LITERATURE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3943, 7 December 1880, Page 4

LITERATURE.

POOR GENTLEMAN STEPHENS. iFrom the Argosy.) , The hoy harvest had juat begun in the T&lley, and labourers being rather scarce, Stephen found without difficulty employment sow at one farm, now at another. He was trail up to his work and liked it, the people ■were not more rough than might be expected, and very good-natured, and the weather was perfect. In the rows of haymakers were muj pretty girls, getting more or less sunhurnt under their quilted bonnets or straw hats, and among them Stephen was not slow to recognise the lovely face he had first seen beside the mountain cottage. The talk and merriment of the haymakers flowed on as fast as their rakes moved. Sometimes Stephen ■worked among their merry-hearted, ever advancing and receding file, sometimes took hia turn among the more silent mowers, putting in a word now and thon, hut for the jnoat part letting fancy Bet his thoughts us she pleased to the rhythms of the scythes. Irom the unmown meadows near, the landTail's untranslatable rasp-rasp came in persistent and most Bweet discord, bringing thoughts of cool retreats among the long grasses and waving blooms so soon to be sacrificed to the prostrating soythe. Stephen rapidly made acquaintance among the haymakers, and, under cover of universal attentions among the women, contrived to come pretty often into the vicinity of the belle > of the field. At first he seldom addressed himself to her directly, but watched the effects on her of his words to others, and waited until she gave him a look from her violet eyes, and a dimpled smile or laugh in payment for his jests. Then he would go away, for a while contented. But it is dangerous to play with stimulants, and he knew it from the beginning. fie soon found oat her name was Mary !I»nnett, and in that scene of familiar work snd play it was not difficult to discover something of the character of those around. That lien was eminently lovabJe was poon apparent. She was industrious and good-tempered, merry alike with girla and littln children, and, it must be confessed, nor lesa to among the men, although never transgressing the bounds of modesty. Nature had been prodigal in her gifts to Mary, both of person and disposition; if it had also made her aware of her power orer men, and something of a flirt, was it greatly to be wondered at, or severely to ba blamed ? She had heaps of lovers, and, aB far as Stephen could see, gave a certain amount of laughing and innocent hay- field encouragement to all alike, and had no objection to adding a new comer to their list. Before a week was out he was flirting with her ■rigorously — whether in jest or earnest he did not ask his fate to tell him. Although Torsfoot was a quiet little hamlet, there was Doming and going in it as it goes in the world, said strange workmen were no unusual feature there, as employment to such was often given in mines and quarries near. The marks of good breeding about Stephen did not wholly ef cape the shrewdness of the villagers, and he came to be known amongst them as Gentleman Stephens, and to have sundry little favours shown him us time went on. One of these was of a peculiar kind. That nook among the mountains, where first we beheld him, had not lost its fascination for Stephen, and when he saw that he could get work enough to suit him over the summer months, he asked, and obtained permission, to carry out the idea with, which it had inspired him, and inhabit the deserted cottage ; giving it as a reason for doing bo that the fresh, air and freedom of the mountains were snore suited to him, used as he was to a settler's life, than the confinement of the Talley. It is well to live at times midway between thß village and the stars, taking counsel from «aoh in turn, and thus it was revealed to Stephen, clear as daylight, what in reality he bad come to seek. He had long been outgrowing an aimless, wandering life, and if hia development had been slow, it had been complete. He asked at last to be led to a better and nobler existence, and had the rare wisdom to divine it might be found beßt for him now in a safe and settled home, however lowly, in harmless industry and a manly adherence to a standard of right that insensibly had grown higher from year to year. It was well.. But besides that discovery, what was this sweet unrest and darling hope that had also Bprung to" life ? Out of that purposeless pause of his life a purpose was growing, and the garland of bay field flowers wherewith he had laughingly bound himßelf turned by a magic touoh into fetters not to be broken without cost and pain. Just as on the day of his arrival there ab