FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   >>  
depths of destitution and despair, had, it was said, made to his comrades the following observation: "Mates, it strikes me that we are three great fools;" whereupon Bounce had replied, "We're more than that Bob, we're three great sinners;" to which Badger had added, with considerable emphasis, "That's a fact," and when men come to this, there is hope for them. The only personage of our tale who now remains to be mentioned is Mrs Niven. That steady-going female continued her vocation of ministering to the wants of young students, some of whom treated her well, while others--to their shame, be it said--took advantage of her amiability. In regard to this latter fact, however, it may be recorded that Peggy proved a sharp-witted, tight-handed, and zealous defender of her mistress. Among Mrs Niven's other boarders there was one who was neither young nor a student. He came to reside with her in the following manner:-- One evening Peggy was heard in altercation with a man in the passage who seemed bent on forcing his way into the house. The students who chanced to be in their rooms at the time cocked their ears, like war-steeds snuffing the battle from afar, and hoped for a row. Mrs Niven, after opening the parlour door softly, and listening, called out, "Let the gentleman come up, Peggy." "Gentleman indeed!" cried the irate Peggy, who had the intruder by the throat, "he's only a dirty auld blagyird." "Niver ye mind, Peggy," returned Mrs Niven peremptorily; "I ken him. Let him up." Immediately after, there walked into the parlour a bowed, mean-looking, dirty little old man, who, as he sat down on a chair, paid some doubtful compliments to Peggy. "Oh, Maister Black, is it you!" said Mrs Niven, sitting down beside him. Besides being all that we have said, Mr Black was ragged, dishevelled, haggard, and in every way disreputable. "Yes, it's me, Mrs Niven," he replied harshly, "and you see I'm in a sorry plight." "I see, I see," said the good woman, taking his hand and shedding tears. "I kent ye had lost a' by that fearfu' bank failure, but I didna ken ye had come doon sae low. And oh! to think that it was a' through me, an your kindness in offerin' to tak the shares aff my hands. Oh! Maister Black, my heart is wae when I look at ye. Is there onything I can dae for ye?" Now, it was quite a new light to Mr Black that his relative had not found him out. He had called in a fit of desperation, for the
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   >>  



Top keywords:
students
 

Maister

 

parlour

 
called
 

replied

 

Besides

 

compliments

 

sitting

 

comrades

 

observation


despair

 
disreputable
 

harshly

 
destitution
 
haggard
 

doubtful

 

ragged

 

dishevelled

 

returned

 

peremptorily


strikes

 

blagyird

 

Immediately

 

walked

 

depths

 
offerin
 

shares

 

onything

 

desperation

 

relative


kindness

 

fearfu

 
shedding
 

plight

 

throat

 

taking

 

failure

 

recorded

 

proved

 

witted


amiability
 
regard
 

handed

 

student

 

boarders

 
zealous
 

defender

 
mistress
 
advantage
 

steady