1921-12-10 — Page 14

"THE CHIMES."

(Continued from Page 10.)

cautiously out of his chair, without first taking time to think about it and compose his mind. When he had found his voice--which it took him some time to do, for it was a long

meal-he said in a fat whisper-

"Who's it from"? Toby told him.

THE CHINA MAIL.

SATURDAY DECEMBER 107:192)%\Da

The year was old, that day. The way off, and hidden under a load of eventfuí a period in human transac-business in life is with me. You undoubtedly the case I am their tude, and constant opposition to my "in the general line. Also a

'patient year had lived through the reproaches and misuses of its slanderers, and faithfully performed. its work. Spring, summer, autumn, winter. It had laboured through the destined round,, and now laid down its weary head to die.

Shut out from hope, high impulse, active happiness, 'itself, but messenger of many joys to others, it made appeal in its decline to have its toiling days and patient hours remembered, and to die in peace. Trotty might have read a poor man's allegory in the fading year; but he was past that now.

And only he? Or has the like appeal been ever made, by seventy years at

and made in vain f

1

"You're to take it in yourself." said the porter, pointing to a room at the end of a long passage, opening from the ball. "Everything goes straight in, on this day of the You're not a bit too year.

is for the carriage at soon: the door now, and they have only come to town for a couple of hours, a-purpose."

Toby wiped his feet (which were quite dry already) with great care, and took the way pointed out to him; observing as he went that it was an

matter

Sir Joseph delivered these words as if he felt the full morality of what he was saying; and desired that even Trotty should have as opportunity of being improved by such discourse Possibly he had this end before him in still forbearing to break the seal of the letter, and in telling Trotty to wait where he was a minute.

**You were, desiring Mr. Fish to say, my lady" observed. Sir Joseph.

3

4

Toby listened with great gravity, wicked and designing persons tell add, I can say nothing favourable. "To Mrs. Chickenstaller!" in the great depth of his observations,

at this season of the year we should and began to feel more comfortable, them otherwise, and they become I have uniformly considered myself peated Sir Joseph, in the same tone

Your only business, my good impatient and discontented, and are in the light of his friend and father,

as before. think of-of ourselves. We should took into our-pur accounts. We fellow," pursued Sir Joseph, looking guilty of insubordinate conduct and but have been repaid (a common

"A shop, sir." exclaimed Toby, should feel that every return of so abstractedly at Toby your only black-hearted ingratitude which is case, I grieve to say) with ingrati- [

tions, involves

of deep needn't trouble yourself to think friend and father still. It is so or plans. He is a turbulent and rebel little money on account of rent. A moment between a man and his-and about anything. I will think for you; dainert. It is in the nature of things." llous spirit. His character will not very little, sir. It oughtn't to be I know what is good for you; I am With that great sentiment, he bear investigation. Nothing, wit his banker."

your perpetual parent. Such is the opened the alderman's letter, and persuade him to be happy when he ewing, I know, but we have been

might. Under these circumstances, bard put to it, indeed!" dispensation of an all-wise Providence! read it.

Sir Joseph looked at his lady, and Now, the design of your creation is-Very polite and attentive, I am it appears to me, Town, that when not that you should swill, and guzzle, sure!" exclaimed Sir Joseph, "My he comes before you again (as you, at Mr. Fish, and at Trotty, one after and associate your enjoyments, brut lady, the alderman, is so obliging as informed me he promised to do to another, twice all round. He then ally, with food""Toby thought re to remind me that he has had the morrow, pending your inquiries, and made a despondent gesture with both s morsefully of the tripe" but that distinguished honour-he is very I think he may be so far relied upon), hands at once, as if he gave the you should feel the dignity of labour. good of meeting me at the house of his committal for some short time, thing up altogether. Go forth erect into the cheerful morn- our mutual friend Deedles, the bank as a vagabond, would be a service! "How a man, even among this ing air, and and atop there. Live er; and he does me the favour to to society, and would be salutary ex improvident and impracticable race hard and temperately, be respectful, inquire whether it will be agreeable ample in a country where for the-an old man a man grown gray exercise your self-denial, bring up to me to have Will Fern put down." sake of those who are, through good can look a new year in the face, with your family on next to nothing, pay Most agreeable 1" replied my and evit report, the friends and his affairs in this condition; how he

can lie down on his bed at night and your rent as regularly as the clock tady Bowley. "The worst man among fathers of the poor, as well with a

misguided class themselves-exam- There!" he said, turning his (f set you a good example; you will robbery, I hope?" find Mr Fish, my confidential secret. Why. no," said Sir Joseph, re- ples are greatly needed. And I am back on Trotty, "Take the letter.

-" and so forth.

Take the letter !" ary, with a cash-box before him at all ferring to the letter. "Not quite. times), and you may trust to me to Very near. Not quite. He came up

"It appears," remarked Sir Joseph. "I heartily wish it was otherwise, be your friend and father.""

to London, it seems, to look for

Mr. Fish was sealing it, as if this himself. "We have been tried very employment (trying to better him when he had signed this letter, and sir," said Troity, anxious to excuse found at night asleep in a shed, was of the year, I wind up my account Sir Joseph still repeating.

