Tom Bullkley of Lissington

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. 1881*. Excerpt: ... Kit turned up his eyes piously, and ejaculated with fervour, No, I'm blowed if I ask for anything from home! After uttering which awful oath, he proceeded, with a fearful calmness, to draw a mental picture of himself sweeping a crossing; and then his thoughts turned to May, and he wondered if ever she would pass his crossing, and whether she would recognize him, and be sorry for him, etc., etc., until he reduced himself to the lowest depths of despair. In truth, the boy was, for the first time in his life, utterly miserable. He did not know when he had felt Bo unhappy. It was the first awakening from the careless joyousness of boyhood to the cares and troubles of manhood, and all sudden awakenings from pleasant dreams to stern realities are painful. He leant his curly head on his hand, and remained for some time moody and motionless, and bitterly reproaching himself for not having exercised more selfdenial. Dear old dad! he muttered to himself. What kills me is his kindness. I wish he had cut up rough, and pitched into me--but it's no use repining. What's done can't be undone. A hundred and fifty would just set me going again without applying to the governor, but where is a hundred and fifty to come from? It is not a large sum, but, it's just as much out of my reach as if it were ten thousand. There's no help for it! I'll leave the army. What will the dear old dad think, though? Oh, hang it, I don't know what to do! What a miserable devil I am! How I wish I was back at Eton again, if it were even when I was just going up before old Bircham to be ' swished.' For a long time he sat despondent and depressed, going into a committee of ways and means, when a knock at the door disturbed him. Come in! he said, coughing down his feelings, and putting on ...