SHADOWS ON THE SNOW.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 13012, 27 June 1906, Page 2

SHADOWS ON THE SNOW.

-- (Continued. "They're playing games up-stairs," said Kitty, taking the buh by the horns; " such games!"

Samuel only gruntei. " They're playing, 1 ' said Kitty, slyly, " I love my love with an A, because ibe's amiable, and amusing, and a angel; and I hat© my love with a A, because he's aggravating, and absurd, and annoying; and his name ain't Alexander, and he comes from Aberdeen, and I took him to the sign of the Axe and the Anchor, and treated him to apples and anchovies." "And I don't love my love with a V," retorted Samuel, goaded into a full sense of bis wrongs by the pretty maid's attempt at conciliation, " because she's vicious, and vile, and a vixen; and I hate her with a V, because she's vulgar, and vain and a viper; and her name ain't Venus, and she comes from Van dieman's Land, and I treated her to vinegar at the sign of the Venemous Vampire." The retort caused Kitty to smile to herself more slyly than ever, for the next best thing to a declaration of love from a man you have a liking for is a declaration of jealously, and there was no doubt that Samuel was in a desperate condition. The temporary retainer, driven by Kitt's distracting airs into a. state of over-bubbling love, listened to "this quarrel with secret pleasure; and beguiling Kitty under the mistletoe, attempted tr> snatch from her tempting lips a repetition of the temporary bliss which had fired his scul. But this time he reckoned without his host. Kitty—sly that she' wr..v!—knowing that Samuel was near, pretended to struggle- with the-poacher, crying out with affected, indignation, "How dare vou, sir! What do you mean- by it? Oh," Samuel, Samuel! Save ode!" Whereupon Samuel, his jealousy melting in the .warmth of this appeal, • flew to the rescue, and caugiht Kitty in his arms—where she lay panting, her pouting lips in a direct line from the mistletoe, and looking altogether so lovely and bewitching that Well, he did what you have done—kissed her once, and again, and again, and would have gone on for there is no saying how long had not Kitty run away to hide her blushes and delight. Every room in the house had such a bright look about it that there was no mistaking the season. Had Father Time himself suddenly appeared with his operahat under his arm and (being an - 'airy old gentleman) with nothing else worth mentioning on his old bones in the chape of garments, for tee purpose,*£ telling you that he, had made a mistake with" his glass, and that he was .six or seven weeks too .fast or too slow, you would have snapped you* fingers at'him. Not Christmas! A nice- thing, indeed! As if you did' not know better. As if every saucepan in the kitchen did not know better! Not Christmas ! Ask Mrs Bamage. Who was Mrs Bamage? Mrs Rainage was a large woman, irith a Large, mouth, and a-Large Sose, and Large eyes, and Large limbs, and a Large way of asserting herself when there was, "no resisting. And in Mrs Bamage -was merged Mr Bamage, w&o was a little man, -with a little month, and a little nose,"and little eyes, and little limbs, and "such a. very little-way of asserting • himself that no one took the slightest mv tica_of.him.- If by chance he was spoken of, it -was as one who hadyfested the", -whole of his right, title, and interest in and to human life in the wife of his bosom; who, indeed, Shad"parted with it so thoroughly and completely that it might be regarded as a sum which she added up, subtracted ' from!, multiplied, or divided, at her plea- ( sure. ,

Not. Christmas! Why, here, was Mm Ramage, this tremendously solemn and magnificently large woman, actually laughing, and beaming kindly smiles upon poor little Mr Ramage, who hopped meekly about, her, and bobbed his little bead in ecstasy at her affability. . Not Christmas! Ask the WoysJ and the Wymers, of Messrs Wymer, Woy, and Wymer, the celebrated firm of attorneys and solicitors which transacted all the legal business of the district. The firm originally was Wymer and Woy, but a female Wymer, sister of the senior partner, having in her own particular right become possessed of a sum of money which the firm was anxious to pass to its credit, would only consent to invest it on the condition that her ,name was added to the firm. BeiDg a strong-minded and bcny old maid, her condition was accepted, and the title thenceforth was Wymer, Woy, and Wymei-. All the members of the firm were long, lank, and lean, and grew, as did thenparchments, more shrunk and "shrivelled every term. Life to them was in a small way made up of happiness and sorrow, sympathy, disappointments, love, trials of affection, charity, and suchlike trifles; but in- a much larger way it was made up of law. They talked nothing but law—they knew nothing but law—they breathed nothing but law. They played the game of existence (as though" it were really a .game)-with cards of law, and yet they played it i?o skilfully that they never missed the odd trick. Yet even they looked frosj tily pleasant, and thawed a little under j'the genial influence of the time; dimly recognising that kindliness at such a season might possibly be an enactment of some j old law of humanity which it would fie well ! for them not to resist.