"Take taken into custody, and carried next and strike my balance, even with the letter, take the letter!" and Mr. morning before the alderman. The William Fern alderman observes (very properly). that if it will be agreeable to me to have Will Fern put down, he will be happy to begin with bien."

F

once upon an English labourer's head. awfully grand house, but hushed and letter, 'But, upon my word, Sir strikes, be punctual in your dealings them! He has been committing a view to that, generally speaking, get up again in the morning. atid

The streets were full of motion, and the shops were decked out gaily. The new year, like an infant heir to the whole world, was waited for, with welcomes, presents, and rejoicings,

covered up, as if the family were in the country. Knocking at the room door, he was told to enter from with- in; and doing so found himself in a spacious library, where, at a table strewn with Gles and papers, were a

"Mr. Fish has said that, I believe," returned his lady, glancing at the Joseph, I don't think I can let it go after all. It is so very dear."

"What is dear?" Inquired Sir That charity, my love, They Joseph, only allow two votes for a subscripNice children, Indeed, Sir Joseph" Rheumatisms, and fevers, and crooked legs, and asthmas, and all kinds of horrors!"

There were books and toys for the stately lady in a bonnet; and a not tion of five pounds. Really non sald the lady with a shudder. self-that's his story), and being were ordained: really. At the, close! hard."

strous !**

very stately gentleman in black, who wrote from her dictation; while an-

"My Lady Bowley," returned Sir Is the other, and an older, and a much Joseph, "you surprise me. statelier gentleman, whose hat and luxury of feeling in proportion to the cane were on the table, walked up number of votes; or is it, to a rightly and down, with one hand in his constituted mind, in proportion to the breast, and looked complacently from number of applicants, and the whole time to time at his own picture-asome state of mind to which their full-length; a very full length-hang canvassing reduces them? Is there no excitement of the purest kind in ing over the fireplace.

having two votes to dispose of among fifty people?"

ዩ What is this?" said the last

"Mr. Fish, will you have the goodness to attend?"

Mr. Fish begged pardon, and taking the letter from Toby, handed it, with great respect.

new year, dresses. for the new year, schemes of fortune for the new year; new inventions to beguile it. Its life was parcelled out in almanacs and packet-books; the coming of its moons and stars, and tides was known be- forehand to the moment; all the workings of its seasons in their days and nights, were calculated with as 'much precision as Mr. Filer could

work sums in men and women.

The new year, the new year.named gentleman. Everywhere the new year! The old year was already looked upon as dead; and its effects were selling cheap, like some drowned mariner's aboardship. Its patterns were last year's; and going at a sacrifice, before its breath was gone. Its treasures

Toby replied in the negative. were mere dirt, beside the riches of

"You have no bili or demand upon its unborn successor.

Trotty had no portion, to his think-me-my name is Bowley, Sir Joseph ing. in the new year or the old. Bowley of any kind from anybody, have you?" said Sir Joseph. "If you have, present it. There is a cheque book by the side of Mr. Fish. Tallow nothing to be carried into the new year. Every description of account, is settled in this house at the close of the old one. So that if death was to-to- ---"

Put 'em down, put 'em down! Facts and figures, facts and figures! Good old times, good old times! Put 'em down, put 'em down 1"-his trot went to that measure, and would fit itself to nothing else.

But even that one, melancholy as it was, brought him, in due time, to the end of his journey. To the mansion of Sir Joseph Bowley, Mem- ber of Parliament.

The door was opened by a porter. Such a porter ! Not of Toby's order. Quite another thing. His place was the ticket, though; not Toby's.

This porter underwent some hard panting before he could speak; bay- ing breathed himself by coming in

From Alderman Cute, Sir Joseph." "Is this all? Have you nothing else. porter?" inquired Sir Joseph.

Not to me, I acknowledge," re "It bores me. turned, the lady. Besides, one can't oblige one's ac quaintance. But you are the poor man's friend, you know, Sir Joseph. You think otherwise."

"I am the poor man's friend," observed Sir Joseph, glancing at the poor man present. "As such I may As such I have been be taunted,

But I ask no other title." taunted.

"Bless him for a noble gentleman!" thought Trotty.

|

I

"My lady." returned Sir Joseph with solemnity, not the less am I the poor man's friend and father. Not the less shall he receive encourage ment at my hands. Every quarter- day he will be put in communication with Mr. Fish. Every New Year's Day, myself and friends will drink his health. Once every year, myself and friends will address him with the deepest feeling. Once in his life, he may even perhaps receive-in public. in the presence of the gentry-a trifle from a friend. And when, upheld no more by these stimulants, and the dignity of labour, he sinks into his comfortable grave, then, my lady" here Sir Joseph blew his nose-I will be a friend and father-on the same terms-to his children."

