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he .
-- ill.-1RTINI 0HUZZLrEWIT.;:
‘Swecdlepipe as soon as possible '; but some little time
elapsed before he couldjremove his friend: from the
ground, owing to the impression wrought upon .the bar-
ber's nervesvby Mrs.‘Prig, whom he pronouneed,‘in ad-
miration of her beard, to be a. woman of transcendent
charms: - - i ..
1; VVhen.the lightcloud of bustle hanging round the
coach was thus dispersed, Nadgett was seen in the dark-
est box of Ithe Bull coffee-room, looking wistfully up at
tliefclock-as if the man .who never appeared were a
little behind his time. i >
J . icmpmz XXX.
ltlldl Change: may be rum in Ilia best-regulated Families. and
N that il[‘r.‘1’ecI:snif was a special hand at a ’1‘1"iple-Bob<1lIq;'or.
Z-iAs,the surgeon’s first care after ampiitating a limb is
to take up the arteries the cruelknife has severed, so it
is the duty of this history, which in its remorseless
course has cut from the Pecksnifiian trunk its right
arm; Mercy, to,look- to the parent stem, and see how in
all its various ramifications it got on without her.
“And ‘first of Mr. Pecksniff, it may be observed, that
having provided for his younger daughter that choicest
of-blessings, a tender and indulgent husband ; and hav-
ing gratified the dearest wish of his parental heart by
establishing her in life so happily; he renewed his
youtlijand spreading the pluma e of his own bright
conscience, felt himself equal to a 1 kinds of flights. It
is customary with fathers in stage-plays, after giving
their daughters to the men of their hearts, to congratu-
late,tliemselves on having no other business on their
. hands but to die immediately : though it is rarely found
that they are in a. hurry to do it. Mr“ Pecksniif, being a
father'of a more sage andpractical class, appeared to
think that his immediate business was to live ; and hav-
ing deprived himself of one comfort, to surround him-
self with others. ' i ‘
a..But however much inclined the good man was, to be
jocose and playful, and in the garden of his fancy to dis-
<port himself (if one may say so), like an architectural
kitten, 116‘ had one impediment constantly opposed to
him. 'The gentle Cherry, stung bya sense of slight and
injury, which far from softening down or wearing out,
rankled. and festered in her heart-the gentle ‘Cherry
was in flat rebellion. She waged fierce war against her
dear Papa; she led her parent what isusually called:
for want of a better figure ofispeeeli, the life of a dog.
But never did that dog live,‘ in kennel, stable-yard, or
house, whose life was half.as hard
with his gentle child. 5 ' ' . r
;-The father and daughter were sitting at their break-
fast..' ‘Tom had retired, and they were alone. Mr. Peck-
sniff frownedat‘ first; but having cleared his brow,
looked stealthily at his child. Her nose was very red
indeed, and screwed up tight, with hostile preparation.
“Cherry,” cried .Mr. Pecksniff, -"‘wh.at 1S"al111SS be-
tween us? My child, why are we disunited‘? - I .
ii Miss Pccksniffs answer was scarcely a response to this
gush of affection, for it was simply, “ Bother, P3 l
.=: ‘..‘I3otl1er l” repeated Mr. Pecksniff, in a tone of an-
guis 1.. - iv . ‘ ' ' ,'.
' “ Oh I 'tis too late, Pa,” said his daughter,’ calmly, to
talk to me like that; I know what it means,-and what
itsvalueis.”." . I 1. ‘ V’ l.“ .
.<.‘,‘,Tl1iSriS'lI8.rd I ” cried Mr. Pecksniff, addressing his
breakfast-cut. v “This is very hard! ..She is my child.
1.; carried her in, my arms, when she wvore shapeless
worsted shoes--I-might say, mufflers-many years ago I
as I M r.‘ Pecksniffs
- v .‘.‘ You needn't taunt me with that, Pa,” retorted Cherry,
“I am not sovmany. years older
with a spiteful ilook. ‘ .
though she 13 married to your
than my sister, v either,
friend!” - " '
“Ah, human nature, human nature l Poor human
nature l,” ‘said Mr. Pecksnifi, shaking his head at human
nature as if he didn’t belong to it. “ To think that this
discord should arise from such a cause 1, oh dear, oh
(early; -> ‘I,
n.“'F'r0m such a cause indeed !”:cried “ $39-'53
the real cause, Pa, or I'll state it myself. Mind I Will‘!
i‘Perhzips tliei energywith which she said this was 111-
-tacle to soften the most rugged nature.’
