St. Briavel's Rectory: the story of a quiet Welsh Parsonage

Chapter I

The Reverend Rhys Lloyd, Rector of St Briavel's, Cardiganshire, was the happy father, in his own estimation, and indeed in that of his intimate friends, of a large family. In his sixty-second year he counted eleven at holiday time round his table. Five sons and six daughters. He took to himself the Scripture testimony, that happy is the man who has a quiver full of them ; and he told those who presumed to sym pathise with him in his struggles, that there was nothing like a large family. They were less selfish. They could not be always thinking of themselves. Their struggles and striving began when they St A were young, and one learnt to give way to the other. The Rector was a Welshman, pur sang ; he had graduated at Jesus College, Oxford, with a good degree, and in due time had been inducted to the family living of St Briavel's, worth some £500 a year in tithes, which were badly paid, but with a large glebe which he farmed — and farmed success fully.

His children drank most of the milk produced, or ate it as cheese, and the butter was often not sufficient for the family. He sold all the barley and oats that his pigs and horses did not eat, but that was not much, so that there was no middleman. Mrs Rhys Lloyd was an Englishwoman. Fourteen children had been born at the Rectory, but the mother mourned for three that had passed away. A neighbour once remarked to her that she had eleven left, as coming out of church one Sunday with saddened face, she looked at the graves of those that were gone, but seeing the pain it gave, never repeated the remark. The eleven, with one exception, the second daughter, were fine specimens of humanity. The Rector was six feet high. Two of the Rector's sons almost looked down upon him. Early in the month of August, the whole family, as was their yearly custom in that month, were assembled at the Rectory.

The eldest girl, Grace, in her thirty-first year, was the housekeeper and manager of the family. The second daughter, Elsie, was a cripple. A careless nursemaid had let her fall, when young, and she had never recovered. Then came two boys. The eldest, Rhys, was incumbent of a small parish in Sussex, and was called by the family the "Vicar. He was spending his month's holiday in Cardiganshire. The second son, Thomas, was a solicitor, just getting into practice at Cowbridge. The next, a girl, whose name was Mary, but known in the family as Beauty, was absent. She was away on the Continent, acting as companion to a relative, and, her father hoped, picking up foreign languages. Then there was a gap. The two who should have filled it were in St Briavel's church yard. A very wet summer in Wales and wet winter afterwards had brought typhoid in their train, and had got into the full house of children.

The two, with an infant, had gone before. Jack Lloyd, in his twentieth year, came next. He was reading for the Indian Civil Service, the great friend and ally of his next sister Helen, in her nineteenth year. The other two boys, fifteen and fourteen years old, were home for their holidays. They had long Welsh names. One was baptised Cadwallader, and the other Apwilliams. Their brothers had cut the matter short by calling one Bob, and the other Dick. Lastly came two young girls who were twins, the spoilt darlings of the whole family. It was a fortunate thing for the Rector of St Briavel's that a cousin, a Miss Lloyd, some twenty years before, had paid him a visit, and had seen the real wants of the family. They could live, she perceived, but would want education to be refined and happy, so she left her property in a curious will, for, after stating that it was of no use in her opinion beginning with Grace Lloyd, the eldest girl, or poor Elsie, she left her money to all the daughters that might be born thereafter to the Rev. Rector, share and share alike, to be divided among them when the youngest became twenty-one, but with a positive direction that until then the income from her property should be spent, so far as the trustees thought necessary, in giving the girls a thorough education, and she had the good sense to make the father a trustee.

The consequence was that Mrs Lloyd gladly engaged the services of a first-rate French governess, Madame Villard, who had been as one of the family for nearly twenty years. More over, the income from the education trust enabled the father to obtain the assistance of Oxford men as curates, who had taught his daughters Latin, English, and mathe matics, and had at the same time thoroughly prepared the Rector's sons for the public schools to which he had sent them. St Briavel's was on the Cardiganshire side of the river Tivy, and August was the great month for the family gathering of the Lloyds. On this occasion there was to be, early in the month, a cricket match, somewhere up the river, on some one of the few spots available in Wales for cricket. The Lloyds as a family were pitted against the families further up the river.

The Rector and his five sons counted for six, and the Curate as good as a Lloyd — had he not been there ten years ? — made seven. Two cousins who were staying at the St Briavel's Arms, which would make nine, and they meant to manage with these, unless the other side lent them two players. One of the cousins was named Evan Lloyd. He was the son of Evan Lloyd, a younger brother of the Rector's, and a well-known merchant in London. As a young scion of the house of Lloyd, he had gone forth as a clerk, until his name became great in the metropolis. He was now dead, and his end had been very painful, for he was burned to death as he sat, as an invalid, in his bedroom, and the terrible sufferings of the father in his last moments had left a lasting impression on the son, making him grave and thoughtful in his ways and actions.