Toby was greatly moved, "Oh! You have a thankful family, Sir Joseph!" cried his wile.

"My lady," said Sir Joseph, quite majestically, "ingratitude is known to be the sin of that class. I expect no other return.'

Ah! Born bad!" thought Toby.

"I don't agree with Cute here, for instance," said Sir Joseph, holding out the letter. "I don't agree with the Filer party. I don't agree with any party. My friend the poor man, has no business with anything of that "To cui," suggested Mr. Fish. sort, and nothing of that sort has anyNothing melts us,"

To sever, sir," returned Sir Joseph, business with him. My friend the with great asperity, "the cord of ex-poor man, in my district, is my No, man. or body of mien istence my affairs would be found, business

has any right to interfere between my I hope, in a state of preparation."

"My dear Sir Joseph!" said the friend and me. This is the ground I lady, who was greatly younger than take. I assume a-a paternal char- "How shocking!" acter towards my friend. I say, 'My the gentleman.

My Lady Bowley." returned Sir good fellow, I will treat you patern Joseph, floundering now and then, as ally.""

"What man can do, I do," pursued Sir Joseph. "I do my duty as the poor man's friend and father, and I endeavour to educate his mind, by inculcating on all occasions the one great moral lesson which that class requires. That is, entire dependence on myself. They have no business whatever with with themselves. If

Let him be made an example of, by all means," returned the lady. "Last winter, when I introduced pinking and eyelet-holing among the men and boys in the village, as a nice evening employment, and had the lines,

Oh, let us love our occupations, Bless the squire and his relations, 'Live upon our daily rations,

And always know our proper

stations, set to music on the new system, or them to sing the while; this very Fern-I see him nowtouched that hat of his, and said, I bumbly ask your pardon, my lady, but ain't something different from a great girl?" I expected it, of course; who can expect anything but insolence and ingratitude from that class of people? That is not to the purpose.

however. Sir Joseph' Make an example of himi"

Hem !" coughed Sir Joseph. Mr. Fish, if you'll have the goodness to attend".

Mr. Fish immediately seized his pen, and wrote from Sir Joseph's dictation.

Trotty, who had long ago relaps- ped forward with a rueful face to ed, and was very low spirited, step take the letter.

With my

compliments

Fish not only saying the same thing.. but giving additional force to the the door, he had nothing for it but request by motioning the bearer to

to make his bow and leave the house. And in the street, pide Trotty pulled and

his worn old hat down on his head, to hide the grief he felt at getting no hold on the new year, anywhere.

He didn't even lift his hat to look up at the bell tower, when he came to the old church on his return, He halted there a moment; from habit, and knew that it was growing dark, and that the steeple rose above him. indistinct and faint, in the murky air. He knew, too, that the chimes would ring immediately; and that they sounded to his fancy, at such a time, like voices in the clouds.

thanks," said Sir Joseph. "Stop!"

"Stop!" echoed Mr. Fish. "You have heard, perhaps," said Sir Joseph oracularly, "certain re marks into which I have been led respecting the solemn period of time at which we have arrived, and the duty imposed upon us of settling our affairs, and being prepared. You have observed that I don't shelter myself behind my superior standing in society, but that Mr. Fish-that gentleman-has a cheque-look at his elbow, and is in fact here, to enable me to turn over a perfectly new leaf, only made the more haste to deliver and enter on the epoch balore us the alderman's letter, and get out of

hear with a clean account. Now, my the way before they began; for he them tagging friend, can you lay your hand upon dreaded to

Friends and fathers, friends and your heart and say, that you also have made preparation for a new year?"

"I am afraid, sir," stammered Trotty, looking meekly at him. "that I am-a-little behindhand with the

world."

!

"Behindhand, with the world ! repeated Sir Joseph Bowley, in a tone of terrible distinctness. "Private. My dear Sir, I am "I am afraid, Sir," faltered Tretty very much indebted to you for your" that there's a matter of ten or courtesy in the matter of the man twelve shillings owing to Mrs. William Fern, of, whom, I regret to Chickenstalker.

But he

fathers." to the burden they had

rung out last.

Toby discharged himself of his commission, therefore, with all pos sible speed, and set off trotting home- ward. But what with his pace, which was at best an awkward one in the street, and what with his hat. which didn't improve it, he trotted against somebody in less than no time, and was sent staggering out into the road,

(Continued on Page 14.)

J.B S.CO.

STETSON HATS

WATERMAN PENS

THE GIFT-SEEKERS' CENTRE.

EVERYTHING FOR EVERYBODY AT OUR YULETIDE DISPLAY.

Our Displays make a Particular Appeal to those who are Looking for Articles for their Friends that will bring Lasting Appreciation.

CALL AND INSPECT

THE SINCERE CO., LTD.

ERFUMERY

FASHIONABLEHOSE

BOOTS & SHOES

COLL

DOLLS & TOYS

MANICURE GET