The Parson O' Dumford. Fenn George Manville

and hear him? Well, that’s a good one,” said the workman; and a laugh transformed his face, driving away the sour, puckered look, which, however, began rapidly to return.

      “What’s the matter?” said the vicar, after a few minutes’ silent smoking.

      “Matter? matter wi’ who?”

      “Why, with you. What have you come up here for, all by yourself?”

      “Nothing,” was the reply, in the surliest of voices.

      “Nonsense, man! Do you think I can’t tell that you’re put out – hipped – and that something has annoyed you?”

      The young man’s face gave a twitch or two, and he shuffled half round in his seat. Then, leaping up, he began to hurry off.

      The new vicar had caught him in a dozen strides, putting away his pipe as he walked.

      “There,” he said, “I won’t ask any more questions about yourself. I’m going down into the town, and we may as well walk together.”

      The young workman turned round to face him, angrily, but the calm unruffled look of his superior disarmed him, and he gave a bit of a gulp and walked on.

      “I never quarrel with a man for being cross when he has had something to put him out,” said the vicar, quietly. Then seeing that he was touching dangerous ground, he added, “By the way, where’s the vicarage?”

      “That’s it, next the church,” was the reply.

      “Yes, I see; and what’s that big building with the smoking chimneys?”

      “Foundry,” was said gruffly.

      “To be sure, yes. Bell foundry, isn’t it?”

      “Yes.” Then after a pause, “I work theer.”

      “Indeed?”

      “Tell you what,” said the young man, growing sociable in spite of himself; “yow get leave and I’ll show you all about the works. No I wean’t, though,” he exclaimed, abruptly. “Cuss the works, I’ll never go there no more.”

      The new vicar looked at him, tightening his lips a little.

      “Another sore place, eh?” he said to himself, and turned the conversation once more.

      “What sort of people are you at Dumford, my lad?”

      “Hey? what sort o’ people? Why, men and women and bairns, of course. What did you expect they weer?”

      “I mean as to conduct,” said the vicar, laughing. “What will they say to me, for instance?”

      The young man’s face grew less cloudy for a few moments, a broad, hearty, honest grin extending it so that he looked a frank, even handsome young fellow.

      “They’ll make it a bit warm for you, parson,” he said at last.

      “Eh? will they?” said the vicar, smiling. “Rough as you were, eh?”

      “Oh no,” said the other, quickly. “Don’t you take no notice o’ that. I ain’t always that how. I was a bit popped this morning.”

      “Yes, I could see you were a bit popped,” said the vicar. “We all have our troubles, my lad; but it’s your true man that gets the strong hand of his anger and masters it.”

      “You look as if you never had nought to make you waxy in your life,” said the workman. “I say, what do they call you?”

      “Call me? A parson, I suppose.”

      “No; I mean call you. What’s your name?”

      “Oh! Selwood – Murray Selwood.”

      “Murray Selwood,” said the questioner, repeating it to himself. “It’s a curus sort o’ name. Why didn’t they call you Tom, or Harry, or Sam when thou wast a bairn?”

      “Can’t say,” said the vicar, smiling. “I was too young to have a voice in the matter.”

      “You couldn’t help it, of course. Say, can yow play cricket?”

      “Oh yes.”

      “Bowl a bit, I suppose!”

      “Yes; I’m best with the ball.”

      “Round hand?”

      “Yes, and pretty sharp.”

      “Give’s yer hand, parson, I like yow, hang me if I don’t; and I’ll come and hear you fust Sunday as you preaches.”

      The two men joined hands, and the grasp was long, earnest, and friendly, for the Reverend Murray Selwood, coming down freshly to his new living amongst people who had been described to him as little better than savages, felt that he had won one rough heart to his side, and was gladdened by the frank open gaze that met his own.

      It was a different man that walked on now by his side, talking freely, in the rough independent way of the natives of his part; people who never thought of saying Sir, or touching their hat to any man – save and excepting the tradespeople, who contrived a salute to the wealthier families or clergy of the neighbourhood. He laughed as he talked of the peculiarities of Jacky this or Sammy that, and was in the midst of a speech about how parson would find “some of ’em rough uns to deal wi’,” when he stopped short, set his teeth, drew in a long breath, and was in an instant an altered man.

      The Reverend Murray Selwood saw and interpreted the change in a moment.

      “Oh, ’tis love, ’tis love, ’tis love that makes the world go round,” he said to himself; and he looked curiously at the little group upon which they had suddenly come on turning round by a group of weather-beaten, grey-lichened rocks.

      There were two girls, one of whom was more than ankle-deep in a soft patch of bog, while the other was trying very hard to reach her and relieve her from her unpleasant predicament.

      Danger there was none: a good wetting from the amber-hued bog water being all that need be feared; but as the corner by the rocks was turned it was evident that the spongy bog was now rapidly giving way, and if help were to be afforded it must be at once.

      The young workman hesitated for a moment, and then half turned away his head, but the vicar ran forward as the maiden in distress cried sharply —

      “Oh Daisy, Daisy, what shall I do?”

      “Let me help you out,” said the vicar, smiling. “Why, it is soft here,” he cried, as he went in over his knees, but got one foot on a tuft of dry heath and dragged out the other, to plant it upon a patch of grass. “Don’t be alarmed. There, both hands on my shoulder. That’s right. Hold tight, I’ve got you. Why you were sinking fast, and planting yourself as a new kind of marsh flower – and – there, don’t shrink away, or we shall be both planted – to blossom side by side. It is soft – that’s better – now lean all your weight on me, my dear – not that you’re heavy – now I have you – steady it is – that’s better.”

      As he kept up this running fire of disconnected words, he contrived to drag the girl out of the soft bog, placing his arm well round her waist, and then carried her in his arms, stepping cautiously from tussock to tussock till he placed her blushing and trembling beside her companion, who had retreated to the firm ground.

      “Oh, thank you. I am so much obliged,” stammered the girl, as her long lashes were lowered over her pretty hazel eyes, which shrank from the honest admiring gaze directed upon them.

      And truly there was something to admire in the pretty, innocent, girlish face with its creamy complexion, and wavy dark brown hair, several little tresses of which had been blown loose by the breeze on the hill-side.

      She was very plainly dressed, and wore a simple coarse straw hat, but there was an air of refinement about her which, before she opened her lips, told the new vicar that he was in the presence of one who had been born in a sphere of some culture.

      Not so her companion, who, though as well favoured by nature, was cast