HOME AGAIN--HOME NEWS--THE VERY END.
Now it is past it seems like a dream, my life at The Vine, with its sad
end, if indeed that can be justly called a sad end which took away
together, and with little pain, those dear souls whose married life had
not known the parting of a day, and who in death were not (even by a
day) divided.
And so I went back to the moors. I was weak and ill when I started, but
every breath of air on my northward journey seemed to bring me strength.
There are no events in that porter's life, I am convinced. He looked
just the same, and took me and my boxes quite coolly, though I felt
inclined to shake hands with him in my delight. I did cry for very joy
as we toiled up the old sandy hill, and the great moors welcomed me
back. Then came the church, then the Vicarage, with the union-jack out
of my window, and the villagers were at their doors--and I was at home.
Oh, how the dear boys tore me to pieces!
There was no very special news, it seemed. Clement had been very good in
taking my class at school, and had established a cricket club. Jack had
positively found a new fungus, which would probably be named after him.
"Boy's luck," as we all said! Captain Abercrombie had been staying with
an old uncle at a place close by, only about twelve miles off. And he
was constantly driving over. "So very good-natured to the boys," Mr.
Arkwright said. And there was to be a school-children's tea on my
birthday.
My birthday has come and gone, and I am sixteen now. Dear old Eleanor
and I have gone back to our old ways. She had left my side of our room
untouched. It was in talking of our recent parting, and all that has
come and gone in our lives, that the fancy came upon us of writing our
biographies this winter.
And here, in the dear old kitchen, round which the wild wind howls like
music, with the dear boys dreaming at our feet, we bring them to an end.
* * * * *
This dusty relic of an old fad had been lying by for more than a year,
when I found it to-day, in emptying a box to send some books in to
Oxford, to Jack.
Eleanor should have had it, for we are parted, after all; but her
husband has more interest in hers, so we each keep our own.
She is married, to George Abercrombie, and I mean to paste the bit out
of the newspaper account of their wedding on to the end of this, as a
sort of last chapter. It would be as long as all the rest put together
if I were to write down all the ups and downs, and ins and outs, that
went before the marriage, and I suppose these things are always very
much alike.
I like him very much, and I am going to stay with them. The wedding was
very pretty. Jack threw shoes to such an extent, that when I went to
change my white ones I couldn't find a complete pair to put on. He says
he meant to pick them up again, but Prince, our new puppy, thought they
were thrown for him, and he never brought them back. Dear boy!
The old uncle helps George, who I believe is his heir, but at present he
sticks to the regiment. It seems so funny that Eleanor should now be
living there, and I here. In her letter to-day she says: "Fancy,
Margery, my having quarrelled with Mrs. Minchin and not known it! She
called on me to-day and solemnly forgave me, whereby I learned that she
had been 'cutting' me for six weeks. When she said, 'No doubt you
thought it very strange, Mrs. Abercrombie, that I never called on your
mother whilst she was with you,' I was obliged to get over it the best
way I could, for I dare not tell her I had never noticed it. I think my
offence was something about calls, and I must be more particular. But
George and I have been sketching at every spare moment this lovely
weather. Oh, Margery dear, I do often feel so thankful to my mother for
having given us plenty of rational interests. I could really imagine
even _our_ quarrelling or getting tired of each other, if we had nothing
but ourselves in common. As it is, you can't tell, till you have a
husband of your own, what a double delight there is in everything we do
together. As to social ups and downs, and not having much money or many
fine dresses, a 'collection' alone makes one almost too indifferent. Do
you remember Mother's saying long ago, that intellectual pleasures have
this in common with the consolations of religion, that they are such as
the world can neither give nor take away?"
THE END.
_Richard Clay & Sons, Limited, London & Bungay._
_The present Series of Mrs. Ewing's Works is the only authorized,
complete, and uniform Edition published._
_It will consist of 18 volumes, Small Crown 8vo, at 2s. 6d. per vol.,
issued, as far as possible, in chronological order, and these will
appear at the rate of two volumes every two months, so that the Series
will be completed within 18 months. The device of the cover was
specially designed by a Friend of Mrs. Ewing._
_The following is a list of the books included in the Series--_
1. MELCHIOR'S DREAM, AND OTHER TALES.
2. MRS. OVERTHEWAY'S REMEMBRANCES.
3. OLD-FASHIONED FAIRY-TALES.
4. A FLAT IRON FOR A FARTHING.
5. THE BROWNIES, AND OTHER TALES.
6. SIX TO SIXTEEN.
7. LOB-LIE-BY-THE-FIRE, AND OTHER TALES.
8. JAN OF THE WINDMILL.
9. VERSES FOR CHILDREN, AND SONGS.
10. THE PEACE EGG--A CHRISTMAS MUMMING PLAY--HINTS FOR PRIVATE
THEATRICALS, &c.
11. A GREAT EMERGENCY, AND OTHER TALES.
12. BROTHERS OF PITY, AND OTHER TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN.
13. WE AND THE WORLD, Part I.
14. WE AND THE WORLD, Part II.
15. JACKANAPES--DADDY DARWIN'S DOVE-COTE--THE STORY OF A SHORT LIFE.
16. MARY'S MEADOW, AND OTHER TALES OF FIELDS AND FLOWERS.
17. MISCELLANEA, including The Mystery of the Bloody Hand--Wonder
Stories--Tales of the Khoja, and other translations.
18. JULIANA HORATIA EWING AND HER BOOKS, with a selection from Mrs.
Ewing's Letters.
S.P.C.K., NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE, LONDON, W.C.
Transcriber's Note
The following typographical errors have been corrected.
Page Error
18 sate corrected to sat
42 sergeant). corrected to sergeant)."
135 Indeed, Edward corrected to "Indeed, Edward
The following words were inconsistently spelled:
&c. / etc.
practice / practise
The following words had inconsistent hyphenation:
bedtime / bed-time
gingerbeer / ginger-beer
Mantuamaker / Mantua-maker
overfed / over-fed
remade / re-made
scrapbook / scrap-book