Evan Lloyd, the son, was reported to be the only rich Lloyd known. The other cousin was Algernon Hastings. He was the son of the Rector's only sister, who had caught Captain Hastings of the 100th Regiment at Cheltenham, and who lived now, so she said, only for her boy. His cousins called him Algie, his mother always gave him his name in full — Algernon. It was the breakfast hour at the Rectory. The Rector had not yet come in, nor Evan Lloyd. August was an important month on St Briavel's glebe, and many orders and directions about the barley and oats that were falling before the sickle and the scythe on the Rector's farm, must be given to David Jones, carter, cowman, foreman, and general factotum, if the Rector is to take a holiday. The Ions' table in the dining-room of the Rectory would hold fourteen.

On this day, there was the Rector and his wife and ten of his children at home, who, with the two cousins, filled it, but it was made to include Madame Villard, the fifteenth, in some sort of way. The meal was plentiful of its sort. On a spotless white, if coarse, tablecloth, stood bowls of oatmeal porridge and jugs of fresh milk. Dishes of fried potatoes and boiled eggs by the dozen were there, and one large dish of ham and eggs. ' Don't you boys eat all that ham and eggs ; keep some for Evan,' cried Grace Lloyd, as Algie Hastings held out his plate to the Vicar for a second help. ' What a fuss you always make about Evan,' said his youthful reverence ; ' he ought to be in.' ' He is with father,' exclaimed one of the little brothers. In large families there is often very plain speaking, and no one was surprised to hear Grace say : ' Take the dish away, Jack, from those greedy ones, and put it on the side-table.' Jack was not of many words.

He was the Ajax of the family, acknowledging to six feet three inches in his stockings. As he put the dish away, he said to his sister : ' Evan is sure to take porridge and milk, but that is no reason why that fellow Algie should clear the ham off.' The Rector and his nephew came in. The latter elected for porridge at once, and ate a hearty meal of it. finishing up with coffee and bread and butter. The post at St Briavel's was usually delivered during the breakfast hour, and the Rector's Times of the day before, posted late at a penny the copy, was opened with avidity. Algie Hastings had been up for Sandhurst ' Further ' examination in the preceding June. It was his last chance, as he was twenty years old and the list of successful candidates was expected to be in the paper. The list was not there. ' My mother is coming to-morrow,' said Algie, reading a letter from her. ' Where can you possibly put her ? ' Grace Lloyd said nothing, but her father was glad, or said he was glad, for he wanted to see her. ' We can manage it,' he exclaimed, and he went on to say how the party were to get to the cricket field, starting at ten o'clock.

Grace and Helen, with the two little girls and Madame Villard in the waggonette, Jack driving. The Rector, his other sons and nephews with the Curate were going in a spring waggon. As soon as Evan Lloyd had finished his breakfast, the Rector called upon him. ' Come along, Evan, let us finish our talk,' and the two rose and went out. ' I knew Evan would take that porridge stuff. It looks young like a boy,' said Algie Hastings. ' How awfully grave and old he is getting,' remarked the Vicar, not a very strong minded parson. ' I cannot see it,' said Grace. ' Do not you be slanting at Evan, Rhys, as these children do — but here comes mother.' And Mrs Lloyd came in, taking ber place beside the urn. She was not very strong and often late. Algie Hastings rose up and gave her a note from his mother. ' Mother is coming to-morrow by the coach, aunt ; she asks me to give you this note,' and he turned to go out. ' Thank you, dear,' replied the kind lady, ' Grace sees to everything.' ' I wonder what brought Evan here ? ' said one of the twins. ' Papa wrote and asked him to come,' remarked the eldest daughter. ' He does that every year, but Evan has not been here for three years — no, two years last June.

I believe he has come to spoon on Helen again.' ' My dear,' from Madame Villard, ' what are you talking about ? ' but most of the others laughed. ' He did, you know he did,' said one of the little boys ; ' and she was not seventeen then, and now — ' ' Stop that,' said Jack the Giant. ' You are like papa and Grace, you think there is no one like Evan,' said the boy to him, but keeping out of the way of Jack's long arm. ' However,' continued the preco cious youth, ' Helen's as good as engaged to Algie.' ' Who says so ? ' said Helen, with heightened colour. ' You know you are, though you would not let him kiss you yesterday when he came, and he was savage about it, and said someone had put you up to it.' ' Children, children,' cried Mrs Lloyd, ' do not tease one another. I never liked that kissing even when you were young, and I am glad to hear that it is given up.

