FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95  
96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   >>   >|  
n Wibbelton?" he said, laying down the paper. "Ha! I thought so--never remarked you before, though I keep my eye on any new face that appears in our parish." "There are not many strangers, I presume, who find their way to this out-of-the-way village," replied Frank. "I beg your pardon, my young friend. Many do. It is just the place for strangers to come to. A more complete retirement is not to be found in England." "But every one is not enamoured of retirement," answered Frank. "Then they have never been in active life. As for my step-son and me, who have been pushed about the world all our days, we find no place like Wibbelton." "A soldier, I presume?" enquired Frank. The old _militaire_ bowed. "A soldier, sir, not quite unknown to fame, if I may be allowed to say so. My step-son also." "And both reside here?" "My step-son's house is the large white manorial mansion you see on the other side of the green. It is the noblest house in the county. Ah! there is nothing equal to the fine residences of our venerable agricultural nobility. My step-son is chief of the family; and though I had the misfortune to lose his mother in a very few years after our marriage, I always look upon him as a son. He looks on me as a father. We fight our battles over again, and only feel the want of a little addition to our pleasing intelligent society." Frank looked towards the mansion described as one of the noblest in England, and saw a tolerably sized square house, with a range of white palings before the door, and a vine trailing over the front, but with no appearance of grandeur more than the very ordinary houses by its side. "It would perhaps destroy the charm of the retirement you spoke of, if too many were admitted to share it," said Frank. "Has your step-son a family?" "Four blooming girls, and an equal number of boys, not quite old enough yet to be treated as companions." "Still at school?" "Oh, no! My step-son hates public education. He brings them up beneath his own roof." "With the help of a tutor, I suppose?" "No, sir--no. A tutor is too harsh. A governess does it all." "Ah!" said Frank. "You start, my friend, as if you thought it impossible; but 'tis the case I assure you--quite a young woman, too--and yet what order she keeps them in. If I had had an adjutant-general, when I had my command, with half such zeal! We military men are judges of discipline, whether it is in the school-room or
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95  
96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

retirement

 

England

 

family

 
school
 
soldier
 

noblest

 
Wibbelton
 

mansion

 

presume

 

thought


strangers
 

friend

 

looked

 

appearance

 

pleasing

 
intelligent
 

admitted

 

society

 

tolerably

 
ordinary

square

 
palings
 

grandeur

 

trailing

 

destroy

 

houses

 

education

 
assure
 

impossible

 

military


judges

 

command

 

discipline

 

adjutant

 

general

 

governess

 

companions

 

treated

 

blooming

 

number


public

 

suppose

 

brings

 

addition

 

beneath

 

enamoured

 
answered
 

complete

 

enquired

 

active