Mr. Smith, a Part of His Life

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1875. Excerpt: ... You think they will? And if the meal--the dinner, tea, or supper--were about six o'clock, would that do? Very well indeed, I should think. They will have got their work over for the day, and have time to get tidy, and give themselves up to enjoyment, said Miss Tolleton, by way of showing her insight into the lives of cottagers. Then we must fix on the day. What day are you disengaged for? I depend upon your all coming to help, remember. Yes, of course; we shall be delighted. But any day will suit us. Had you not better refer it to some of your other 'helps'? adroitly. Miss Grey! but she is not likely to do me much good. I hardly could ask Miss Fulton to come so far. Mr. and Mrs. Hardwicke will, however, I think. Helen turned up her nose at Mr. and Mrs. Hardwicke. Village people! She had hoped for the Sauffrendens. And let me see, pursued he, there are the two Miss Bains. Mrs. Rodney would have given us great assistance; but I fear she will hardly be well enough. We must have Mr. Rodney, however. Mr. Rodney, the curate, has been once or twice named in these pages. He was a smooth-faced, long-necked young man, with a bubble in his throat. Worse than that could not be said against him. He was much beloved in the parish, on account of his tender-heartedness. More than once in his bachelor days he had been known to carry his own dinner to some poor house, where it is certain he never ate it; and he was constantly seen in new clothes, for the simple reason that he had given away his old ones. When he married, this state of things could not, of course, go on. His own dinner he must eat, and his old clothes were well mended; but the joy of giving was not debarred him. He was still to be seen carrying the wellknown tin pot, and his hand went to his p...