Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

12 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

I, TESSA;

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

[ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.] I, TESSA; BY EMILIE SEARCHFIELD, AUTHOR OF « II SNOWDROP," ETC., ETC. k* »■ ■- i' *> I It was the nrst caress since Rob's iast, and I fairly sobbed aloud. She took my arm, and drawing rit through her own, led me away a little distance from the station. There, under a spreading tree, upon a moss-covered bank, she bade me sit and cry, and tell her all. She put her arms around me, and drew my head down upon her bosom, and I wept- wept as a little child might have done in its mother's arms. Even in those first moments I felt how strong, how true she was, and yet she wept with me. "Dear Mrs. Greenwell," she began once, but I interrupted her—" you called me Dora at the first, let it be Dora now and always." "Very well, dear," and her arms tioht-wcl in their clasp and to you I will be Tes<u, Sister Tessa, for his sake." Then we both burst out weeping anew, but by- md-by she grew calm, and little by little induced me to be the same. So we walked homeward to- gether, I taking her arm and telling her all I could about baby, of whom she, on her part, had many quest ions to ask. Dear Tessa she was thus striv- ing to woo me from the past to the present, and I Celt it and loved her for it, even in those early days, when 1 had not even proved'the depth of her loving leart. When we ne;ued my home, which was Rob's no longer. I found that she hesitated a little, and walked more slowly. "I forgot to ask," I ven- tured then to say, whether you came on purpose x> see me ?" I half feared the answer, for, after ill, w"io was I that she should come so far to com- fort use ? ",i"! it Wflf; why I came, dear, but when you are tired 1 if me you must say so, otherwise I can stay r'n wl/.h you for a long time." There was a look in her grey eyes which seemed to say that she, like myself, hungered for real love-for a love which was utterly dependent upon her for life and happi- Ye there are women who would rather give than 1 ake, and Tessa was one of them, and 1, in the n;ter ahaudmoi the rest which her presence seem, i to give me, looked up into her face and said. "You must stay always, Tessa—he would ..nan.shed it; nay, he did wish it;" and then I tec: O.V I the words spoken in the rail way-carriage so li. t r ago, ending with, "and, oh! believe me, my (• ir, 1 cannot be too thankful to you for com- ing. We entered the house and half the gloom seemed to vanish in her presence old Martha, too, called up a smile as soon as her eyes rested on Tessa's peaceful countenance — peaceful in spite of the traces of recent tears. I cannot describe that count-stance to you, although, since then, I have ■stu'li'MI it day by day, and learned to love it more an in Ire-it was simply the index of her sweet soul, pure and unseltish as aught of earth can ever be. luring the evening I asked her how she had in iriaged to com:;—had she not left her home aft-er 1 ? I shrank from bringing back that other :alternative. She smiled reassuringly. My health has proved rather troublesome to me lately," she said. I have not been ill, only—Henry and Mary would neither of them let me go away, as I should have done hful I been quite strong." I am so sorry," I said but I tell you what, 'Tessa. I am going to the sea-side so soon as it can > possibly be arranged, and as you are an invalid and your own mistress, you shall go with me, and then Martha need not leave the house, for I can take care of baby." "Very well, dear, it shall be as you like, only where do you intend it to be ?" (I shall not mention the real name hear, fir reasons which will afterwards come to light. I will, therefore, if you please, call is Holmsley, instead. ) I told Tessa the n.une of the place, together with .my reasons for going thither. You prefer Holmsley, I suppose ? and she looked inquiringly into my face. Yes. In fact, I have quite made up my mind to go there." And so I had, although, of course, I had not, as yet, even written to my old nurse u ion the matter. I had been used to have nv owr, way .,all my life, and I was still of the same d.fmo-i:on, as childish and impulsive as ever. Tessa,, I thought, seemed troubled for a",h:10, but when she saw how my heart was set on Holmsley she gave in to my wishes, saying that it did not much matter, she supposed, where we went, and that, perhaps, the being with an old friend might do me good. CHAPTER III. I was very tired by the time we had reached Holmsley. Nurse was glad to see me she was getting old, and we had been separated for thirteen years, still she was just the same in heart as when I had been her darling and when I saw all she kid planned for my comfort I could not but kiss her, and smile the thanks which my foolish tongue refused to speak. The mid-day glory faded from the sky, giving place to a dusky purple, which was alike lovely and restful; but I sat on, oblivious of every- thing, for nurse had taken baby from me, so that I might have no worry on this, my first afternoon withher. Soltravelled back through the daysof my married life, dropping a tear at each milestone upon the way, until finally it seemed to me that R&b was not far off; and at the last I lay my head on something I mistook for his shoulder, and he spoke to me loving, sweet words, as of yore. A voice close