Friarswood Post-Office

not, and Harold was a servant of the public, and must do his duty, so after some exhortatio

to wait. Here's a registered letter, and I

them little chaps getting more money for nothing, than

chaps will work hard enough by-and-by: and the money they

ousekeeper whether he had been there to take leave. No; and indeed Harold wou

alings with crystals. Harold thought how cold poor Paul must be going on his way in his ragged clothes. The ice crackled under the pony's feet as she trotted down Ragglesford Lane, and the water of the ford looked so

all the pony's four hoofs well upon the bridg

is greeting, 'I've got

Paul Blackthorn i

aveller myself,

to cut?' c

der's feet about-Mrs. Barker swore to 'em 'cause he'd had so many kicks and bites on common-Jesse's took up and

ve dispensed with his farewells, no

didn't think-but I'm after tim

, I say, Har'ld, I'm not going so. I must have some tin to take me

st by the head. Harold looked round for help, but Ragglesford Lane was one of the loneliest places in the c

his face; 'I mean to see if there's any of the letter

ing! For shame, Dick! What wo

retched out his hand for the bag. He was fou

ack, and shouted lustily in hopes that there might be a k

That'll do, my dear,' he said; 'now you'd

hold. But though one moment Dick's arm was thrown over his watering eyes, the other hand held the bridle as firmly as ever, and the next instant his fist dealt Harold such a blow, as nearly knocked out all his brea

nd-rail. Old rotten rail that it was, it crashed under the weight, and fell with both the boys into the water. Peggy dashed forward to the other side, where Harold pulled her up with much difficulty, and turned round to look at the robber and the champion.

heels were heard in the road, and Dick, shaking his fist, and swearing at them both, shook off Paul as if he had been

up towards Harold, drip

ld. 'You've saved the letters, man, and one was r

not do that

ch to tell you! My Lady sent for you. Our Ellen told her all about you, and

hink I'd taken the

on't we all know that you're one of the parson's own s

go out of the way, and you'd forget all about me. But I never touched those e

! I'll not stir a step till you've promised! Why, if you make off now, 'twill be

said Paul, ra

aid Harold. 'Upon y

on, only looking back to see that Paul was seating himself by the side of the lane. Harold said to himself that his mother would not have liked to see him do so after such a ducki

ccount to the servants for his being so late, and then he was obliged to wait while the o

here came a message that he was to go up to tell the

ed room, looking very cold, with a large arched window at one end, and forms ranged in squares round the hacked and hewed deal t

brown, blue or grey, fixed at once upon the young postman as he walked into the room, straight and upright, in his high stout gaiters over his cord trousers, his thick rough blue coat and red comforter, with his cap in his han

ht for our property this morning. You've saved this young gent

have been too much for me if Paul hadn't

with their feet, as if to applaud Harold; a

not like to do so-indeed, he would not quite believe it could be his old friend Dick. The boys cla

the fellow was?'

m,' said Harold,

ather not tell

one, and I wouldn't

perfectly stamped, and

e boy that cam

Farmer Shepherd's. He's a right good boy, Sir; but he's got no

ng him up with you?

ir, he wou

fellow, and so has your friend; and here's something

a crown

ved, 'here's half-a-crown. Shake hands, you're a

ly did my duty;' and as the other boys, whose money had been rescued, brought forward more

y lad,' said the school-master.

s my duty,' repeated H

m three cheers,' burst out the

' bursting out again and again, that the windows clattered, and the room seemed fuller of noise than it

dd sort of 'Thank you, Sir;' but his heart leapt up with a kind of warm grateful feeling of liking towards those boys for going along wit

did; but these were not his temptations. Knowing, as he did, that the assault had been the consequence of his foolish boasts about the money-letters, and that he, being in charge, ought to defend them to the last gasp, he was

fall it was for his friend, and how far

ud 'Hurrah! Come on, Paul; you don't know what I've got for you! 'Twas a young gentleman's watch as you saved; and they've come down right handsome! and here's twelve-and-sixpence for you-enough to

and it was so ghastly pale, that the b

it? Have you got knit up

tered, and his knees knocked together with the chill. 'The pains run about

you something hot,' said Harold. 'Come, you'll c

hardly stand; but he was somewhat roused, and knew better what he was about. Harold tried to put him on the pony, but this co

y's limbs, and he walked a little better, and managed to tell Harold how he had felt too miserable to speak to any one after the rating the farmer had given him, and how he had set out on the tramp for more work, though with hope so nearly dead in his heart, that he only wished he could sit down and die. He had walked out of the village before people were about, so as not to be noticed, and then had found himself so weak and weary

off for help; but Paul was not one to give in, and somehow they got back at last, and Harold, with his arm round his friend, dragged him thro

e, and was nigh too much for me; but he there came and pulled him off me, and got spilt into the river

did even to Harold. He did not seem able to think or speak, but kept rockin

o is put him into your bed at once.-Here, Ellen, you run up first, and

what I know, Mother. I've got twelve shillings and sixpence here all his own; and yo

had lain down for more than four months. Then Mrs. King sent Harold out for some gin; she thought hot spirits and water the only chance of bringing back any life after such a dreadful chill; and she and Ellen kept on warming flannels a

you are so good to me,' and seemed ready to burst into a great fit of crying; but Mrs. King managed to stop

