Amelia Barr - The Paper Cap. A Story of Love and Labor стр 12.

CHAPTER IV LONDON AND AUNT JOSEPHA

KATHERINES letters bore little fruit. Lady Brierley sent fifty pounds to buy food, but said she was going to Bourmouth for the spring months, being unable to bear the winds of the Yorkshire wolds at that time. Mrs. Craven and Mrs. Courtney were on their way to London, and Mrs. Benson said her own large family required every hour of her time, especially as she was now only able to keep one servant. So the village troubles were confided to the charge of Faith Foster and her father. The squire put a liberal sum of money with the preacher, and its application was left entirely to his judgment.

Nor did Annis now feel himself able to delay his journey until April. He was urged constantly by the leaders of the Reform Bill to hasten his visit to the House. Letters from Lord Russell, Sir James Grahame and Lord Grey told him that among the landlords of the West Riding his example would have a great influence, and that at this important crisis they looked with anxiety, yet certainty, for his support.

He could not withhold it. After his enlightenment by Mr. Foster, he hardly needed any further appeal. His heart and his conscience gave him no rest, and in ten days he had made suitable arrangements, both for the care of his estate, and the relief of the village. In this business he had been greatly hurried and pressed, and the Hall was also full of unrest and confusion, for all Madams domestic treasures were to pack away and to put in strict and competent care. For, then, there really were women who enjoyed household rackets and homes turned up and over from top to bottom. It was their relief from the hysteria of monotony and the temper that usually attends monotony. They knew nothing of the constant changes and pleasures of the women of today of little chatty lunches and theater parties; of their endless societies and games, and clubs of every description; of fantastic dressing and undressing from every age and nation; beside the appropriation of all the habits and pursuits and pleasures of men that seemed good in their eyes, or their imaginations.

So to the woman of one hundred years ago and of much less time a thorough house-cleaning, or a putting away of things for a visit or a journey was an exciting event. There was even a kind of pleasure in the discomfort and disorder it caused. The unhappy looks of the men of the house were rather agreeable to them. For a few days they had legitimate authority to make everyone miserable, and in doing so experienced a very actual nervous relief.

Madam Annis was in some measure influenced by similar conditions, for it takes a strong and powerfully constituted woman to resist the spirit and influence of the time and locality in which she lives. So the Hall was full of unrest, and the peaceful routine of life was all broken up. Ladies hide-covered trunks such little baby trunks to those of the present day and leather bags and portmanteaus littered the halls; and the very furniture had the neglected plaintive look of whatever is to be left behind.

At length, however, on the twenty-third of March, all was ready for the journey, and the squire was impatient to begin it. He was also continually worrying about his son. Whereiver is Dick, I wonder? He ought to be here helping us, ought he not, mother? he asked Madam reproachfully, as if he held her responsible for Dicks absence and Madam answered sharply Indeed, Antony, thou ought to know best. Thou told Dick to stay in London and watch the ways of that wearisome Reform Bill and send thee daily word about its carryings on. The lad cant be in two places at once, can he?

I hed forgotten mysen, Annie. How near art thou and Katherine ready to start?

Katherine and I are now waiting on your will and readiness.

Nay, then, Annie, if ta hes got to thy London English already, Ill be quiet, I will.

I doant like thee to be unjust to Dick. He is doing, and doing well, just what thou told him to do. I should think thou couldnt ask more than that if thou was in thy right mind.

Dick is the best lad in Yorkshire, he is all that! Doant thee care if I seem a bit cross, Annie. Ive been that worrited all morning as niver was. Doant mind it!

I doant, not in the least, Antony.

Well, then, can thou start to-morrow morning?

I can start, with an hours notice, any time.

I wouldnt be too good, Annie. Im not worth it.

Thou art worth all I can do for thee.

Varry good, dearie! Then well start at seven to-morrow morning. We will drive to Leeds, and then tak t mail-coach for London there. If t roads dont happen to be varry bad we may hev time enough in Leeds to go to the Queens Hotel and hev a plate o soup and a chop. I hev a bit o business at the bank there but it wont keep me ten minutes. I hope we may hev a fairish journey, but the preacher tells me the whole country is in a varry alarming condition.

Antony, I am a little tired of the preachers alarm bell. He is always prophesying evil. Doant thee let him get too much influence over thee. Before thou knows what thou art doing thou wilt be going to a class meeting. What does the curate say? He has been fifty miles south, if not more.

He told me the roads were full of hungry, angry men, who were varry disrespectful to any of the Quality they met.

Here Katherine entered the room. Mother dear, she said in an excited voice, mother dear! My new traveling dress came home a little while ago, and I have put it on, to let you admire it. Is it not pretty? Is it not stylish? Is it not everything a girl would like? O Daddy! I didnt see you.

I couldnt expect thee to see me when tha hed a new dress on. Ill tell thee, howiver, I doant like it as well as I liked thy last suit.

The little shepherd plaid? Oh, that has become quite common! This is the thing now. What do you say, mother?

I think it is all right. Put it on in the morning. We leave at seven oclock.

Oh, delightful! I am so glad! Life is all in a mess here and I hate a tossed-up house.

At this point the Reverend Mr. Yates entered. He had called to bid the squire and his family good-bye, but the ladies quickly left the room. They knew some apology was due the curate for placing the money intended for relieving the suffering in the village in the preachers care, and at his disposal. But the curate was reasonable, and readily acknowledged that nearly all needing help were members of Mr. Fosters church, and would naturally take relief better from him than from a stranger.

The journey as far as Leeds was a very sad one, for the squire stopped frequently to speak to groups of despairing, desperate men and women: Hev courage, friends! he said cheerfully to a gathering of about forty or more on the Green of a large village, only fourteen miles south of Annis. Hev courage a little longer! I am Antony Annis, and I am on my way to London, with many more gentlemen, to see that the Reform Bill goes through the Lords, this time. If it does not then it will be the duty of Englishmen to know the reason why. God knows you hev borne up bravely. Try it a bit longer.

Squire, said a big fellow, white with hunger, Squire, I hevnt touched food of any kind for forty hours. You count hours when you are hungry, squire.

Were all o us, said his companion, faint and clemmed. We hevnt strength to be men any longer. Look at me! Im wanting to cry like a bairn.