by aroused me at last. "Dora, I am sorry to wake you, but some tea will do us all good, ■ and baby is ready to eat his list with hunger, the little dear and Tessa kissed him again and a^ain. So I had been sleeping, and it had all been but a dream. Indeed, I was scarcely myself when Tessa gave me my bag, and proceeded to pour out tea. That woman's tongue has not failed her one minute since our arrival," she presently remarked. There, listen A strange female voice fell on my ear. It was not particularly coarse or loud, but there was something especially disagreeable in it, and I said so. It is quite in keeping with her face," remarked Tessa. .41 Have you seen her ? "Yes, did you not notice her yourself, Dora? She was at the door when we drove by." I saw no one. What house do you mean ? "The one just below, and on the opposite side of the way," Tessa replied. But there, you were watchino- baby as we came along, and since then you have been asleep. I, however, have kept both my ears and eyes open, and you may depend upon it, Dora, that woman yonder is a gossip of no mean order, and I have made up my mmd to study her -well. Other voices had been filling up the interval till now, but even as Tessa stopped speaking the harsh, pipin» voice again broke forth. "No, I don't know nowt "about 'em, but this I saw thAat. Tessa was listening, and I did the same,^ but strain our ears as we might no more was distinguishable, for the woman took to whispering—such whispering as I had never before heard -being a series of croak- ings and hissings, from which only a word here and there such as "widow" and "baby" mingled with 31 frequent repetition of nurse's name, were intelligi- ble to us. Were nurse (I may as well call her by name Mrs. Burgiss) made her appearance. Miss Dora, dear"(the old name seemed natural to her), "I thought if baby was asleep I could carry him upstairs." I looked round the room inquiringly. You are thinking that you would like some' «ort of bed for him in herb ?" suggested Tessa. "Yes—I but Mrs. Burgess stopped me.. "I have a cot upstairs, miss, and you snail have it at °^When she came back with it I saw that* her .face f was tlusked, and supposed that it had been too heavy for her to carry. I said so to her, and made way for her to pass my chair with her burden. Oh, no, miss, not too heavy, and anything 1 can do for you will be a pleasure. I am sure I never exacted to be waiting on you again, Miss Dora," and with a deep sigh of relief, as it sounded, she placed the cot in a corner, where it was shaded from the sunlight. Then she went away to afrthe linen for the little bed, and as Tessa took the baby from my arms to lay him on the sofa for awhile, I was surprised to hear her repeat to herself Shakespeare's words, "and thereby hangs a tale." About that woman ?" I asked, innocently. "No, dear," and Tessa looked grave. "But! did you not observe how readily nurse carried the cot to the shady corner, and how flushed her cheeks were ? Now that cot must have served her at some time or other, and from this fact arose the motherly instinct and her increased colour at the bare remembrance of what is past and gone." I knew not whether it had been as Tessa said, but I did admire her for the loving sympathy which had fancied it all, and in one, too, whom she had this day seen for the first time. So, when nurse came in to carry away the tea-tray, and I saw she looked at baby with something like a tear in her eye, I just laid my hand softly on her arm. Tessa was then gazing out through the open window at the group of talkers in front of the cottage she had named. I suppose, therefore, that it seemed as though we t" o were alone, and nurse said— Ah, miss, we all have our trials in this life! You know about mine-now won't you tell me about yours ?" and I stood up and put my arm about her neck as I had done in my childish days. Then she sat down, and with a burst of tears— for which I was wholly unprepared—began. "Ah, you wondered, I s'pose, why I had that thing there ?" pointing towards the cot, but I had two such as him," meaning Rob, "and they both died one after the other." Here she paused, utterly unable to say more because of her tears. Yes, I understand, nurse, dear, but it was God who took them." She bowed her head, and her apron quite hid her face from me. You mast not fret, nursie," I went on to say. "He did it in love, you know. Why they are angels nov., and you must fancy them quite happy in heaven, free from all trouble and pain, for ever and ever Ah, Miss Dora I ought not to vex you (for my tears were mingling with hers), "and I won't either," and she rubbed her eyes to clear away the tears but you, who are so good, don't know how we poor, sinful ones rebel and chafe under trouble. God bless you, though, dear, for you've done me good with your sweet words." I She kissed me and went away to the round of her little household duties, and never again did she or I refer to her past; but sometimes, when I saw her fondling little Rob, I found myself won- dering why her babes had been taken when she had so loved them, and I made answer to my- self in a usual way, They were taken from some evil, I suppose." But then, why had Rob been taken, I next questioned—questioned blindly —and as blindly made reply, "From evil too." Tessa never said aught of the little secret her observant eyes had discovered, but I heard after- wards that there was just the reverent, tender tone for nurse as