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stances. I say it’ain’t likely, in a man who knows his
wind will go, when it docs go, as if a pair ofbellows was
cut open : and that man a grandfather,” said Mr. Omer.
I’ lsaid, “ Not at all." . I -' I
- “It ain’t that I complain of my line of business," said
Mr." Omer. "‘ It ain’t that. Some good and some had
goes, no doubt, to all callings. VVliat =1 wish is, that
parties were brought up stronger-minded." A - '
‘ Mr. Omer, with a very complacent and amiable face,
took several pulls in silence; and then said, resuming
' . . I t
his first point. .
“ Accordingly we’re obleeged, in ascertaining how
Barkis goes on, to limit ourselves to Em’ly. She knows
what our real objects are, and she don’t have any more
alarms or suspicions about us, than if we was so many
lambs. Minnie and J oram have 'iist stepped down to the
house, in fact (she’s there,‘ after ours, helping her aunt
a bit),‘to ask her how he is to-night ; and if you was to
please to wait till they come back, they’d give you full
Dartic’lers. VVi1l you take something? A glass of srub
and water, now? I smoke on stub and water myself,”
Sflld Mr. Omer, taking up his glass, “because it’s con-
sidered softening to the passages, by which this trouble-
some breath of mine gets into action. But, Lord bless
YOU,” said Mr. Omer, huskily, “it am’: the passages that’s
out of order! ‘Give me breath enough,’ says I to my
daughter Minnie, ‘ and I ’ll find passages, my dear.”’
He really had no breath to spare, and it was alarming
10 see him laugh. ‘Vhen he was arrain in a condition to
be talked to, I thanked him‘ forthe proffered refresh>
meat which I declined, as Iliad just had dinner; and,
9bserving that I would wait, since he was so good as to
invite rue, until his daughtenand his son-in-law came
bagli. I inquired how little Emily was? ‘
Well. Sir,” said Mr. Omer, removing his pipe, that
1:’ m1%'ll1t rub his chin ; “ I tell you truly, I shall be glad
BI! er martian-e has taken place.” ' i
' " Why so‘I”VI In uircd. ‘
“ “Xi-fell, she’s uiilsettled at present,” said Mr. Omer.
‘ It ain’t that she’s not as pretty as ever, for sl1e’s pret<
1161':-I do assure you, she is prettier. ‘It ain’t that she
don t work as well as ever, for she does. ‘ She was worth
“I SIX, and she is worth anysix.‘ But somehow she
Wants heart. If you understand,” said Mr. Omer, after
mbbuig his chin again, and smoking a little, “ wliatl
mean 111 3. general way by the expression, ‘ A long pull,
iml 8. strong pull, and a. pull altogether, my liearties,
egiri-vh l ’ I should say to you, that that was-in a gen-
“)’-W at I miss in Ein’l .’7 I ' ‘ ‘
Ir. Omei-’s face and 11lI1l1I1el‘)‘,VCIll'. for so much,‘ that I
icgylld t1:cI>uscie.ntiously nod my head; as diviningphis mean-
metal; ami’1q1l1clintCSS‘ of apprehension seemed :to please
“: , ie wen on:
b . HEW. I consider this is principally on account of her
emg 111 an unsettled state, you see. ‘Va have talked it
%l'e1' 3 good deal, her uncle and myself, and her sweet-
e.‘“'t, mid myself, after‘ business; and I consider it is
gfmmpalll’ on account of her beinrr unsettled. You 111115’:
11 W335 recollect of Em’ly,” said Illr. Omer, shaking his
atea'd.ge“t1Y. “ that she’s a most extraordinary affection-
5“: little thing. The proverb says, ‘You can’t make a
, at Purse out of a. sow’s ea;-,'. Xvell, I don't know about
she ‘I rather think you may, if you begin early in life.
and Iu1iSl'l>Il:(1c?):]g,(:f;1<f) (:n1tt,of that old boat, sir, that stone
4. -
'u amsureShehaS in (II .7 .1 ' - l '
ml 1 9,599 the clinging 0: tlilai pretty little thing to her
hi C 8’. Silld Mr. Oiner ; f‘ to see the way she holds On to
- 3;’ 281361‘. and tighter, and closer and closer, every day,
in, onefvi 51f=’llt- ' Now, you know, there’s o.‘ struggle 3'0‘
ogger oneeilhgllat s theipape. lVhy should it be 1145148 it
. ii is nee u ’.’ ' ' "
quIig;:2:lned.attentively to ‘the good‘ oldIfellow,‘nnd'11C-
N : “itli all my heart, in what he said. ’ ,
a co emf‘““3, I mentioned to them,” said Mr. Omer, 111
don-,’“”“?ble; easy-going tone 4 this. I said, ‘Now.
Mak consider Emily nailed do“v;, in point of time, at all.
valuelit yo“? own time. .Her services have been IIIOYB
er. g1::,1,e3;‘‘S“ “'33 Supposed ; herlearning has been fl“??-
en “um I S“l’l30Sed,; Omer and Jorani can run ‘,9 T
1. 1g 1 what remains ; and she’s free when you wish.
a ikes to make any little arrangement, afterwards, in
235
the way of doing any little thing for us at home, very well.
If she don’t, very well still. W'e're no losers, anyhow.’
