The Argosy — page 81: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

66 Poor Aunt Deb! delay a conveyance was found, into which we scrambled, and were taken slowly but surely to our destination. Here, again, I found the housekeeper gone, my brother away on his preaching expedition, and no preparations for my arrival. All this I discovered afterwards to be due to the truant propensities of the small page who is entrusted with the postage of my letters. Feeling rather lonely and very tired, I managed to get some refresh- ment from a hastily improvised “ tea,” and then settled myself down by a warm fire to rest till bedtime. “ Please, ma’am, could you speak with a man at the door? He wants the master, and says he must see someone.” I followed the housemaid to the porch, and there saw an elderly, rough-looking individual with rather a pleasant, honest-looking face, and a style of demeanour and clothing that suggested a bargeman or one of those watermen so often met with on the canal banks. “Oh, missus, I wanted to see th’ parson. We’s in a bit of trouble, and I hears he’s main kind to puir folk.” ‘Well, my man, and what is it you want? He will not be home to-night. Can I do anything for you?” ‘‘ Please, missus,” was the astounding answer, “can you do a bit of naming? We got a lass in our boat who’s mortal bad ; and I dunna think the young ’un can last till morning. My old woman, she thinks a deal of that sort of thing, and says that there babby ought to be named at unst, if it’s to be of any use.” | ‘Well, my friend,” I answered, after settling in my own mind that he meant baptism : ‘‘ I am afraid I can’t do that for you—but perhaps to-morrow will be time enough.” ‘‘T s’pose it must be then, ma’am ; but I doubts whether either lass or babby will live till sunrise.” Then it flashed through my mind what a dreary place it was to die in, and in a momentary impulse I offered to go and see if I could help either mother or child. ‘Teed, ma’am, if you would come, I’m sure the old ’ooman would be grateful ; for this trouble came on us quite unexpected, and her has no food nor nothing fit for the poor critter.” The country round Thorsville was all familiar to me by daylight, and I knew that after crossing two fields, and walking four or five hundred yards up the road, I should then only have to cross a stile to find myself upon the canal bank. So, after donning a good thick cloak and a warm quilted hood, and filling a basket with such things as I thought might be wanted, I prepared to follow my guide down to the canal. Then, telling the old man who acted as factotum in my brother’s household to follow at a distance, I started off. The two fields grew longer than any four; the stiles seemed impassable barriers; and the road, when we reached it, looked end- less, flat, bare, foggy, utterly silent, treeless, save for a few pollards Gomichbooksrecom