LITERATURE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3896, 12 October 1880, Page 3

LITERATURE.

OUR LODG&BS. (Continued). "What will it bo when tho lodgers come, and she has to cook and work for them?" wo asked, pale afc the thought. What it was we soon ascertained. Sarah, finding a card in window one morning, with " Furnished apartments " neatly printed on it, and surrounded by a sable border, immediately gave notice. Questioned why she wished to leave, she gave ub the following answer—" Becos I've always lived with gentlefolks as kept a fair table, and I ye never seen a sultana plum nor a bit of suet come into this 'ouße ; besides, as you're going to lower yourselves by letti, g lodgeru. I wish to leave at my month." It gave us a shock, a painful, jet transitory shock; in fact, we were getting uaed to disillusions. Could that dreadful, defiant creature, taking a clear- pi*h ted view of our position, be right, and nurse, who had warned ub months ago, have really spoken the truth? We glanced a * fc j C r rd and itß mourniD e horder and sighed. Indeed it had given us many qualms and misgivings to erect it in tlio window, exposed to the coarse glare of publicity. We saw the baker laughing at it ; we remarked' that the butcher, who had given us credit, at once senfc ra his bill and a very tough steak ; that the grocer expressed a desire for a weekly settlement ; and that the milkman rose vi a farthing in the quart. There was also another lurking terror, What would tho landlord cay ? "

After Sarah left wo rose magnificently fco the situation.

" Let us do the work ouwelvep," we said, " and save her wages. Ifc will be like a perpetual picnic, and we can live better." For Millicent of late had begun to look paler and thinner; the struggle for bare existence seemed harder than evor. fihe lost her interest and sympathy in romance and art in proportion as sho realised that fcho world had the power to crush her out of it, and that the forfeits she was called to pay for her trustfulness were harder than she deserved. Our clothes wore ou*., and could not easily be replaced. We could not leave fcho houso to visit or receive friends ; our hands were bruised and reddened with work ; nevertheless, there were tho lodgers— the lodgers who never came. Advertise, we said, always admiring our new furniture, which gave signs of internal decay. The clergyman of the parish happening to call one day for budBcriptionß towards a new ohurch — "a loan to the Lard " — sat down too suddenly on one of our best armchairs, and sent a castor wildly flying, besides breaking some of that internal machinery called " springs." We also found fragments of hay stealing to tlie surface of tho pretty cretonne, which all peeled off j and we asked ourselves, had we been again robbed, as women invariably must be who are too sweet-natured and credulous for their oi»n good?

We did advertise, expending, with our unfortunate ready facility for melting sovereigns just four pounds in advertisements, and looking at the mourning card in the window with pathetic patience. "Wherwe_.ro let wo nniEt koop a servant," I say, eaggering under fho weight of a grocer's basket wliich the hoy had jusfc handed in, filled with wood, bacon, &c. " Let the boy take ifc through into fche kitchon," Millicont calls from her machine.

Sho is hemming an array of towels, sheets, and tableoloths. What has she to do wifch such toil in apartments ? The biy takes the basket from me, advances briskly over our new oilcloth, and deposits it on the kitohen table.

" Please, mum, whero shall I put the goods P " he asks.

"Anywhere," T say, shivering from the draught ; "only be quick about it," A crash and a breakage announco the unpleasant fact that a dish on which tho baoon and eggs have been placed, being too near the edge of the dresser, has gone Bpinniug on to the floor ; and, to add to our discomfiture, tho baker's boy now appears with his basket at the door, and wo also perceivo a dark smiling gentleman behind his fair curly head. " It's a lodger, of course," Millicont says in a hurried whisper ; " go, dear, take two 'twopennies' of the boy, and then aßk him in."

" You wish to see the roomB," I say, advancing briskly, with revived hopes. The smiling gentleman looks amused as he coughs and draws a paper from his pocket. " Taxes, miss, if you please." "Taxes," I gasp: "oh, impossible! we've only been three months in the houae ; " and glancing at the figures I soe the sum of five pounds fifteen very clearly marked indeed. " What an imposition," I say to tho smiling gentleman, who immediately scowls afc my change of tone.

