Gladys, the Reaper

remaining tears, and to make the Sabbath as it should be-a day of rejoicing. Sunrise amongst the hills and valleys! I wish we all saw it oftener. Not only would the glorious spectacle make us w

his, this grand Turk insists on arousing all his subjects; and the sleepy inmates of his harem withdraw their heads from beneath their wings, and, one by one, begin to smooth their feathers, and to descend lazily from their dormitories. A faint twittering is heard amongst the ivy-leaves, in answer to 'the cock's shrill clarion,' and in a few seconds, the little sleepers amongst the oak and ash trees take it up, and by the time the sun has come out of his bath, and the cock has ceased crowing, there is a full chorus of heart stirring minstre

ard labour, taking an additional hour's repose on that day which was graciously appointed as a day of rest. Scarcely can the sun peep in through the drawn curtains and shutters of the windows, an

a flock of poultry that seem intuitively to expect an alms at her hand, as do the poor Irish who haunt her dwelling. But she has nothing to give them thus early in the morning, and scarcely heeds their cackling and crowing. The fierce house-dog, however, will be noticed as bo

ish beggars, and all his mistress's influence was necessary to prevent the growl becoming a bark. She put her ear to the door and listened, but no sound disturbed the stillness within. She knocked gently, but there was no answer. At last she thought she heard a feeble voice say something which she interpreted into 'Come in,' and she turned the key in the lock of the door and opened the top half of it. She looked in, and saw all her mendicant guests in profound repose, excepting the girl Gladys, who endeavoured to rise as she perceived the kindly face, but fell back again immediately. She uncl

's eyes unclosed, and glanced dimly at her through a film of tears. Nourishment seemed the only remedy that presented itself to her mind. She smiled kindly at the girl, murmured 'I wil

ith rich cream, from a pan and went with it to the back kitchen, where was a fire, kept up all night by means of the hard Welsh

avidity and difficulty as she had done the broth. She fancied she again heard t

um about the hives, and the butterflies to flit amongst the flowers. She stood and looked at the beautiful scene before her-the woods, hills, river, and above, the morning sun-and offered up

is mistress. So did the two ruddy, disheveled farm maidens, who had barely turned out of th

t, and she crept upstairs, and into her bedroo

in a gruff voice from amongst the bed-clothes, that cove

Welsh term of endearment, equivalent to 'dear,' pronounc

in a fright, and finds you gone, nobody knows where. Now where

nto a passion, my dear-

about when I don't know

as if the heart under the bed-cl

say you were angry

hought

arn.' This was uttered timidly and pleadingly, and as

m amongst the bed-clothes, ornamented wit

d face. 'The idle vagabonds! I vow to goodness that all our money, and food and

they are God's creatur

if it's Sunday, why ma

y. But that poor girl I

d her to the workhouse, and t

she has

her go to

em to have any par

you? Well you pay dear enough for your lessons. But I tell you

rl is too w

nion, I say, and they a

e miles away! Oh, Davy, we

me o' goodness, 'oornan, why do you harbour such folk? If the girl's too ill to go on wit

ust go and

and that's pl

ht-cap and tassel, suddenly, dis

nd went to the barn. Here, all was confusion and consultation. Th

, who was bewildered by the noise, and te

n't know what to advi

o laive Carrmanth

ly if we stop till she'

in the worrld

hers and brothers, all dead

marrthinshire, and, maybe, they're all

we do wid her

as the death of her relation was mentioned, she fancied she perceived a movement in her seemingly impassive features

o the workhouse, if you ple

y decided snore met her ear. She stood by the bedside, and looked at the tassel, which was the only portion visible of her better half. She sat down on a chair; she g

as the only reply. She gave a nervous push to the sho

growled the justly

oor girl is too ill to move, and I r

ou will encourage vagrants, get rid of 'em, and don't bother me. I'll tell you what it is, Mrs Prothero, if all of 'em ar

han usual, and she had a very great dread of putting him i

e girl,

f our own, and half-a-dozen servant girls. We

n we se

mine; but if you bother me any more, I vow I'll take

ro, submissively, and with a heavy

assage, and slowly closed the door, holding the handle in her hand for a few seconds as she did so. She walked deliberately down the passag

d?' she sa

have a horse, if you like,' growled Mr Prothero. 'Only I do w

t little woman. 'Then if the rest g

e, only get rid

nk y

'em to jail as not; but I can't stand your puffing and si

same flesh and

Welsh flesh and blood about me, and should be loath

hero dis

own way, and is as meek as Moses. She has wheedled me out of my Sunday nap, so I suppose I may as well get up. Hang the Irish! There is no getting rid of 'em. She's given 'em a

e farm-yard in search of his wife, there was an air about him that seemed to say, 'I am monarch of all I surv

and ruddy, betokening health, spirits, and that choleric disposition to which his countrymen are said to incline, whether justly or unjustly is not for me to determine. His hair had a reddish tinge, and his whiskers we

Sam?' roared Mr Prothe

o was eating bread and cheese on the gate

er I wa

ful half-blown rose in her hand, which, as soon as she approached her husband, she placed car

thero, smiling, and looking down

it was silently delivered from his breast to the rose, for none of it came to h

ro, 'and they are gone to the Overseer to tell him about her, and I will

d and clothed the

s for breakfast, and indeed

st. People that left a

er. They are going into Herefordshire to get work, and she, poor thing,

ity sermon for the Church Building Society, and wants my shilling. He and Mrs Jonathan are to come to-morrow

ke things n

fferent from her former quiet cheerfulness, and she accompani

so bad as all that. I wish to goodness Jonathan hadn't married a fine lady. Bu

want he

y dear, Rowland would never

ood Wesleyan minister, and then he might have been con

though you do still incline to the chapel, you'll be proud

Prothero turned towards the farm, and, follo