And if there was a shadow of doubt on the subject—if any misguided pereon "still entertained the most infinitesimal particle of disbelief as to the fact—he had "but, to look at the face of> Laura Harrild, and the thing was settled. There was nothing extraordinarily handsome about Laura—: she was simply a dear, lovable woman, genshed. with the graces of a happy, innocent youth. WeU-lw>kmg:Jahd..<.weil--formed, "with a pure mind and a paying heart. A rested on'..'liar'" face, and shed influence on uLL' -around, her. Such woqien are the' roses of the world; happy the man who has one blooming" in the garden of\his life! ."'. "To think," said Br Bax, Jas he sat dandling on his knee a privileged, curlyheaded youngster, ",to think of two children going .to, get "Ttthree months. ' Why, jMr Harrud"; ~;.jvhat, v ,on i earth will you do without ' •The person addressed, a, soberrloeking man of fifty, gazed thoughtfully at Laura and William, who were sitting among a group of young people, laughing and chatting gaily. "Dear, dear!" continued the doctor; " three months t And to-morrow we shall be looking back to it, and saying it was only yesterday that they were married. L:fe. indeed, is nothing but a breath of ivind." ''l beg your pardon," interposed ~Mr Wymer," who was close by. with the other two members of the firm; " I did not quite ca-oh it. doctor. You were saying—" "'That life was nothing but a breath of w'nl." repeated Dr Bar. "No such thing, sir; no such thing," Mr Wymer warmly. "Life i» a breath of wind, indeed! Pooh-pooh, (If ctor. you knew nothing about it! If everybody took such a light view of it— I Ti3ij your pardo- ; you smiled." "It sounded'like a joke," said Dr Bex,

" taking such a light view of it, you said. v "

"I never joke," said Mr Wymer solemnly; "and if I did, I hope I should know myself better than to select a subject so serious. I repeat, if everybody took such a lig=ht view of life, what would become of its ma?.t important relations? What would be the use of making marriage settlements in favour of a breath of wind What would be the use of making one's will in favour of a breath of wind? What would be the use of actions at law, writs of ejectment, pleas, kterpleas, rules nisi, criminal prosecutions, chancery suits, and insolvencies? What, is short ,would become of law?" " That is no breath of wind, I grant you," said little doctor, goodhumouredly; "itis a girm reality. But I spoke metaphorically." "I beg your pardon. You spoke—" " Metaphorically." " I thought I was mistaken, in the word," returned Mr Wymer. "My dear doctor, you surely cannot be in earnest. Metaphorically! Of what practical use is it to speak metaphorically? Speak legally, and you are right. Speak legally, act legally, live legally, die legally, and you can go to the othar world -with your titledeeds in your hand, and take possession. What I find fault -with in- people- nowadays," continued the lawyer, illustrating' his points with his forefijbger, "is, that they diverge from the proper course of life. They are dreamy, sentimental, metaphorical, unpractical, and unbusinesslike. Now there is no dreaminess nor sentimentality in law. You must be businesslike and practical, 'or > you -will ,:get the worst of it. - : You my'friend, when:you deal-:with,law." : ; ;And ; Mr Wymer emitted?-a idryy chuckling laugh/ as though he were in the.habit of dealing with many, people who were unbusinesslike and unpractical and not sufficiently wide-awake, and'-who-were" therefore always getting the -worst of it.' "But the uncertainty of the law," Dr Bax ventured to.remark.

' That's>the charm' of it," replied Mr Wymer, rubbing his hands pleasantly with the geniality of his theme. "I beg your pardon," interrupted Dr Bax, purposely imitating the old lawyer • "you said that is the " Charm of it." •*

"Its uncertainty?" " "Exactly. - You sever know where to have it. It will get the best of you when you least expect-at. You may study it for a hundred years/ahd it may trip you up, after all.- It is wonderfully and beautifully complex."