bad recognised in the placid born and "breeze possible agents of destruction, so now in this summer love of his he saw possibilities of satiety on the one hand and disappointment on the other. Prudence was not a Pierrepoint characteristic, but Stephen know sow that he faced a risk. He had preferred a wandering life hitherto to any other ; might lie not, if he married Mary, and settled in this village, find the monotony become unbearable when joined with uneducated surroundings, and unrelieved by the change and adventure -of a colonist's life ? Doggedly something in him replied that if he did the deed he would take and bear the consequences somehow. Prom his own estate he had fallen for over, and marriage was alone likely to have attractions for him in the case of a sweet, pure girl like Mary, whom he really loved. Surely something of an elevation, something of refinement and happiness might be found in a -onion with her, and love woald bridge the inequalities between them ? Yes, and again res. And yet, should he after all his years of bard experience risk hia happiness on a -woman's word, believe a woman's smile, and trust her faith P Danger was easily realised, prudence easily invoked on the mountains, but some magio had surely been wafted to that valley strong to undo his resolutions. In spite of his meditations overnight it needed but to find that Mary, owing to her mother's illness, was one day absent from the hay-field, to make the desire to see her almost uncontrollable. It was only a small obstacle in his way, but Stephen, like all warm lovera, felt an obstacle was there only to be overcome. By this time Stephen had been over a month in the place, and the harvest was now being finished. He had learnt the ways ef the people pretty well, and knew enough of Mary's habits to be able to follow her in the evening to the field where she milked her cow. She looked more lovely than ever as she received him, glad to . fee one of her late companions come to enliven a dull day. The beauty and the gladness combined were too much for him. Stephen threw wise resolutions to the wind, snd his heart sprang to his lips before he had well settlod what to say. Mary protested, refused to listen, and rebuked his overboldness (stranger that he was) in making such a request. Overboldness in a lover, pleaded Stephen, was a good fault, so was there any other thing against him ? Was she engaged ? It might or might not be bo. Mary grow shy, evaded direct answers, bewitohed the cow into troublesome antics, cumbered Stephen with all the milking utensils to carry, and finally escaped from him into the cottage where he forobore to follow, respecting the presence of the invalid. Baffled and puzzled as to the real reason of the refusal, but by no means disheartened, Stephen passed -back into the lane, and met there ono of the haymakers going homo, a lake over his shoulders. " What are you always after that girl for ?" said the labourer; "thore are plenty of others to be had for asking, and they say Bhe is engaged to William Morpeth." " And who is William Morpeth ?" Baid Stephen, turning with his counsellor to lean over a gate, and catching a wisp of hay that hung on the hedge, to twist idly round his fingers. "He works now at Bailey's farm on the hill yonder," said the man, " but he belongs here, and very poor folk they oro. His father is bedridden and lives in the cottage by the Tannetta' over there. Some says she has given him her word to marry him, but the Morpeth's is a poor house to go to, and thoy could never get married yet." No later than next day Stephen Pierrepoint and William Morpeth met face to face. Each took special note of the other, as was not unnatural, since Stephen recognised in "William the first formidable rival in Mary's affections he had yet encountered, while many officious yoicei had apprised William of the stranger's attentions to his sweetheart. William was sot a rival to bo despised. Ten years on the right side of Stephen, he was a handsome jroung fellow, dark eyed and dark haired, with a red and brown complexion that recalled latitudes more southern than that of Britain. He was warm-natured, too, and full of merriment, and Stephen could not help confessing to himself that William had one of those characters that have a particularly marked personality, so that he caused a son.

Bible difference in the work and play of tho harvest, whereas many had come and gemo there, making no especial mark. They suid he had been a treasure to his master at Bailey's farm, and knew more of crops and stock than the farmer himself, but he would soon be out of placee, as this master up his tenanoy at Michaelmas and bis servants would be dismissed. (To be continued.)