me, and yet, had Tessa no troubles ? Had she no need of tenderness ? She seemed altogether calm, as though nothing had ever disturbed the even tenor of her life, and her greatest joy, I believe, was in giving of her calm, sweet nature to others, asking for nothing again, save an utter dependence upon her own tenderness and strength. She was sitting by the window apparently engrossed in a book she held, but, as I nov/ believe, listening in reality to the voices of the gossips outside, who came and went from and to the opposite doorway. I was thinking and swinging baby's cot as well, when a loud knock at the outer door startled us both. Tessa immediately laid down her book, and I, who had learnt, or was learning rather, to copy her ways, listened too. Two men seemed to be holding a somewhat parley- ing conversation with nurse. There was nothing strange in the voice of the one, but the other was only t-uiraV.e in its gruff heaviness of tone, to lies! 1 in contrast with the piping notes of -m opposite neighbour—in short, it was the ie 1 esi, end most peculiar man's voice I had ever heird. I t. did not strike me as being unnatural, lwl yet I felt sure that I should recognise that voice again anywhere, or after any lapse of years. The door was at too great a distance to allow of our understanding any word spoken, but presently nurse ,;1,0 her appearance with a strange request upon llc: lips. Will you mind, Miss Dora, dear, and you too, miss," turning to Tessa, if I take in amait-lodger for a week or two ? It's what I've never done before, but'you see, he"—meaning the man— doesn't know where to go, and his work lies about here, so that I don't like to deny him." I looked at Tessa and Tessa at me. It would in reality be nothing to us, and yet neither liked being classed with a common working-man lodger. You fee, miss, you have your own staircase leading up from here to your bedroom-as this part of yours used to be a separate cottage once- and the man would go up our stairs from the kitchen, so that you would never see him." What sort of man is he, nurse ?" I inquired by way of answer. "Very respectable as to looks, and Mason, the painter, who lives further down the village, knows him to be quiet and steady. It was he that recommended him here, and I believe-not that he exactly said as much—that he is going to work for him at the new church which is building at Kingsley. I don't see why we should mind him, dear?" It was Tessa who spoke, and I leaned sufficiently upon her judgment to re-echo her words. So it was settled, and nurse looked glad, for she had a kindly heart, and would not willingly say "Nay" to anybody. Oh, how long that first evening seemed We could not go out and leave baby indeed, I doubt if the thought of doing anything to relieve the monotony occurred to us then, and nurse was airing sheets and preparing "the man's" room. It appeared that he had gone away after receiving his answer as to the lodging, but later, just as Tessa and I were preparing to go upstairs for the night, he came in. His step is anything but fairy-like," remarked Tessa, for as he passed our door every article in the room shook. Something just then demand 1 our attention, and I know not how it came about, but we still sat on in the semi-darkness, for the moonlight stream- ing in at the uncurtained windows was all the light we had for full another hour. The man was talking all the time, scarcely pausing, as it seemed, for either questions or replies. Once we caught a few words from both parties. Young ladies ? he questioned, in that queer, heavy voice of his, which was but a trifle lighter than his footstep. I r< Yes." It was nurse's husband who replied. "Married?" inquired the" Griffin," for so Tessa had named him at the first. Then followed quite a little oration from the Griffin," that being the longest, break during the whole of his talk that evening. At the close of this last speech, however, we again caught a word or two, the most connected of which were, Curls, did you say ?" Then the door of the kitchen, which had till now been open, wns closed, and we heard but the dull echo of his voice, which reached us even when we were up stairs and in bed. I wonder what he meant ? I said, musingly, for as I stood before the glass and brushed out my short, black curls, the man's words were again borne upon my mind. The fact was, little things seemed great to us on that dreary evening, and I was really trying to feel interested in what was | going on around, trying not to think so much of Rob and my great trouble. Tessa did not reply. I fancy that she did not hear me, but then and now I associate those words-" Curls, did you say?" with myself. The next day nurse engaged a girl to come daily [ and take baby out, for, as she rightly said, neither Tessa nor I were really able to caryr him far, so c q we bought a perambulator with a chintz shade t,) it, to protect our darUng.from.the broilui-j: sun, and, relieved of our principal duty, life at Holins» ley glided quietly, peacefully by. The sea in its j summer brightness sparkled and danced, as it were. I •• 1

ISTRADTFODWG SCHOOL BOARD.

THE COMING OF AGE OF MR E.…

l MEETING OF COLLIERS AT FERSMALE.

A NAUGHfY BOY AT TREHERBERT.

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¡CORRESPONDENCE.

THE CONTEST IN THE PORTH WARD.

MR. J. JOKES GRIFFITHS' REPLY…

IMACLUCAS'S ATTACH ON THE…

SERIOUS CASE OF FURIOUS DRIVING.…

ENTH03I4SriC MEETING AT PORTH,