Chapter One

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 52, Issue 3750, 1 May 1936, Page 9

Chapter One

It is a night in the year 1883 in Brooklyn. Cedrio Errol, youngest son of the Earl of Dorincourt, lies dying. He has incurred the wrath of his noble and wealthy father in England by marrying an American girl. They are living in humble circumstances. Mrs. Errol—" Dearest” to her husband and her young son—brings the news of the death to little Ceddie. That scene closes the prologue. The action skips two years to the early summer of 1885. It is Ceddie's birthday acd his mother presents him with a new bicycle. Ceddie by this time is a well-grown little boy, slender but wiry in build, and handsome. He is dressed fastidiously In the fashion of the children of his day. Although he gives indications of a startling maturity of .mind, he

is nevertheless all boy—sturdy and courageous. With his new bicycle, Ceddie rides gaily through the streets to show it to Dick, his bootblack friend, the old apple-woman and his grocer friend, Mr. Hobbs. He is accosted by a group of street gamins who try to take the bicycle away from him. A rough and tumble fight ensues In which Dick joins, siding with Ceddie. The two manage to give a good account of themselves, though outnumbered, until' a policeman intervenes. At the grocery, Mr. Hobbs professes an enormous contempt for "earls and marqulsses” as he calls them —oppressors of the poor, arrogant in their pride of wealth and lineage. He tells Ceddie he wouldn’t allow one of them to step foot In his store—“l’ll be jiggered if I would,” he declares emphatically. Hobbs, reading from an illustrated British periodical about the nobility, impresses upon Ceddie that these are very evil persons indeed. Ceddie, knowing no better and possessing a tremendous respect for Hobb’s knowledge of the great

world, sits on Hobb's cracker barrel and drinks in all this wisdom very sagely. Hobbs is his preceptor, his guide, counsellor and friend, the fount of all wisdom. As for earls and maxquiesea, Hobbs dismisses them all with a single eloquent phrase—“they're a bad lot.” “Did you ever know many of them?” Ceddle inquires. "No, I guess not,” Mr. Hobbs »d--mits. "But I'd like to catch one of them in here, that's all. I'll have no graspin’ tyrant sittln’ around on my cracker barrels.” Ceddie is properly impressed but remarks charitably: "Perhaps they wouldn't be earls if they knew any better.” “Wouldn't they!” Mr. Hobbs rejoins. "They just glory in it. It's in 'em—that's what.” ‘Considerably mystified, Coddle is considering this regrettable situation when Mary, the Irish servant

In Dearest’s home, comes to the store looking for him. She tells the boy that hie mother wants him at home. "There’s some strange things happenin’ to us,” she tells the boy mysteriously. Hurrying home, Mary slips upstairs with Ceddie and dresses him up in his very best clothes. She combs out his curly locks. He hurries downstairs. A tall, thin, elderly gentleman is talking to his mother, who has tears In her eyes. She runs to her son and catches him up in her arms to kiss him. It Is evident that she is greatly troubled. "Oh, Ceddie, darling!” she exclaims to the puzzled child. The tall old gentleman rises and looks at Ceddie with his sharp eyes. He rubs his thin chin with his bony hand and seems not at all displeased. “So hils, ’’ he says at last, "so this is littlg lord Fauntleroy." And thus begins a new and mo»t amazing chapter in Ceddle’s career. To bo continued