ll done, Harold!' at the switching, and rubbed his hands, and lighted up with glee, as he heard of the Ragglesford boys and their cheers; and then, Harold went eagerly on with hi

e live coals; and what was worse, such severe pains were running all over his limb

fore the morning was over he came, and after a few

rheumatic fever-won't be about again for a long time to come. I say, Mistress, all you've got to do is to send in your boy to the

unt went on to a

ill a long time, Sir?' said Mrs. King,

better send him off as fast as you can, while he can

urse, Sir?' said the mother, a l

s quick as you can, unless you wish to set up a hospital at once-and a capital nurse you'd be! I would leave wor

e did not know how to turn him from her door the day he had saved her son from danger such as she could not think of without s

ere Paul Blackthorn lay. He was quite still, but there were large tears coursi

r soft voice, putting her hand over his h

th the piteous earnest glance that some loving dogs have, shut themselves as if on pu

re it's very bad for

t prevent a-sob. 'Nobody ever did so before, and-' he paused, and w

ing, without answering this last speech, or s

oud, maybe; but please don't stop with me! If you wouldn't look and speak like that, the place wouldn't seem so hard, seeing

it till he comes in from his work, and see how you are, when y

rned on her again; but she did not dare to bind herself, much as she l

per, so eager that it made him cough, 'y

yes; 'but I don't know what to do. It's not the trouble. That

her undertone might be heard, 'Harold and I

ithout-some thing

and I can't have her savings touched; and yet I can't bear to let that poor lad be sent off, so ill as he is

how the Psalm says, "God careth for the stranger,

I think it would be trusting God's w

arold off for the

t me to send him away at once. I thought we'd wait to see how it is t

them. She knew indeed that Mr. Cope was a very young man, and not likely to be so well able as herself, with all her experience, to decide what she could afford, or whether she ought to follow her feelings at the risk of debt or of privations for her delicate children; but she also knew that though he had not experience, education had gi

ess as the Ragglesford boys themselves, and laug

When a fellow can stand up like that in defence of his duty, there must be the right stuff in him to b

t; the poor lad doesn't say one word against it, but I can see it cuts him to the heart; and they do tell such stories of the nurses at the Union, that it does seem hard to send him there, such an innocent boy, too, and one that doesn't seem to know how to believe it if one says a kind word to him.' The tears were

tate, you could undertake to nurse a

e and candle almost always alight. I should only be glad to do it for a poor motherless lad like that, except for the cost; an

e has worked for him so long. He has been looking wretchedly ill for some time past; and I dare say half th

houghtful, then said, 'Well, I'll go and se

d ever seen him, and tapping the toe of his boot impatiently with his stick; and the moment

sure of one new to such base ways. At the gate he had met, going home to dinner, John Farden with Mrs. Hayward, who had been charing at the farm. Both had spoken out, and he had learned how far below the value of his labour the boy had been paid, how he had been struck, abused, and hunted about, as would never have been done to o

y the kind-hearted woman's angry construction, but it w

of the hay-loft; the notion of his dishonesty was firmly fixed in their heads, though there was not a charge to bring against him. This was chiefly because they had begun by setting him down as a convict, and because they could not imagine any one living honestly on what they gave him. And lastly, the farmer thought the cleverest stroke of all, was the having got rid of him just

ness is always ready to make any one into a tyrant, and Mammon is a false go

thought there was much hope in the Guardians; however, they were to be applied to, and this would be at lea

you've had a battle, I hear. I'm glad it turne

t this; and Harold modestly sai

e chief sufferer.-Are

to move,' said Paul; 'but

posed, my boy,' said Mr. Cope. 'Why did yo

hing else. 'Thank you, Sir,' he said, 'I

s every one's business to see justice done, and it should

was old Joe Joiner, he always said 'twas a hard world to live

ter to be done than to

rstand that better since I came here. I was thinking,' he added, 'if they pass me bac

your experience!' exclaimed Mr. Cope, h

rse, as he did his Union hardships. There was a glistening in his eyes; and he moved his head so

there are many,' said Mr. Cope w

. Please, Sir, when I'm gone away, will you tell them all that I'll never forget 'em? a

received the one so submissively, the other so gratefully; but the conversation was interrupted by Haro

t her grandmamma, not knowing what highway robbers might be roaming about Friarswood, would not hear of her walking to the post-office, and drove thither wi

is youth here?'

o poorly that I couldn'

t sent him to th

; I thought I would wait t

ge, and with illness enough in the house already!' She sighed, and it was not said unkindly; but Mrs. King answered with something about

h such a charge-not fit for her, nor the children either-even if the parish made it worth her while, which it never wi

is so patient and meek about it,

It is not what I expect of you, as a sensible woman, to be harbouring a

poor boy these four months, and so has Mr. Cope; a

do anything for him-give him work when he is out again

iles off; and the receiving day was

ith the spring covered cart to take him in to Elbury. That will be b

ut I-I had passed my word t

eak good-natured woman; and shaking her head at her with a s

ood judgment, and she was the more provoked with her for any failure in these respects. If she had known Paul as the Kings did, it is probable she might have felt like them. Not knowing him, nor knowing the secrets of Elbury Union, she thought it Mrs. King's clear duty to sacrifi

ld be an offence to her best friend and patroness. Moreover, Mr. Cope was gon