Now be ready for your father.' The Rector and his favourite nephew walked down to the bridge leading over the Tivy and sat on the wall enjoying the pleasant air. ' You say Jack will do, uncle.' ' I hope so ; but you ought to know better than I can ; still I got him into my room last night and we were at it for an hour. He is working hard. Are you not wrong in refusing to allow me to tell them to whom they are indebted for all their chances ? ' ' Jack guesses it,' replied the nephew ; ' why bother about it with anyone else ? By the way, I have a letter from Mrs ST BRIA VEL'S RECTORY 13 Hastings. I know what it is about,' he said, laughing, and he took a letter out of his pocket and opened it. ' She wants £20 this time ; until the Captain's quarter becomes due, she shall have £10.' ' You are wrong, Evan, I feel that you are wrong ; better let them know that they are under an obligation to you now ; it is possible to be too sensitive.' ' Please to say nothing more about it,' said the nephew in firm tones. 'Do you know, my kind uncle, I have cut the shop.' ' What ! the city business ? ' ' Yes ; they keep on the name of Evan Lloyd, Limited, but I got out of it.

Of course it makes a great difference in my income. Still I do not nearly spend what I have. I sold the whole of my interest to the others ; it is a very lucrative affair, but you know I never liked it. The work people must be screwed to pay fifteen or twenty per cent.' ' Should you not get something to do ? What are you going to do ? ' ' At present my determination is to travel again.' ' If that boy Algie is plucked,' asked the Rector, 'what am I to say ? ' ' Let him go into the militia. The family will pay his expenses ; get him something to do ; he is safe to be plucked, I have foreseen it.' ' The family ! ' cried the Rector, in a dis dainful tone. ' Four years ago, when he tried for Woolwich, the family paid. Then when he was to be coached for Sandhurst, the family paid. Again I am to go through the pretence of collecting from the family.

I do not like it, and you tell me your means are not what they were.' ' We have not resumed our before-breakfast talk,' said the nephew, laughing. ' What do you say to Uplands for the winter ? ' Uplands was a small estate with a good house on it which Evan Lloyd owned, about twenty miles from London. He wanted the Rector to send Madame Villard and the twins there for the winter, that they might have some extra drawing and music lessons. ' No, I will not have that,' said his uncle, ' we must do as we have done. Let Jack be finished with and then we will see ; you will still want to take us then.' ' I wish I could do so now,' said the young fellow with a sad look, and the old clergyman took his arm as they walked back to the house. ' Where is Elsie ? ' asked Mrs Lloyd, as all the party were preparing to start for the cricket field. ' Evan took her off somewhere,' said one of the boys. ' Tell him it is nearly ten o'clock,' cried the mother.

Evan Lloyd was sitting under a large chestnut tree in the garden with the cripple girl. He was trying to find out what books she most wanted, but she would have her say to him. ' Algie would join us, dear Evan, last night after you had gone. I could see Helen was vexed, but she cannot bear ridicule and they laugh at her, because they think you admire her, and they say you are so old, and it is of no use talking to her, so when you wanted to come with us yesterday, she told me to say we wanted to be alone, although I am not sure that she did wish it ; and then that Algie came and would not go away, and just after we met you and papa. How old are you, Evan ? ' 'Just the same age as Grace.' ' That is not two years older than I am,' she exclaimed ; ' what a shame of them to talk so.' What more she might have said, he did not know, but cries for him were heard, and he went to the front of the house.

The waggonette was just starting, and Jack called to him : ' Evan, you drive, and let me go in the waggon ; I would rather, for I mean to walk half the way with Mr Abbott.' Mr Abbott was the Rector's curate. Evan Lloyd looked up at the occupants of the waggonette, and Grace said — ' Do come, Evan.' He looked for a sign from Helen, but she turned her head away, and he jumped into the waggon and sat down beside the Rector. They arrived at the cricket ground soon after eleven o'clock, and no time was lost in beginning to play. The Lloyds went in first. The ground was in bad order and the wicket was not true. The Rector and his son Jack got together, and they made some forty runs between them ; but the innings was soon over, and the Lloyds had only made eighty runs altogether. Evan Lloyd scored a two. ' You used to be fond of cricket, when you came to us from Eton, Evan,' said Grace to him. ' I think that your bowling net is hanging up in the loft now.' ' I never was a bat, but this ground is so bad, that play must be uncertain.' ' Any fellow can bowl,' said the Vicar. ' All out ?

Now, Algie, put the other side out as quickly as you can. There is no one, except Morgan Parry, on their side who can play.' E ST BRIA VEL'S RECTORY Algie Hastings took the bowling at one end. Tom Lloyd, the solicitor, took the other end. Two youngsters were soon disposed of, but Morgan Parry, an old Harrow man, had got his eye in, and was knocking the ball about. Fours and threes were frequent. He had made fifty-seven runs off his own bat, when he lost his companion, caught at slip. Whilst the next man was coming out, Tom approached his father who was keeping wicket. ' Better change bowlers, sir. Algie has lost his temper, and bowls wild. Parry will make all our score off his own bat.' The Rector did not like to change. He knew that Algie disliked Evan, and he was not so keen as his sons were about the game.

