1921-12-10 — Page 7

SATURDAY. DECEMBER 10, 1921.

“THE CHIMES.”

A SEASONABLE DICKENS' STORY.

There are not many people and as it is desirable that a story-teller ard a story-reader should establish a 'mutual understanding as soon as possible, I teg it to be noticed that I

1 confice this observation neither to young people nor to little people, but extend it to all conditions of people; lite and big, young and old; yet growing up. or already growing dewn sgait there are not, I say, many people who would care to sleep in a church. I don't mean, at ser men-time in warm weather (when the thing bas actually been, done, once or twice), but in the night, and alone. A great multitude of persons will be violently astonished, I know, by this position, in the bread bold day. But it applies to night. It must be argued by night. Ard | will undertake to maintain it success fully on any Lusty winter's night appointed for the purpose, with any ore opponent chosen from the rest, who will meet me singly in an old churchyard, before an old church, doer; and will previously empower me to leek him in, if needful to his satisfaction, until morning.

broken. Ugh! Heaven preserve us, sitting snugly round the fire; It has an awful voice, that wind at mid night. singing in a church!

THE CHINA MAIL

over: for, #ghting gallantly sgalnat it when it took an adveree whim, they would pour their cheerful notes into a listening ear right royally and bent on being heard, on stormy nights, by some poor mother watch ing a sick child, or some lone wife whose Lusband was at sea, they had been some times known to beat a blus tering nor wester; aye, all to fils, as Toby Veck said; for though they chose to call him Trotty, Veck, his name was Toby, and nobody could make it anything else either (except Tobias) without a special act of Parliament; he having been as law Jully christened in his day as the bells had been in theirs, though with not quite so much of solemnity or public rejoicing.

natural course of thinge he must astonished him very much, arrive at precious hard service of it in the inevitably overtake and run them a certain end; so his mental faculties, bitter weather, and precious little to down, and he had perfect faith-not without his privity or concurrence, look forward to: for I don't take often tested-in his being able to set all thrae wheels and springs in enuff myself. It's a good deal tried, carty anything that man could life, motion, with a thousand others, when poor creetur, at the best of times; Thus, even when he came out of they worked to bring about his liking for when it does get hold of a his nook to warm himself on a wet for the bells,

template) pleasant whiff or so (which ain't foo day, Toby trotted. Making with And though I had said his love, I often), it's generally from sɔmebody hja leaky shoes, a crooked line of would not have recalled the word, else's dinner, a-coming home from slushy foolprints in the mite; and though it would scarcely have ex the baker's." blowing on his chilly hands and rub pressed his complicated feeling. For, bing them against each other, poorly, being but a simple man, he invested defended from the searching cold by them with a strange and solemn threadbare mufflers of gray worsted, character. They were so mysterious. with a private apartment only for often heard and never seen. so high the thumb, and a common room or up, so far off, so full of such a deep tap for the rest of the fingers; Toby, strong melody, that he regarded them with his knees bent and, his cane with a species of awe; and sometimes beneath his arm, still trotted.. Fal- when he looked up at the dark ling into the road to lock up at the Larched windows in the tower, he half belfry when the chimes resounded, expected to be beckoned to by some Toby trotted still,

The reflection reminded him of that other reflection, which he had left unfinished,

There's nothing," said Toby "more regular in its coming round. than dinner-time, and nothing less regular in it's coming round than dinner. That's the great difference between ep. It's took me a long time to find it out. I wonder whether it would be worth any gentleman's while, now, to buy that obserwation for the papers; or the Parliament!"

Toby was only joking, for he gravely shook his head in self- depreciation:

thing which was not a bell, and yet was what he heard so often sounding in the chimes. For all this, Toby scouted with indignation a certain flying rumour that the chimes were haunted, as implying the possibility "Why! Lord!" said Toby. "The of their being connected with any papers is full of observations as it is. evil thing. In short, they were very and so's the Parliament. Here's last often in his ears, and very often in week's paper, now" taking a very his thoughts, but always in his good dirty one from his pocket, and holding opinion; and he very often got such, it from him at arm's length "full of & crick in his neck by staring with obserwations! Full of observations !'" mouth wide open, at the steeple I like to know the news as well as where they hung, that he was fain any man," said Toby slowly, folding to take an extra trot or two, after a little smaller, and putting it wards, to cure it..

int this pocket again, but it

of doing one cold day, when the last with

The very thing he was in the act almost goes against the grain

me to read a paper. drowsy sound of twelve o'clock, just now. It frightens me almost. I. struck, was humming like a melodious don't know what we poor people are monster of a bee, and not by any coming to. Lord send we may be means a busy bee, all through the coming to something better in the steeple!

new year nigh upon us!"

