Smith and the Pharaohs, and other Tales

ara, Barbara who came ba

e rate was finished wailed once feebly and expired in his arms. The Reverend Septimus was weeping over the sorrows of the world. Tears ran down his white but rounded face, for he was stout of habit, and fell upon his clerical coat that was gre

th six children, how was he to buy fresh milk? I ought to have given it to him. I could have done without these new boots till spring, damp feet don't matter to an old man. Bu

ars with the back of his hand,

loving and merciful Christ, help

name first-my selfishness agai

nd perhaps in her turn give life to others. I know I should not ask it; I know it is better that she should go and be with Thee in the immortal home Thou hast prepared for us unhappy, suffe

wiped away another

to ask to be relieved of the burdens of the flesh! Pitiful Christ, visit not my wickedness on me or on others, and O Thou that di

wn over his ears because of the rough wind, an

is healthy, and I tried to think so because it is cheap, though I am sure that this was the beginning of poor little Cicely's last illness. With her broken chilblains she could not stand the snow; at any rate, the chill struck upwards. Well, she has been in bliss three years, three whole years, and how thankful I ought to be for that. How glad she will be to see Barbara too, if it pleases God

swallowed him. He looked at the kind earth of the ploughed field to his left, and wished vividly, for the idea was more familiar, that six feet of it lay above him. Then he remembered that just beyond that sand-heap he had found a plover's nest with two eggs in it fifty years ago when he

at piped through the sere grasses and blew the plovers over him as though they were dead leaves. Where the sun had vanished long bars of purple lay above the horizon; to his excited fancy they looked like th

ut in this place at this hour doubtless it must be a parishioner, perhaps one waiting to see him upon some important matter. He must for

haven't got seven-and-sixpence; also he has an excellent home with that stuffy old woman, if a dull one, for he must miss his walk. Oh! it's you, Anthony. What are you doing here at this time of night? Your father told me you had a bad cold

e, remarkable for his large brown eyes and a certain sweet expression which contrasted s

ooting to-night. In fact, I w

Nothing wrong up a

y should there be an

parson unless there is something amiss, and there seems to be so

but I can't get anything definite from the others, I mean from her sisters

that was eating out this poor father's heart was not peculiar to him; another shared it. In what he would have called his "wicked selfishness" the Reve

ry. Had it not been a matter of duty I would not have left the house, but, so

"but what about Barbara? O

to an eminence in front of them, "is a mile and a quarter. When we get to the crest of Gunter's Hill perhap

red Anthony. "Oh! m

the inflammation appears to have culminated that way. Now either she will never wake again, or if she wakes she

e twenty yards or more. Then he a

the same, to pull it half down, and if she were really better, to leave it quite up. I have done that for two nights now, so that I might have a little time to prepare mysel

and once more the

with rain; and just as they had started for home, fortunately, or rather unfortunately, old Stevens the farmer overtook them on his way back from market and offered them a lift. They got into the cart and Barbara took off the mackintosh that her aunt gave her last Christmas-it

orror of the suspense became intolerable to him. Without a word he dashed forward, sped down the slope and up that o

ppose that I walk too slowly for him. I cannot walk

half-dazed mind and stumbled on wear

ky, and against this glow he perceived the tall figure of Anthony standing quite still. When he was about a hundred yards away t

feet harden; one does not feel the thorns so much. 'The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away, bl-bl-yes, I will say it-blessed be the Name of the Lord.' I should remember that she is so much better where she is; that this is a very hard world; indeed, sometimes I

en trouble to look at the Rectory windows in the hollow near the chu

der how I shall get him ho

y sat up and said,

e w

own, then someone pulled it up. That's what finished me.

suddenly sank to his knees and re

perhaps this is only a respite which will prolong the suspense. Often such things happen t