LITERATURE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6033, 15 September 1887, Page 1

LITERATURE.

play with pleasurable impatience. The Heathcotes were all enthusiastic cricketers, and he counted on their appearance by twelve o'clock at the latest.

HOW TOM BAXTER SAW THE UNIVERSITY MATCH.

The match commenced in due course, but upon its varying fortunes- it is not necessary to dwell. The Heathcotes also arrived, and Tom at once took up a position on the drag by the side of Miss Alice, tho warmth of whose greeting speedily banished all fears and qualms of conscience from his breast.' Nothing, in fact, could have been more perfect than Mr Baxter's happiness up to the luncheon interval. His stentorian "well hit" or " well bowled " could be heard a hundred yards away ; he clapped his hands, stamped, and waved his hat like the veriest schoolboy, and meanwhile he waa unremitting in his attention to tho girl of his heart. Two o'clock struck. The bell rang for lunch, and the occupants of Mr Heatb_ote's drag prepared for the substantial meal which forms so prominent a feature of the two great matches at Lord's. Tom by no means despised creature- comforts. Mr Straightway's cur ate 3 were expected, at all events when with him and on duty, to follow their vicar's example in ascetioism, bo a good lunch was very acceptable to him. He had supplied Alice's wants, and was in the act of lifting to his mouth a piece of salmon, when suddenly he turned pale, hia jaw fell, his eyea dilated, and the piece of Balm on, accompanied by the fork, fell unheeded to the ground.

(Truth.)

The Eev Thomas Baxter -was a curate of the muscular, energetic type, which, fortunately for the Church, ia turned out not Tmfrequently by our Universities and publio schools. He was a big, broadshouldered young man, who, besides distinguishing himself greatly both on the river and in tho cricket field, had taken a very respectable degree, for he was by no means afraid of hard work of any description. Such men often make capital parbodb, and Tom was hardly less energetic in his parish work than he had been m very different spheres of action at Eton and Oxford. But thero were limits to Mr Baxter's endurance ; ,he liked an occasional holiday, and this was the only point upon which, he and his vicar, the Rev Septimus Straightway, were not entirely agreed. The Eev Septimus waß an earnest man; who took a severe and gloomy view of the pleasures of life. He worked terribly h_ rd in an East-end parish ; knew nothing, and cared less, about outdoor 3ports— -or, in fact, any form of amusement ; and fully expected his curates to follow unhesitatingly in the extremely narrow and steep path up which he led them. Hence it came to pass that Mr Straightway experienced considerable difficulty in finding curates after his own heart ; tho young men were continually leaving him for less arduous duties, and the vicar's opinion of human nature in general, and of the younger generation oi curates in partic— ar, steadily grew worse. In Tom Baxter, however, he really thought that he possessed a treasure, and the danger of working a willing horse to death never so much as entered into his head.

(To be continued.)

Poor Tom did his very best to satisfy Mr Straightway's requirements, for he really respected the man, and valued immensely —is good opinion ; but, as hae already been indicated, he could not help longing that hia superior would enter a little more into his own harmless liking for occasional relief, and sympathise with his passion for cricket, rowing, and all that was connected with athletics.

At the time I write of, the cricket season -was' in full swing ; but Tom's duties had not merely prevented him from playing in a single match, but even from looking on at one for a few hours from the roof of the pavilion at. Lord's. Moreover, the University cricket match, in whioh he took an absorbing interest, was fast approaching, and he was sorely troubled by the dread that he might not be able to see it. This fear haunted him day and night. It ■worried him during his visiting and mission work, spoilt his rest, and occasionally obtruded itself upon him in the pulpit. Even the absent-minded Mr Straightway at length noticed that his curate's mind was ill at ease, and one day he went so far as to inquire tho cause. Tom stammered out something about being out of sorts, and ventured to hint that he thought a day' 3 holiday would do him good.

