CHAPTER XXIX.
HOME AGAIN--HOME NEWS--THE VERY END.
Now it is past it seems like a dream, my life at The Vine, with its sadend, if indeed that can be justly called a sad end which took awaytogether, and with little pain, those dear souls whose married life hadnot known the parting of a day, and who in death were not (even by aday) divided.
And so I went back to the moors. I was weak and ill when I started, butevery breath of air on my northward journey seemed to bring me strength.
There are no events in that porter's life, I am convinced. He lookedjust the same, and took me and my boxes quite coolly, though I feltinclined to shake hands with him in my delight. I did cry for very joyas we toiled up the old sandy hill, and the great moors welcomed meback. Then came the church, then the Vicarage, with the union-jack outof my window, and the villagers were at their doors--and I was at home.Oh, how the dear boys tore me to pieces!
There was no very special news, it seemed. Clement had been very good intaking my class at school, and had established a cricket club. Jack hadpositively found a new fungus, which would probably be named after him."Boy's luck," as we all said! Captain Abercrombie had been staying withan old uncle at a place close by, only about twelve miles off. And hewas constantly driving over. "So very good-natured to the boys," Mr.Arkwright said. And there was to be a school-children's tea on mybirthday.
My birthday has come and gone, and I am sixteen now. Dear old Eleanorand I have gone back to our old ways. She had left my side of our roomuntouched. It was in talking of our recent parting, and all that hascome and gone in our lives, that the fancy came upon us of writing ourbiographies this winter.
And here, in the dear old kitchen, round which the wild wind howls likemusic, with the dear boys dreaming at our feet, we bring them to an end.
* * * * *
This dusty relic of an old fad had been lying by for more than a year,when I found it to-day, in emptying a box to send some books in toOxford, to Jack.
Eleanor should have had it, for we are parted, after all; but herhusband has more interest in hers, so we each keep our own.
She is married, to George Abercrombie, and I mean to paste the bit outof the newspaper account of their wedding on to the end of this, as asort of last chapter. It would be as long as all the rest put togetherif I were to write down all the ups and downs, and ins and outs, thatwent before the marriage, and I suppose these things are always verymuch alike.
I like him very much, and I am going to stay with them. The wedding wasvery pretty. Jack threw shoes to such an extent, that when I went tochange my white ones I couldn't find a complete pair to put on. He sayshe meant to pick them up again, but Prince, our new puppy, thought theywere thrown for him, and he never brought them back. Dear boy!
The old uncle helps George, who I believe is his heir, but at present hesticks to the regiment. It seems so funny that Eleanor should now beliving there, and I here. In her letter to-day she says: "Fancy,Margery, my having quarrelled with Mrs. Minchin and not known it! Shecalled on me to-day and solemnly forgave me, whereby I learned that shehad been 'cutting' me for six weeks. When she said, 'No doubt youthought it very strange, Mrs. Abercrombie, that I never called on yourmother whilst she was with you,' I was obliged to get over it the bestway I could, for I dare not tell her I had never noticed it. I think myoffence was something about calls, and I must be more particular. ButGeorge and I have been sketching at every spare moment this lovelyweather. Oh, Margery dear, I do often feel so thankful to my mother forhaving given us plenty of rational interests. I could really imagineeven _our_ quarrelling or getting tired of each other, if we had nothingbut ourselves in common. As it is, you can't tell, till you have ahusband of your own, what a double delight there is in everything we dotogether. As to social ups and downs, and not having much money or manyfine dresses, a 'collection' alone makes one almost too indifferent. Doyou remember Mother's saying long ago, that intellectual pleasures havethis in common with the consolations of religion, that they are such asthe world can neither give nor take away?"
THE END.
_Richard Clay & Sons, Limited, London & Bungay._
_The present Series of Mrs. Ewing's Works is the only authorized,complete, and uniform Edition published._
_It will consist of 18 volumes, Small Crown 8vo, at 2s. 6d. per vol.,issued, as far as possible, in chronological order, and these willappear at the rate of two volumes every two months, so that the Serieswill be completed within 18 months. The device of the cover wasspecially designed by a Friend of Mrs. Ewing._
_The following is a list of the books included in the Series--_
1. MELCHIOR'S DREAM, AND OTHER TALES.
2. MRS. OVERTHEWAY'S REMEMBRANCES.
3. OLD-FASHIONED FAIRY-TALES.
4. A FLAT IRON FOR A FARTHING.
5. THE BROWNIES, AND OTHER TALES.
6. SIX TO SIXTEEN.
7. LOB-LIE-BY-THE-FIRE, AND OTHER TALES.
8. JAN OF THE WINDMILL.
9. VERSES FOR CHILDREN, AND SONGS.
10. THE PEACE EGG--A CHRISTMAS MUMMING PLAY--HINTS FOR PRIVATE THEATRICALS, &c.
11. A GREAT EMERGENCY, AND OTHER TALES.
12. BROTHERS OF PITY, AND OTHER TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN.
13. WE AND THE WORLD, Part I.
14. WE AND THE WORLD, Part II.
15. JACKANAPES--DADDY DARWIN'S DOVE-COTE--THE STORY OF A SHORT LIFE.
16. MARY'S MEADOW, AND OTHER TALES OF FIELDS AND FLOWERS.
17. MISCELLANEA, including The Mystery of the Bloody Hand--Wonder Stories--Tales of the Khoja, and other translations.
18. JULIANA HORATIA EWING AND HER BOOKS, with a selection from Mrs. Ewing's Letters.
S.P.C.K., NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE, LONDON, W.C.
Transcriber's Note
The following typographical errors have been corrected.
Page Error 18 sate corrected to sat 42 sergeant). corrected to sergeant)." 135 Indeed, Edward corrected to "Indeed, Edward
The following words were inconsistently spelled:
&c. / etc. practice / practise
The following words had inconsistent hyphenation:
bedtime / bed-time gingerbeer / ginger-beer Mantuamaker / Mantua-maker overfed / over-fed remade / re-made scrapbook / scrap-book
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