"Why, father, father," said pleasant voice, hard by.

with that boisterous element took off his attention, and quite freshened him up, when he was hungry and low spirited. A hard frost tco, or a fall of snow was an event; and it seemed to do him good, somehow or other-it would have been hard to say in what respect though, Teby! So wind and frest and snow, and perhaps a good stiff storm of hall, were Toby Veck's red-letter days,

Wet weather was the worst the cold, damp, clammy, wet, that wrapped him up like a moist great coat the only kind of greatcoat But, high up in the steeple! There

Toby owned, or could have added to the foul blast roars and whistles!

his comfort by dispensing with. Wet High up in the steeple, where it is

days, when the rain capie slowly, free to come and go through many

thickly, obstinately down; when the an airy arch and loophole, and to

street's throat, like his own, was twist and twine itself about the giddy For my part. I confess myself of choked with mist; when smoking stair, and twirl the groaning Toby Veck's belief, for I am sure he umbrellas passed and repassed, spin weathercock, and make the very to had opportunities enough of forming ning round and round like so many

He made this last excersion wer shake and shiver! High up in a correct one. And whatever Toby teetotums, as they knocked ag 'nst several times a day, for they were the steeple, where the belfry is, and Veck said, I say. And I take my stand each other on the crowded foolway company to him; and when he heard in rails are ragged with rust, and by Toby Veck, although he did stand off a little whirlpool of uncomfortable their voices, he had an interest in sheets of lead and copper, shrivelled all day long (and weary work it was) sprinklinge; when gutters brawled and glancing at their lodgingplace, and by the changing weather, crackle just outside the church door. In water spouts were full and noisy; thinking bow they were moved, and and heave beneath the unaccustomed fact, he was a ticket-porter. Toby when the wet from the projecting what hammers beat upon them. tread; and birds stoff shabby nests Veck, and waited there for jobs. stones and ledges of the church fell Perhaps he was the more curious into corners of old oaken joists and

And a breezy, goose-skinned, blue drip, drip, drip, on Toby, making the about these bells; because there were Leams; and dust grows old and gray; nosed, red-eyed, stony-tard, tooth wisp of straw on which he stood, points of resemblance between them- and speckled spiders, indolent and chattering place it was, to wait in, mere mud in no time; those were selves and him. They hang there, fat with long security, swing idly in the winter time, as Toby Veck the days that tried him. Then, in in all weathers, with the wind and to and fro in the vibration of the well knew; The wind came tearing deed, you might see Toby looking rain driving in upon them; facing bells, and never lose their hold up round the corner--especially the east anxiously out from bis shelter in an only the outsides of all these houses; on their thread-spun castles in the wind as if it had sallied forth, ex-angle of the church wall such a never getting any nearer to the air, or climb up sailor-like in quick press, from the confines of the earth, meagre shelter that in summer time blazing fires that gleamed and shone alarm, or drop upon the ground and

to have a blow at Toby. And often it never cast a shadow thicker than upon the windows, or came puffing ply a score of nimble legs to save one times it seemed to come upon him a good-sized walking-stick upon the out of the chimney-tops; and incap life! High up in the steeple of an old sooner than it had expected, for sunny pavement--with a discon-able of participation in any of the church, far above the light and mur-bouncing_round the corner, and solate and lengthened "face. But good things that were constantly mur of the town and far below the passing Toby, it would suddenly coming out, a minute afterward, to being handed, through the street flying clouds that shadow it, is the wheel round again, as if it cried, warm himself by exercise, and trot- doors and the area railings, to pro- wild and dreary place at night; and "Why, there he is!" Incontinently ting up and down some dozen times, digious cooks. Faces came and high up in the steeple of an old his little white apron would be he would brighten even then, and go went at many windows sometimes church dwelled the chimes I tell of. caught up over his head like a back more brightly to his niche. pretty faces, youthful faces, pleasant

raughty boy's garments, and his

They called him Trotty from his faces; sometimes the reverse-but

Toby's nose was very red, and his feeble little cane would be seen to pace, which meant speed if it didn't Toby knew no more (though be often eyelids were very red, and he winked wrestle and struggle unavailingly in make it.. He could have walked speculated on these trifles, standing very much, and his shoulders were his hand, and his legs would undergo faster perhaps; most likely; but rob idle in the streets) whence they came, very near his ears and his legs were It seems as if we can't go right; tremendous agitation, and Toby him him of his trot, and Toby would or where they went, or whether, very stiff, and altogether he was or do right, or be righted," said To- self all aslant, and facing now i have taken to his bed and died. It when the lips moved, one kind word evidently a long way upon the frosty by: "I hadn't much schooling, my- this direction, now in that, would be

self, when I was young; and I can't weather; it cost him a world of did the chimes themselves.

