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, tobacco, and-not enough of that.
Bella walked thoughtfully in the garden for an hour
and more, and then, returnin to thebedroom where
Lavvy -the irrepressible still ‘s umbered, put, on a little
bonnet of quiet,‘ but’on the whole of sly appearance,
which she had yesterday made. "‘I‘ am going for a
walk, Lavvy,” she said,” as she stooped down and kissed
her. The Irrepressible,"with a. bounce in the bed,’ and a
remark that it wasn't time to‘ get"up yet, relapsed into
unconsciousness, if she had come out of it;‘ i ' ’ I ,‘
Behold Bella’ tripping along'the‘, streets,‘:the dearest
girl afoot under the summer sun ll Behold Pa waiting
for Bella behind a pump, at least, three miles -frorrrthe
parental roof-tree. ' Behold Bella and Pa aboard anvearly
steamboat bound for Greenwich.‘ ’ ‘ V -' ' V '- p
u VVhere they expectedat Greenwich? I Probably,‘ At
least,'Mr. John Rokesmith was on the pier looking out,
about a couple of hours before‘ the coaly (but to him
gold-dusty) little steamboat gotvher steam up in London.
Probably. At least, Mr.‘ Jo
‘fectly satisfied when he descried them on board. Prob-
ably. "At least, Bella no sooner stepped ashore than i she
tookiMr. John iRokesmith’s arm, without evincing sur-
prise,>andgthe‘ two walked away together. with an
ethereal air of happiness ‘which, as it were, wafted up
from the earth and drew after them a grutf and glum old
pensioner to see it,out. 5 Two wooden legs had this gruff
and glum old pensioner, and, a‘ minute before Bell stepped .
out of the boat, and drew that coufiding little arm of hers
through Rokesmith’s, he had had no object in life but
Stranded was Gruti‘
and Glum ‘in a harbour of everlasting mud, when all
-in an instant Bella tioated him,‘and away he went. ‘ ‘
Say, cherubic parent taking the lead, in what direction
do. we steer’ first? ‘ With’ some‘ such ‘inquiry in- his
' thoughts, Gruff and Glum, stricken by so sudden ‘an
interest that he perked‘ his neck and looked=over‘ the
intervening people, as if he were trying to stand on tip-
toe with his two wooden legs, took an observation of R.
‘V. ' There was no “ first” in the case,’GrufI‘aud Glum
‘made out; the cherubic parent wasbearing down and
crowding on direct for Greenwich church, to see his re-
lations. - r - 3 3 i ‘
For, Gruff and Glum, though most events acted on him
simply as tobacco-stoppers, pressing down and ‘condens-
ing the quids within him, might be imagined to trace a
family resemblance between the cherubs in the church
architecture, and the ‘cherub in ‘the white waistcoat.
Some remembrance of old Valentines,‘ wherein a cherub,’
less appropriately, attired for a proverbially uncertain
climate, had been seen conducting lovers td thenltar,
might have been fancied to inflame the ardour of his
timber toes. Be it as it,might,'he gave his moorings the
slip, and followed in chase. " ' ' ' H ' H i‘ ’ =
The cherub wcntvbefore, all beaming smiles; Bella
and John Rokesmith followed ;‘Grutf and Glum stuck"to
them like wax. Foryears,‘ the wings of his mindhad
gone to look after the legs of his body; but Bella had
brought them back for him per steamer, and ‘ they were
‘spread again. ‘ ‘ . ' Q ’
He was a slow sailer on a wind ‘of happiness 'but=h'o
took a cross cut for the rendezvous, and pegged away as
if he were scoring furiously at cribba e. VVhen the
-shadow of the church-porch swallowed t rem up. victori-
ous Gruff and Glum likewise presentedhimself to be
swallowed up. And by this time the cherubic parent
was so fearful of surprise, that, but for the two wooden
legs on which Gruii and Glum was reassuringly mounted
his conscicnce might have introducedgin the person of
that pensioner, his own stately lady disguised, arrived at
Greenwich in a car and griflins, like the spiteful Fairy at
the christenings of the Princesses. to do something dread<
ful to the marriage service. And trulv he lniad amo-
mentary reason to be pale of face, and to whisper to
Bella, “You don't think that‘ can be your Ma; do you,
my dear?” on account of a mysterious rustling and a.
stealthy movement somewhere in the remote neighbour-
hood of the organ, though it was gone directly and was
heard no more. Albeit it was heard of-afterwards, as
will afterwards he read in this voracious register of
marriarre. I :1 ‘ i
lVho
.lVhd3 taketh? I, John,Iand so do I, Bella.
giveth? ‘I, R. XV. Forasmuch, Gruff and Grum, as
OHARLESA. DICKENS ’ -WORKS.