For-don’t you see,” said Mr. Omer, touching me with
his pipe, ‘.‘ it ain't likely that a man so short of breath as
myself, and a. grandfather too, would go and strain points
with a little bit of a blue-eyed blossom like her? "
“ Not at all I am certain,” said I.
“ Not at all ,1 You're right I ” said Mr. Omer. “ ‘Veil,
sir, her cousin-you know it's a cousin she’s going to be
married to?” v
“ Oh yes,” I replied. “ Iknow him well."
“ Of course you do,” said Mr. Omer. “ Well, ‘sir 1
Her cousin being, as it appears, in good Work, and Well
to do, thanked me in avery manly sort ofinanner for this
(conducting himself altogether, linust say, in a way that
gives me a high opinion of him), and went and took as
comfortable a little house as you or I.could ‘Wish to clap
eyes on. That little house is now furnished right through,
as neat and complete as a (l0ll’s parlour ; and b11it for Bar-
kis’s illness having taken this bad turn, poor fenow, they
would have been man and wifetjl dare say, by tllls HD10-
As it is, there’s a postpoiienien : p I
“And Ein’ly, Mr. Oiner?" I inquired. ‘ Has she be-
come more settled?” , 1.
u “rhy that you know,” he returned, l'1ll.)l)dlllgTilS
double chin again, “can’t naturally be expegte 1.1 H (2
prospect of the change and separation, an’ f 8 hm
is, as one may say, close to her and far away E0111 6111'.
both at once. Barkis’s death needn t put it o .I1111t:t$
but his lingering might. Anyway. It 5 an uncertain 5
of matters, yo: ice."
. u H ‘
iv3f.:’2eq:‘3Ltif.” ilrsued Mn Omer. “Em'1:‘s stilghg
little down and u ittle fluttered ; l'lC‘1"h3&’5> ‘i]l’0:1mmS
whole, she’s more so than she was. Ex erygl 3)" 5 aosm to
to get fender and fender of hcr‘uI1Cl;‘. all lllobrgn the
part from all of us. A kind word roin H118 WE: m
tears into her eyes ;. “Id Kf 3'0)‘ ‘:35 to. SC? gift it me;
daughter Minnie's little E5111: )0“ neslcrho 3,, H8“, She
my heiirt I1lll1V18dlI”’Sal(l. Mr. Omer, P01‘ 9“ 3'
loves t iat c i ’ . . .
3:
me to ask r. lllE‘l‘; 9 . . ,
interrupted by the return of his d:1Lfu,g‘:Il;tr0t1I"h:Dd her hus
band, whether he knew anytlllng 0, in Ad ' (1 10 akin
“ Ah I” he rejoinedii slmkmgfi mi sdd s’t01l‘x)l' sir howg:
very mu ch<)i(iiedictf)tI'dnoxv ii“) %oi)10.V61‘ lllollght ihelfe was
ever on c s - , V. - - m
my daughter Minnie-for s 10 did ”
,l;ut I never did. ‘ iNopeSo‘t;"01:'tee1;’s fbotsmp before I
.;3.‘.:i .?“:::t3;3“:.:g...:t and sn.ut.uv mzszzra
as a caution. She and herhusband came in imme )
afterwards. = V. , 41 bad
Their 1'0P0"t Was: that M.“ Barklxsisglislls ‘a!sl1lD(lnl1ll?lI;hII'.
could be‘; ” that he was ‘lllite iilnciitchcn an goinvmmy
Cliillip 113.?‘IliogrlllEEll%f;‘ZDg(%);l1gZ)]llf;‘sicians yum Conzgge of
‘list now, ia ie 0 . ’ , ' 11 mned
Jsurgeons, and.Apotliecaries‘lIallIEl:? 11.1395)’ ‘goth C01.
in togetlier,‘couldu t.ll0lP lllltii Hall could only poison
legcg, ltir, Cliillip said, and 9 u
him.’ . guy was
Hearing‘ this, Mid 1““‘“"2f" tlplghelalht l bade
were’ I determmed to go “ll tlehlr and Mrs. Joranll and
good “i ll‘ W M" 0m.er’ an ‘gills. solemn feeling. which
directe my steps thither; “:1 d (am-ere“ creature. .
made Mr. Barkis ilmw n no“ hiiiswercd by Mr. Peggotly.
My low tap at the door was d to See me nsl had 9;.
H0 W113 110’ 50 “‘“"h fsuiiprfie om-, too, when she came
pected.‘ I remarked this 11' (gg an. I think’ in the ex,
d‘’‘‘''"3 “"1 I have seendlt Sm;-i<$ all other changes and
"“”“.‘$iZ2 aifiliiig il.'t‘Z“n;3l‘EEg.” ’. e d nssmnto we
sur . an ,
Ipshcok hapds with 1;If“i:,:%iioiii7J door.p Little Emil)?
kitchen, while be soft 3 C
was sitting by the fi H her ' .
Ham was standing ‘I10-n . ]',sm,;ng between wlnlos, for
VVe spolgv 1" “'l"5per?,1',ove. ‘I had not tliouglit of it
any sound in tho 1043111195, visit, but how strange it was
0” W’ ‘’"‘‘5‘‘’“ of mix. Barkis out of the kitchen 1
to me now’, i0 miss 3
rs‘- with her hands before her face. ‘
<05‘: .4...