make out whether we have, any and worried and hustled, and lifted off trouble; he could have walked with Toby was not a casuist that he

business on the face of the earth. his feet, as to render it a state of infinitely greater ease; but that was knew of, at least and I don't mean

or not. Sometimes I think we must things but one degree removed from a one reason for his clinging to it so to say that when he began to take to

have a litle; and sometimes I think positive miracle that he wasn't carried tenaciously. A weak, small, spare the bells, and to knit up his first

we must be intruding. I get so up bodily into the air as a colony of old man, he was a very Hercules, rough acquaintance with them into for a minute or two.

puzzled sometimes that I am not frogs or snails or other very portable this Toby, in his good intentions. something of a closer and more." There's nothing." said Toby, even able to make up my mind creatures sometimes are, and rained He loved to earn his money. He delicate woof, he passed through breaking forth afresh-but here he whether there is any good at all in down again, to the great astonish delighted to believe-Toby was very these considerations one by one, or stopped short in his trot, and with a us, or whether we are born bad. We ment of the natives, on some strange poor, and couldn't well afford to part held any formal review or great field face of great interest and some seem to do dreadful things; we seem corner of the world where ticket with a delight-that he was worth day in his thoughts. But what I alarm, felt his nose carefully all the to give a deal of trouble, we are al- porters are unknown.

his salt. With a shilling or as mean to say, and do say, is, that as way up. It was but a little way (notways being complained of and guard- eighteenpenny message or small par- the functions of Toby's body his being much of a nose), and he had ed against. One way or another, we cel in hand, bis courage, always digestive organs for example, did soon finished.

fill the papers. Talk of a new year !" high, rose higher. As he frotted on, of their own cunning, and by a "I thought it was gone," said he would call out to fast postmen great many operations of which Toby, trotting off again.. It's all ahead of him to get out of the way; he was altogether ignorant, and the right, however. I am sure I couldn't

They were old chimes, trust me, Centuries ago, these bells had been baptised by bishops: so many cen- turies ago, that the register of their baptism, was lost long, long before the memory of mar, and no one knew their names. They had

'Dinner-time, eh! said Toby, trot ting up and down before the church. "Ah!"

deep organ, soars up to the roof, and had their godfathers and godmothers, so banged and buffeted, and touzle bespattered him with mud in dirty was said of him in all the year, than side of cool.

For the night wird bas a dismal trick of wandering round and round a building of that sort, and meaning as it goes; and i trying, with its unseen hand, the windows and the dpors; and seeking out some crevices by which to enter. And when it has got in; as cre not finding what it seeks, whatever that may be, it wails and howls to issue forth again; and BG content with stalking through the aisles, and gliding round and round the pillars, and tempting the

strives to rend the rafters; then these bells (for my own part, by the flings itself despairingly upon the way, I would rather incur the res stones below, and parses, muttering, ponsibility of being godfather to a into the vaults. Anon, it comes up bell than a boy), and had had their stealthily, and creeps along the walls, silver mugs no doubt, besides. But seeming to read, in whispers, the in- Time had mowed down their spon- scriptions sacred to the dead. At sors, and Henry the Eighth had some of these, it breaks out shrilly, melted down their mugs; and they as with laughter; and at others, now hung, nameless and mugless, moans and cries as if it were lament- in the church tower. ing. It has a ghostly sound too, lingering within the altar; where it seems to chant, in its wild way, of wrong and murder done, and false gods, worshipped, in defiance of the fables of the law, which look so fair and smooth, but are so flawed and

Not speechless, though. Far from it. They bad clear, loud, lusty, sounding voices, had these bells; and far and wide they might be heard upon the wind. Much too sturdy chimes were they, to be dependent on the pleasure of the wind, more.

"Dinner-time, eh!" repented Toby, using his right-hand muffler like an infantine boxing glove, and punishing his chest for being cold. "Ahhhh!" He took a silent trot, after that,

But Tody, not hearing it, continued to trot backwards and forwards, musing as he went, and talking to himself.

said Toby mournfully. "I can bear

But windy weather, in spite of its using him so roughly, was, after all, a sort of holiday for Toby.. That's the fact. He didn't seem to wait so long for a sixpence in the wind, as at other times; the having to fight | devoutly believing that in the knowledge of which would have blame it if it, was to go.. It has a (Continued on page 8.)

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