" There are cases which have lasted sixty or seventy , years, are there not?" asktd Dr. Bax. .■ - >

"More, sir, more," repliedMr Wymer, gleefully,- "What could better illustrate the law's amazing ingenuity, its inexhaustible fertility, than such cases? -Think of the study, the speeches, the learning, the arguments-,^.that have been used in one simple suitC Think of the briefs "

"The fees," the doctor put in, with a knowing look.

Mr Wymer, Miss Wymer, and Mr Woy, looked at each other, smiled, and softly smoothed the pahns of their right hands with the fingers of their left, '> a sign of satisfaction they were in.the habit of unconsciously and jshnultaneously indulging in whenrtkey were discussing a more than usually .agreeable topic. ""The feesj'' -said ;Mf Wymer; "yes, they \foHow;y.of; course,.for every'labpurer is-worthy, of 'his-hire; and -we--are.q3i bourexs, after a fashion,"

'"How on earth," asked Dr. Bade,, with a spice of maliciousness, "did the world ever get -on without lawyers t'T. "It never did, sir; . Biblical records prove it In'.the patriarchal men were born with legal-imfinds, as they are now. v Abraham bought land, and was most particular in the specification concerning,the tree*/down to the very-.borders of his property. Then look at Jacob and Laban. Do you mean to tell me they were not lawyers? If Jacob lived in these days,, he would reach the woolsack."

"He tricked .Laban out of -wool enough, for a thousand woolsacks," said Dr Bax, making his escape quickly, to avoid the torrent of invective that would (have been poured upon his satire. Contact with Wymer, Woy, ,a»d Wymer somewhat jarred upoq the...tender, heart of thelittle doctor; buf a peep at Waiiam,v standing at a window, with his arm around Laura's waist, was sufficient to bring his spirit again into perfect harmonyOwithHthe Reason.

The lovers were looking out upon' the night. The snow-flakes were faffing lightly, and as far as_eye could reach a'field of purest white was spread before them. The window was in -a recess, shut off from .the room by heavy curtains, so that they were almost in seclusion. William Twas speaking to Laura m soft, loving tones, and her pure truthful face .denoted how lovingly she was following his words.

" Three Christmases, my said William, "datingVfroin. last year. < What a contrast! Last- year you and I had not seen each: other, and next year we shall be in our own cosy meat.- • -Before I saw you, I did not know what happiness there 'is in restfulness of spirit: It was impossible for me to settle down; now I'would be tJhisj now I would be Ijhat;" something within me always" whispering 'Alove.on;; ( don't stop jyoir-'are.' For moaiths afld of 'emi-j gating.,.j;(jV;the"Au'stralia'n>(^6olonies i ! and I iiSed .to -devoyrr the: newsf^L,iieiyAfreshdiscovery in the other parfonoffffie World;' I 1 dreamt night after night of tremendous nuggets, almost too heavy to' lift, and wouhjl wake ;^ J iage:^tofifm<fr^i6 : l i al]: # delusion.,;;-•;, my mind; tiwwwas me to .the old land; I would go out to the n^w. ; ; Away I posted to Woy-and Wyiner, and gave instructions to sell my farm; they soon found a purchaser, and the conveyance was drawn up. Stephen Winkworth was the mariKwhos'wanted to buy it, but happily I" did not sign it away to him, for at that precise time, my darling, Ir met you, and I thought, 'Why be in such a hurry, William!'.... And when I discovered tJhat you loved me—he drew hert closer to-him—"away to the four wppjls of heaven flew all ideas of parting ;^s^y.r.3^d-^^ She looked up into his face shyly and timidly.:.v;r -■...■: -•■ r *•-.7 •■*:•}*.-?: * "Does never a thought come into your mind, William, that it might have been as well for you if you had gone away?.'* 4 -'-' "What a question, dearest! Asked to try me! Well, it ia a small .trial. 'Put me to a severer test, and see me smiling at you with perfect trustfulness—as I do now, loving you, thougfu all the world were against mB." "What I mean is, it might have done you good. You are naturally impulsive—" "Yes," he interrupted with rapid shakes of his head, " impulsive, self-willed, and obstinate." . : ... :-_ " I will not hear you say that, for it is not so. You are naturally impulsive, bold, manly, fearless." * ' He interrupted her with a happy laugh. "Two sides to the •shield. But "eyes of lay,©., cannot see^cleasfeD (To be continued.)

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