A GOLDEN SORROW.

Waikato Times, Volume IV, Issue 243, 29 November 1873, Page 2

A GOLDEN SORROW.

I swear, 'tii better to be lowly bora, And range with humble liver* m -Content, Thau to be pi-rktd up in ft glistering griaf, And w tar a golden sorrow. SuAKafCAkS.

CHAPTIB XXI.— IKVJVDBHOB. Thk one touch of humanising tn'e about Reginald Clint was a love of music. As » noting man he had been not a despicable prformer on the violin, and bad sung well. But the essential un ocinbility of bis disposition, the moi osenMd which prevented bis ever deriving pleasure from the sources at which other people fouud theiis. was stronger iv him than the tiiste for music, aud he gr.utually diminished the exercise of bis own talent, and Cua enjoyment of that of o heis. His wife knew nothing of nius^ It she had beeii a tine performer, and had loved the ar^ he would probably have contrived to torment her through it ; as it was, he made her deficiency iv that respeci a constant grievance. Miiiam had betn taught the harp and the piano, in the legular routine of extras aV-^ilL Monitor's : but music was not in her. She played irota. notes correctly, even expressively, but she could not conve.se with the taut strings, or the ivory and ebony tablets, winning them by the subtle spell of touch to be tbe interpreters of the desire* of her heart, the yearnings of her fancy, the problems of her mind. Miriam's music was an accomplishment; Florence's music w«s an inspiration. Reginald Olint had never betn toi.ched or inlet ested by tbe one ; he had hardly had patience to listen to luiiitim's. playing, bat by the other he was fail ly fascinated. As he stood listening to the sounds, vow solemn and mournful, anon guy and triumphant, something long forgotten or sfei inly set aside in the tough selfishness and cynical unbelief of his life seemed to steal into view a^ain, and timidly claim his attention. ' That's real music,' be muttered ; ' that's the kind of thing 1 used to think about, and long for, when — when —when there were any women about, and they w«U»J giving their feeble iniimcry of it. It has been bora wife, (hie girl, and not ill cultivated. Yes. that's real music,' he repca ed, as Florence dwelt upon one grand chord, and theu, leleasing note after note, let it pass away in a murmum urijg ripple of sound. She had finished for the jressnt, and Hegm.ild Clint, with a glance upwards at the open windows, g^ve himself a shake and continued his way to the tir-wood. ■ hat evening be sent a qunntity of ausic to Florence, o'd songs aiul out-o -fashion c impositions of Italian and E i^lidh composers, which he had loved in his youth. Taey had lain on the topuioit shelf of a bookcase fsf| yeais, and he had forgotten thiir ex.st.nee, iiow he bid meiiidusel and convened to Mis JDixon, with an im.^_ I mttiou that he hoped sbe would s.i dy'such of them sue liked. Again Mrs Ritchie wondered. Here wm^H totally unheard-of piece of po iteness and aJ^^H tion on Mr Clint's part, and to a servant! Sbj^^H destined go a farther surprise on* the same subjecfJ^^^H long