" Don'fc forget to pay it," he answers impressively, stroking his irreproachable black whiskers—" don't let ifc go so long that we Bhall have to summon you, liko wo always do with Thomson next door."

I'm afraid I banged tho door in his face at that mean and treacherous allusion to Thomson "next door," who is a struggling artist with ten children. I lay the taxes beforo Millicont.

" How horrid !" she says, with a shiver, " its pay, pay for everlasting. Oho novor knows when ono has done. Two pounds deposit to tho gas comrany, and the expense of the meter; then the water rato — the laying out of the garden— the servant — tho chandeliers — the inhabited house duty — the Queen's taxes— the pifea that burst— aud now these. I expect we shall be starved out and ruined soon."

"And tho rent," I Bay, gloomily, "thirteen pounds in a fortnight, and not a bit of comfort either. The charwoman half cmptieß the barrel, and I'm so tired of grovolling work. Its like being a Mrs Robinson Crusoe on a a desert island. No one calls to tee us."

"flazelmero is rather an out-of-tho way sort of place," Millicont answers, and nearly cries with disgust and wearinoss.

" But tho lodgers," I suggest boldly. " Nurao was right," Millicont saye, after a pause; "we were better off as wo were. We've tho misfortune, you Bee, to be ladies."

" They never do much good at anything, I'm afraid," I answer, cynically, " what a pity wo wero not barmaids or housokoopors." "Look! there's a cab positively going to stop here," Millicent cries, starting to ncr feet.

" Lodgers, Heaven bless them, at last !" I say, as a shipwrecked Bailor might cry, " A sail ! I'm saved !" and running to tho glass, straighten my collar, my heart beating violently. Many have called, but alas, few returned ; wo believed curiosity alono prompted their visits. " Shall I speak to them ?" I ask, ns we see a vory lean but well-dressed yellowcomploxionod gentleman, looking a perpetual victim to chronic jaundice or enlarged liver, descend from the cab and knock at our door.

" You, of course, dear," Millicont sayß nervously ; " call mo aftor you've taken him upstairs and finally Bettlodovorything." " Aire you the mistress ?" tho thin gentleman asks, in an unmistakable Yankoo twang, " because I guesa James P. Sibley 'ud prefer to see her."

"You wish, of courae, to sco our rooms," I say, with a tremor in my voico.

" I've somo idea thafc way," ho answers ; " and if fcho mistress of tho houßO iB to be seen, I'll mako free to follow you."

I led the way lo the front room, and Millicont rises and bows to our applicant.

"Seeing an advertisement, ina'ani, thafc you aire willing lo let four rooms and don't mind children, and that your houso is near four Btatior.B, l begin to think it might about suit me," ho explains ; nothing ever could abash such a man.

" Will you liko to sco tho rooms ? " Millicont nsVa, not exactly prepossessed by the Yankee's manners.

" Yes, I guess co ; and thon, if tho stairs ain't too 6lerp, and put my monkey up, wo may do business together.

" Ho* many childroa ? " utked Millicont, with a shivor.

" Wal, I'vo four ; two iv the cab along of their ma. She is a lady of colour."

" A. what ? " wo usk in a breath

Suppose our first lodger has married a tribe of Zulu women, and we find himself and hat em difficult fo get rid of ?

"Yea; a lady of colour I picked up in Virginny."

"A Mulatto?" 1 faintly suggest, glancing at Millicont, who looks disgusted. "No, a darned quadroon, the colour of your chocolate ribbons ; as spry and cunning a gal as ever breathed."

" Ho will bo suro to pay well ; he's awfully rich — a Biigar-phuiter, perhaps," I whisper; " wo cannot afford to let him slip through our fingers ; ask him thirty shillings, and we Bhall do ii good day'B work."

Tho Yankeo tukes f-toek of our drawingroom with v rather Bulky leer. " Darned if liko tho flgor," ho says impressively.

(To bo conhuupd.)