clay works had brought a busy
company to Shipley vale in past times; but now only the walls of the
drying houses and the stack of the furnace still stood, while above
them, on the hill, large pits, whither had flowed the liquid clay
from its bed on the high moor, were now filled with herbage,
foxgloves, blackberries and sapling trees.
This famous playground found a small company of children and dogs
assembled, and among them, as cheerful as any, was an ancient man.
Old Billy Marydrew delighted in young people, and they found him more
understanding than the middle-aged.
Children and red dogs romped over ground sparkling with frost, and
Billy sat on a stone and enjoyed the entertainment. Auna fetched and
carried; Avis issued orders, John Henry with some condescension, took
his part. And then he quarrelled with his brother about a terrier
that he was trying to teach a trick.
"He shall do it; I'll larn him," vowed John Henry hotly.
"He can't do it--no Irish terrier could do it," answered Peter.
They argued over the ability of the bewildered bitch, and Peter
appealed to Billy; whereupon Mr. Marydrew agreed that John Henry was
demanding impossibilities.
"When I was as young as you, John Henry," he said, "my father gave me
some silkworms for a present, and I was a determined nipper and
thought I'd train 'em up in the way they should go. And I gave 'em
some very fine poplar leaves, which other worms be fond of. But my
father warned me and said they must have lettuce. 'No, father,' I
told him. 'They shall eat the poplar, because I will it. I won't
have no caterpillars setting up their wills against mine.'"
"Did you make 'em, Mr. Marydrew?" asked Auna.
"I did not, my pretty. Instead, I found out that, though a small boy
can put a worm on a leaf, the whole round world won't make the worm
eat it--not if it isn't his food."
"And nobody won't make 'Nixie' stand on her head," vowed Peter,
"because it's contrary to her nature to do such foolishness. They
French poodles will larn any silly thing; but not an English dog."
John argued to the contrary; Avis and Auna tried to teach the puppies
to slide on a frozen pond and John Henry, quite unconvinced, turned
to pursue 'Nixie's' studies. But that wise dog had bolted home.
Then came along Jacob Bullstone, and hearing his children's voices,
he turned off the road and entered the ruin. He joined the games for
a few minutes; then Avis and Peter, who were in charge of the dogs,
went homeward, and John Henry followed with Auna, while their father
proceeded to the road beside old William.
"I've been to Owley," he said. "My brother-in-law's weakening.
Doesn't like this cold weather."
The ancient laughed.
"He'll stand to it a bit longer yet. The pinch be going to come when
the babby does. Then he'll have to work for the pair of 'em, and go
to market instead of his wife."
"What's the matter with the man?"
"Nothing. A very ordinary sort of man, and if he'd been a lord, or a
landed proprietor, or any sort of chap called to spend money instead
of earn it, he'd have been a great success. Don't we know scores of
the upper people like him? But he wants a thick-set hedge of money
between him and real life. Even as it is, he has had a good bit of
yours, not to say his father's. Afore Jeremy Huxam can shine, he
must have the mercy and good-will of his neighbours. Their good-will
he's got, and their mercy he'll surely want, if there ever comes a
time when he's got to stand alone. But a charming chap I'm sure, and
not an enemy. Same as your wife, without her pluck and sense, Jacob.
Your boys are more like their grandmother than her own son be."
"So I've heard, and don't want to hear it again," answered Bullstone.
"Judith Huxam's no great heroine of mine, Billy, as you know. I see
myself in my sons, and who more likely to be in them?"
"They're a very fine pair of dear boys, and their fortunes are on
their foreheads," said Mr. Marydrew. "Born to command is John Henry.
Peter's most like you in my judgment--got your painstaking care for
details. He's larning all there is to know about the dogs."
"From me."
"Who else? And why for don't you see all the way with Judith Huxam?
My late daughter thought the world of her."
"Too much hell-fire," answered Jacob. "She's narrow and
self-righteous, and I don't want any child of mine to grow up either
one, or the other."
"A pinch of hell-fire doctrine don't hurt the young," declared Billy.
"'Tis true that you and me know the fire's cold; but a lively sense
of the dangers of wrong-doing be a good tonic for the girls and boys.
I keep in touch with the rising generation, because they believe in
me in a way I can't expect you middle-aged folks to do. And I see
what they want--discipline. That ain't your strong suit, nor yet
your wife's. You go in for example; but that's not enough. You know
what's good for a puppy, though I wouldn't say you know so well
what's good for a little human."
Jacob laughed.
"You're a wise old bird--to call you 'old.' But how do you keep so
young in your mind, William? Is it just character, or do you try for
it?"
"I try for it," answered Billy. "Yes, I try for it. You can't keep
young-minded at my age without an effort. And this I do. I never
look back, Jacob. I don't drag the past after me, and I'm lucky,
maybe, because I haven't got much in my past to drag. What is
it--what is most of the past--but a garment that makes you
discomfortable, a boot that galls? Let the past bury the past and
always look forward."
Jacob considered and struck his gaitered leg with his walking-stick.
"The mind no doubt works healthiest when it's working forward," he
admitted. "I know that much. Even the best of the past makes you
turn to sadness rather than happiness. Because the good time has
gone, I suppose, and never can come back no more."
"That's why business be such a blessing to some minds. Business
always means looking forward--so your father used to say."
"He looked forward sure enough, and I've got to thank him for no
little that he did," replied Bullstone. "A rare man of business, and
nobody ever cut a loss and put it behind him quicker and cleaner than
he did. All for land, and pretty well the last thing he said in my
ear was, 'Buy in Brent.' He knew Brent to be on the up grade in his
time, and he'd always buy when he could. Some nice parcels I've got
for building, Billy; but most of them are not up to my selling price
yet."
They talked of Brent and then Jacob looked at his watch.
"Toddle up the valley and have dinner with us."
"Not to-day. I've promised your missis to come Sunday," said William.