1n‘Rokesn1ith seemed per- >
.. Then, John.Rokesmith the queen’smcountenanc9
-became more confident, and so repaired with good heart
‘them when they were put there.‘
-hold the identical Grufl and Glum with his wooden 1955
. . ...4...'.''.'.!'‘
John and Bella have consented together in holy wedlock,
you may (in short) consider it done, and‘ withdraw your
two wooden legs from this temple. ..To therforegclng
purport, the Minister speaking, as directed by the Rubric,
to the People, selectly represented in the present instance
by G. and G. above mentioned. . 1 w ' V
> And now,’ the church.porch having swallowed up Bella.
lVilfer for ever and ever, had it'not in its power to re-
linquish that young woman, but slid into the happy sun-
light,’ Mrs.“ John Rokesrnitlr instead. " Andilong on the
bright steps stood Gruii and Glum, looking after the
pretty bride,’ vith u. lnarcotic consciousness of having
dreamedadream. g . ' '1 ..
After which, Bella took our fromi her pocket a little
letter, and read - it aloud to Paand John ;.this being a
true copy of the some, up . v , l .
“DsAnns'rM.i, . . ... -. .. .
“I hope you won't be angry, but I am most-happily
married to Mr. ‘John. Rokesmith. who loves me better
than I can ever deserve, except by loving him with all
my heart. I thought it best not to mention it beforc- 5
hand, in case it should ‘cause any little difference at 3
home. Please tell Zdarling Pa. , XVith love to Lavvy, i
“ Ever dearest Ma,
‘ “Your affectionateBdaughter,
v (I E
. ; , LLA
“ (P. S.--Rokesmith).”
on the letter-when had Her Gracious Majesty looked so
benign as on ‘that blessed morning l-and then, Bella
popped it into,the post-office,’ and said merrily, “ Now,
dearest Pa, you are safe, and will never be taken alive 1”
Pa was, at first, in the stirred depths of his conscience,
so far from sure of being safe yet,'that he madeout ma-
jestic matrons lurkingin ambush among the harmless
trees of Greenwich Park, and seemed to see a stately
countenance tied up in a well-known pocket-handkerchief
glooming down at him from a window of. the Observa-
tory, where the Familiars of ‘ the Astronomer Royal
nightly outwatch the winking stars. But, the minutes
passing, on and no Mrs. VVilfer in the flesh appearing, he
and appetite to Mr. and Mrs. John'Rokesrnith’s'cottage
on Blackheath. ‘where breakfast was ready.‘ ‘ .
A modest little cottage but a bright and a fresh, and
on the snowy table-‘cloth the prettiest of little breakfasts.
In waiting, too, like an attendant summer breeze, a lint-
tering‘ young damselgall pink anddribbons, blushing as
if she had been married instead of Bella, and yet a%&91'i'
ing the triumph of her sex over both John and.Pil. "1 3," I
exultingland exaltedtiurry: as who should say,.“T1115 - I '
is what you must all come to, gcntlemcn,‘when we choose '
to bring you to book.” . This same young damsel W35
Bella’s serving-maid, and unto her did deliver a bunch
of keys, commahdingltrcasures in the way of dry-salteiy.
groceries, jams and pickles,’ the investigation of which ,
made pastime after breakfast, when Bella declared that a
“ Pa must taste everything, John, dear, or it will never 2 1
be lucky,” and when Pa had all sorts of things p0k.9d ' ‘
into his mouth, and didn't quite knowiwhat to do with :
Then they, all three, out for a charming ride, and fol‘
a charming stroll among heath in-bloom, and there bf.‘-
horizontally disposed before him, apparently sitting med‘
itating on the vicissitudes of life I To whom said Be 111,
in her light-hearted surprise: '.‘0h l, How do you "10
again ? lVhat a dear old pensioner you are l ” To wlnqh
Gruti and Glum responded that he see her’ married this
morning, my Beauty, and that ifwit warn’t a 1ibeI‘tY he .
wished her ji and the fairest of . fair wind and weather i
further, in a general way requesting to, know What
cheer? and scrambling up-on his two wooden legs V’
salute, hat in hand, ship-shape,'with the gallantry Of 1‘
man-of-warsman and a heart of oak. " ‘
It was a pleasant sight, in the midst of the goldejl
bloom, to see this salt oldrGrufI and Glum, waving 1"“
shovel hat at Bella, while his thin white hair fl0“‘9 ,
free. as if she had once“more launched him into 13199 , !
water again. “ You are a charming old pensioner," said .
A p...-i nan-1 ...:.m i..... .. ma... - ..
Q.