1081
fectious. Hewever that may be, Mr. Pecksniff changed
his tone and the expression of his face, for one’ of anger
if not downright violence,’ when he said : ' - -- -
“ You will! you have. . You did yesterday. You do
always. You have no decency; you make no secret of
your temper ; you have exposed yourself ‘to Mr. Chuzzle-
wit a hundred times.” ” V ‘
“ Myself l” cried Cherry, within. bitter smiled :‘l Ohv
indeed l I don’t mind that." = -
“ Me too, then,” said Mr. Pecksniif. ‘ ii i ‘ :
His daughter answered with a scornful laugh.-' 3 '3
“.And since we have come to an explanation, Charity,”
said Mr. Pecksniti‘, rolling his head portentously, “let
me tell you that I won't allow it. -None of y'our.-non-
sense, Miss l I won’t permit it to be done.” ’ i r‘ r it
“I shall do,” said Charity, rocking her chair back-
wards and forwards, and raising ‘her voice to a‘ high
pitch, “I shall do, Pa, what I please and what I have
done. I am not going to be crushed in everything, de-
pend upon it. I’ve been more shamefully used than
anybody ever was in this world," here she began to cry
and sob, ,“ and miiy expect the worst treatment from you,
I know. ‘ But I don’t care for that. No I don’t.” i ‘- ‘I -
Mr. Pecksniff was made so desperate by the loud tone
in which she spoke, that, after looking about ll'l11’l"ln
frantic uncertainty for some means of softening it. he
rose and shook her until the ornamental bow of hair
upon her lieadnodded like a plume. She was so -very
much astonished by this assault, that it really had the
desired effect. e - , A i
“I’ll do it again l ” cried Mr. Pecksniff as he resumed
his seat, and fetched his breath, “ if you dare to talk in
that loud manner. How do you mean about being
shamefully used? ‘ If Mr. Jonas chose your sister in pref-
erence to you, who could help it, I should wish to know.
IVhat have Ito do with it ‘P ” . " tr
“. XVasn’t I made a convenience of ? v VV+>ren’t my feel-
ings trifled with? Didn’t he address himself to me first? ’.’
sobbed Cherry, clasping her hands ; “ and oh ‘good gra-
cious, that I should live to he shook l ”v - w i- 1'
“ You’ll live to be shaken again,” returned her parent,’
“if you drive me to that means of maintaining the ‘de-
corum of this huniblo roof. -You surprise me.‘ I wonder
you have ‘not more spirit. If Mr. Jonas didn't care for
you, how could you wish to have him‘??? i . - s
“I wish to have him I’’ exclaimed Cherry. r “I wish
to have him, Pal" I w-i:
“ Then what are you making all this piece of work
for,” retorted her father, “if you didift wish to have
him?” . V I " i '
“ Because I was treated with duplicity,” said Cherry’;
“and because my own sister and my own father‘con-
spired against me. I am- not angry with lzer,” said
Cherry, looking much more angry than ever. I “I pity
her. I’m sorry for her. I.know the fate wthat’s in store
for her, with that VVrctch.” i . ‘ ' .
“ Mr. Jonas will survive your CZl.lllIlg“1lllI! ii. wretch,
my child, I dare say," said Mr. .Pe-cksnilf, with returning
resignation ; “ but call him what you like and-' make an
end of it.” - i ' - I
"Not an end; Pa,” said Charity. “No, not an end.
That’s not the only point on which we're not agreed. V I
won’t submit to it. It's better you should know that, at
once. No ; I-won’t submit to it indeed, Pa l I am not
quite a fool, and I am not blind. .All I have got to say
is, I won’t submit to it.” ‘i ‘ n ‘ g -
Whatever she meant, she shook Mr. Pecksniff now;
for his-lame attempt to seem composed, was melancholy
in the last degree. His anger changedto mcekness, and
his words were mild and fawning.w.- - - e .- -‘ .
“My dear,” he said; “if in the short excitement-of
an angry moment I resorted toaxiny iinjustifiable means
of suppressing a little outbreak calculated to injure you
as well as myself-it’s possible I may have done so ; per-
haps I did-I ask our pardon. ' A father asking pardon
of his child,” sai(l:Mr. Pecksniii, “is, Ibelievo, :1 spec-
But it didn’t at all soften Miss Pecksniff: perhaps be-
cause her nature was not rugged enough. '- On the con-
-traryshe-persisted in saying, over and over again, that
she wasn't quite afool, and wasn't blind, and wouldn't
submittoit: '. ‘- w . > - -7 e -