&li MaUu'ti tvici*biy tiequtmt atUnuauee .itthel'irs had not been slackened of hte. He could not do Mr t lint much good ; there was but one tbing to be preaciibed in his case with nny effect— abstinence from intoxicating drinks, end he knew well bis patient was iucotmilde °n that point. But he needed such medical caie as Mr Marin c«uM bes'ow, exclusive of the one :ict of tlte will which hu tolilj within his own power, and the doctor never quite lost M«ht of the » teie->t- of the absent son; never entireu ccimhJ to hope for nn rp^ortunily of plend nghis cms- with .\'l. < t, backed u . l>y mjmi,' favoipabl. intolh.enee of hw . aree. , to be product d in evidence of Ins harng become s'ci.iv, industrious, :md pm-wring Mr Clint himself liad newr b°on any of these to n reinai liable d' grre, but tlmt fiift l>\ no means tempered Ins expectations of them from WaiUr, or n ol lfied his displeasure towards him Mr Msrtm «a* d 'appointed by Walter's silence. Ho had not nr.tti'ii to hm only Irn nd in that part of the world, und lie thought I hut looked bad. lie knew I hat he had not v ntt» n to Ins ft»i hci , hut lie had not expec ted him to do that. T'if coctor *n» aware ol the ten' s on whnh Mr Clmt 1 >»> 1 jr v.'ii lis *<>n the iiwn yf .r whieli he had ak< d But \h« Rt. hi- 'nl lold Mr Wiiltc.'s tnend of a letttr Iron that aiviidful loreign counh j which hod come fur MrsSt Quentin, nnd hf vert much wi-hed to loam the mitine of it* contents A rivinj: at the Fir* shot lh of er Ar* l)i\o i's return he met Mia Ritchie in the hull nnd die told him that Mis St Qu« nun's maid had preieeded her ini»tre«* to England, and mis then nt the Fir-, and that she had heard about \r Walter, »ho was iri*« tint; on we 1, .mil h.id dujj a pood denl of gold W ti a bnel expression of pleasure at the intellipence, Mr Mnrtin tinned into the *liul\ , where lie usually found his pahi'i'l Mr Clint was there, .n hi' accustom d I'lni r, sitting in a <li ( p ni in i hair, w illi hi- feet upon another eliair, a cijz.ir in h s month, and a tun. her of brandy-imd-WHtcr at ho elbow 'Tlnii's bad, at tins hour of the dfiy,' iiid the dochr, whom Mr Clint saluted with a curt nod" '1 diirtsav it is; \ou've tohl me so of en enough, but I Cfl'i't help t |It is (lie only thing nliuh relie\es tliosa infernal paim a'l or^r me ' 'It ha; more to do with causing them. How are you to d.v ?' 4 M irh a« usunl. Won't you 'it down ?' IVh M irtin took a seat, and regarded Mr Cant with a quiet, meditative naze. •JHow s the cou^h ?' heasled. ' Bju' — const.u.t, csjeiiilly .t n^hr, and fatiguing.' 'How haxe \on been sleeping '! ' Infe na:ly ill— walking about mv room for hours sometinns, because I'm too ic.itless to Liy in bed, aud falling asletp when it is lime to q t up ' '■lust so Y.>ii have heaid linm A 'r3 Sfc Q'lentin ?' This sudden chui^e of t'>pic was ps eloquent of Mi Martin'- nie.ii.ing , s he niteudel it to bi ; especully as he pointed it wit'i a si o iiincant glance at the bran ly and ' , water, and a tkpiecatoiy shake of the head, familur aud 5 odious t Mr Clnu ' Yes,' lepliud his patient irritably ; 'she h ■ sent her maul to remain h re until she comes to England, and the woman s lys Miruin is all n^ht ' '1 am {,'l.id to hear it. Is this mai 1 the girl who weut aw»y with hei ? 'Y s-Dixon. A very superior sort of person. You rrraem'ier I .old you how u-eful she v as when 1 was ill in Lou lon, and she is quite an .icujnsituui heie.' 1 I remember lin ist h.we a t.tlk with h«r ' Then the desultoiy conveisntion took .mother direction, »n<l Air Mu tm did urf m ike any a liuimi to Wai er He did nos like Mr Uiint's ippainiKe, w no i in lie ice I to bis expe lente 1 eye the imminence of ano her tit < f illness. He left him before long, and, as usual, unatton led, a d found Mrs R tcliie, also as usual, hovenn ' about the hall 4 lie isn't well, I'm afnid, sir,' she said. • No, in leed, he is not,' leplie I the doctor. ' Can I see Mrs r-t Quentiu's maid ? I should like to h.ive a few words with her ' Mis Lvitohie replied that she would call Mrs Dixon down inline lutely — she was m the np stairs sitting-iooru , but Mr Mr Martin prevented her, by going up stairs himself instead. Florence had been busy with the nee llework whic'i so ab'yassis'el her in her amused character; and when Mr M,ntin knocke I at the d<>or of her sitting-room, s!;e was sandi.ig b 'side the central tuble, which wus co\ered with snips of immlin and ritbm She looked very pretty, nnd young and sorrowful. He mtr>riur'ed hnnsell, an. l the motive ol his visit, with his customary distinctness, and then "ta.ted Flor.-uce by asknu her abruptly if she could tell linn ■nvtliinn about Mr W.ilter Clint. ' He has written to Mrs St Quentin,' i!ie replied with n quickly bcaling heart.' •So I heard. Will you toll me wl at you know of his let'e s ? You need not hesitate : lam an oIJ friend of his, and quite in jo ir mistress's confid nee.' A whole tide of recollections swept ovtr Florence's mmd — of ihe history of her husband's bjyhood, md the part vrhich the kind doctor hud phned in it How hard it was to i eak with W.ilter'a b^vYnend, of Walter, in the correct tone of respect f d indifference! S.'.etiM linn as much ol the histoiy of Walter's enterprise as she thoujit he would hate wished her to tell, an I replied to Mr Martin's reniin k, th.it he had Fur-lv been sufficiently successful to win rant his writing to hit father, that MraSf Quentin had lold her that Mi Walter C.iiii had made up his mind not to communnu-ate with Mr C mt for another year, when he hoped to do to in the spirit of the proinue he had made.

A man in liwa was brought before a. /U9tice of the peaca, ch«rgel wiih the olfeuce of kuiins; a young lady " b\ loiuu and violence, an I agnnst her will." "The young lady, who w»s very han lsome, gave her testimony in a mo leot, straightfjnvard manner, after whic'i Ins honor gure the following d>)si>n:— " The court, m this case, sympathises with the • •"en hint, and will therefore discharge him without fine, i.a,jrisonment, or reprimand ; because the court, while tins cisj ha-« been in progi-esi, has been obliged to hold on to both arms of his chair, hi order to keep from kissing tlie com jlainint himself." '• An American" wntet:— "l hare only just seen fie paper wherein Dr Kenealy denies the inreni ion of the proverb «b ut j ri-uta never forjfiTing. It is to bo found in the writings of Rjiiell 1 o veil (V.11.i Fninca) : — ' T ic stake* black scars are healed v\ >tli grass, So diva iiers prate, did man e'er live S.iw pries! or worn in yet forgive?'"