" "When I was your age, Mr Baxter, I never wanted a holiday," replied the austere vicar ; "bub you are certainly not looking well. . Let me see, to-day is the 24th of June. Ia about a fortnight I think I can arrange a day for you. Say the 12th of Inly." " Can't it he managed a week sooner ? " queried Tom desperately, for the o_iverei ty match was fixed for the 4th. •'Quite impossible, I fear," said the ■vicar decisively, for ho was a terrible martinet with his curates. So, with a wave of his hand, he dismissed the subject, and Tom knew that further appeal was useless.

"Ifa rather too bad," grumbled -Mr Baxter, as he walked home to his humble lodgings. " But it is no use talking to him about cricket ; he doesn't know a bat from a bail." And, with a heavy heart, he tried to resign himself to the inevitable. But two days later a circumstance occurred which entirely routed Tom's virtuous resolutions. A letter arrived at the reverend gentleman's lodgings which was couched in the following terma : —

"" Heathcote Hall, L oamshire.

" Dearest Tom, — We are actually coming to town ! Only for two days, though ; and we are going to . Lord's to see the ■match. Uncle has got a drag there, block B. Of course, I shall never forgive you if you don't come and see me ; on Wednesday afternoon we go to Essex to stay with the Chil verfcons, bo thia ia our only chance of meeting. Do come; in terrible haste.-— Tours lovingly, Alice."

From the foregoing it may tie gathered that Misa Alice Heathcote and Mr Tom Baxter -were on toleiably intimate terms. Ab a matter of fact they had been engaged for six months, during which time they had Very rarely met. Baxter's people were yrell off, and he had a very rich uncle, among whoso possessions was an excellent family living, destined in the future for Tom and his bride. But the uncle was a stern and conscientious gentleman, and he was determined before he definitely agreed to give Tom the vacancy— when it occurred — to Bee what that young gentleman waa made of. And this was why Baxter had been sent to help Mr Straightway in the Eastend, why he worked so hard in the parish, and why he was bo desperately anxious to stand high in his vicar's opinion. . "When Tom read this letter, his firat impulse, unclerical though it may appear, waa to use strong language. But he restrained himself, and fell to thinking over the various means of escaping from his duties. A fresh appeal to Mr Straightway he knew to be hopeless. That worthy ascetic did not only look upon cricket as a frivolous waste of time, but he was a strong advocate of the celibacy of the clergy. Moreover, by merely asking the question Tom might offend him, and this ho certainly could not afford to do under the circumstances. There waß nothing for it then but a pious fraud, and although Tom's conscience rebelled against the idea of' deceiving his vicar, who trusted him implicity, ho could not make up his mind to disappoint Alice, or to deny himself the pleasure of seeing her. He might under more .favourable circumstances havo dined at her uncle's house in Postman square, bu£ as luck would have it he had undertaken to conduct an evening class on both nights of her stay in town. So he wrote a very affectionate answer, prom isingthatnpthing short of an earthquake should prevent him from appearing at Lord's, and he at once set to work to arrange a plot for the deception of Mr Straightway. On the day before that on which ho. had promised to meet his intended, Tom told his vicar that he was passing the nic;ht with a very old friend, who had just como home from India,- in his rooms near j Jermyn street. This, it must be said, was ! perfectly true, and, of course, Mr Straight- j way could offer no valid objection, as • Baxter had done all his work for the day. \ The next morning, however, Tom slunk off to a Telegraph office, aud, in guilty haste, despatched a wire to the effect tbat ho was suffer! ng from a severe attack of lumbago, but would, if possible, return in the evening. By eleven o'clock he was at Lord's. The mere sight of the ground was so welcome ! to him that he was determined to spend as muoh time there as ho possibly could. He • knew, of course, thA t he would be certain to meet any numbsr of his old friends, ' and that the whole proceeding was ex- i tremely risky; but he consoled himself •with the thought that aa Mr Straightway rarely, if ever, went into Society o£ any soit, he was not at all likely to hear anything' —bout it. So he ensconced himself _ i j $fe|B-f-f£Q^ Qgd, aw-ted the ]beg__di)_ of J