The only other bowler was Evan. Algie relieved him, for he feared that his bowling would be further punished. ' Get Evan to bowl, uncle, the ground is so bad,' and he and his cousin changed places. Evan had been fielding near the tent where the ladies and company were sitting. ' We shall see what Evan can do,' said one of the twins doubtfully, as Evan, roll ing up his sleeve to bare his arm, took the ball. A little delay took place and the little girl asked, ' What are they doing, Algie ? ' ' Just like Evan. I suppose Price Howell had not got block, so Evan must tell the umpire.' ' It was the proper thing for him to do,' remarked a military looking man, who was sitting behind in the tent. ' I should like to have seen the fellow at Eton who took advantage.' ' The bowler was nine years at Eton,' said Grace ; but play had been called and attention was devoted to the game.

Evan began to bowl ; he delivered his ball cautiously, but with a certain skill which long practice at bowling only gives. The Rector failed to stop the ball, and the other side scored a run. ' May I ask the bowler's name ? ' inquired the same gentleman who had spoken before, from Grace. ' His name is Evan Lloyd.' ' I remember him well, but he was a wetbob : he did not care much for cricket. He was always on or in the water.' Evan now bowled to Morgan Parry. Block ! resounded the ball through the field, and the over ended with no more runs for the Parry party. Tom Lloyd now bowled his over, and the other side made two. It was Evan's turn to play again. ' Play ! ' He bowled to pitch short, and Morgan Parry playing forward, blocked again, but he saw the ground was not true and became nervous.

He walked up and down on his ground as the ball was passed to the bowler, and felt the handle of his bat again and again, with twitching hands. Evan bowled again. 'o ' Well stopped,' came from the tent company, who could see from where they were sitting the steadiness of the bowling. The next ball from Evan pitched short, and might have been cut for a three, but Morgan Parry blocked it. The angle was bad, and the ball rose three or four feet from the bat and would have fallen halfway between the wickets, had not Evan followed his ball, and with a spring caught it within six inches of the ground. ' How is that, umpire ? ' he said, looking round. ' Out,' was the fiat, and he sent the ball spinning in the air ; loud clapping of hands and ' Well caught ' came from all sides. As another player was preparing to go in, Morgan Parry came to the tent ; he was exuberant with pleasure. ' That was cricket, something like.

The fellow was like a kitten. I must have him next week to play at Gernos in our match. Do you think he would come ? ' he said to Grace, who was standing up flushed with pleasure, and Helen stood by her, holding her sister's arm. Helen Lloyd was a beautiful woman ; the wide hat she had on partly concealed her face and her large blue eyes, but the shade it afforded set off her regular features and the profile of her classical face. Coils of golden hair showed beneath the hat. She was taller than the generality of women, but a faultless figure took off any appearance of length, and gave every movement infinite grace and beauty. ' Fancy old Evan being so smart,' remarked one of the little boys who was fielding near. ' Old Evan ! ' said Grace ; ' when you are as lithe as he is, you may talk.' Helen said nothing, but her sister looked at her, and she never looked so pleased, or her features so lovely.

The game continued, and the Lloyds were beaten by two wickets. Just as the game was ending, Morgan Parry went up to Evan and began to talk with him. 'Mr Parry is asking Evan to Gernos, I am sure,' said one of the twins, ' from Evan's manner. See ! he is beckoning to Jack. Mr Parry will be wanting them both at Gernos, you will see.' Gernos was the great place in North Cardiganshire, and Mr Morgan Parry the great man of the county, and the Lloyds, although quite contented with their position, and sorry to lose the company of their cousin and Jack, still liked attention to be paid to their relatives, and they were glad when it was arranged that Evan and Jack should go to Gernos on the following Mon day, and that both families should go by boats for a picnic to a coastguard station in Cardigan Bay, on the Wednesday.

The military looking man turned out to be a Colonel Adams, a visitor at Gernos, who had been at Eton with Evan. ' You will drive us back, Evan ? ' asked Grace. He was pleased with himself, for he knew that he had played cricket carefully, and the wine of success is often more potent than that of the grape, and gives courage where there was none before. He thought he would try once more to ingratiate him self with Helen, so he agreed to drive them with alacrity. The road by the river Tivy from Cenarth Bridge to Cardigan, is through one of the most charming stretches of scenery to be found in Great Britain. The river is almost always in sight. Now bursting over Cenarth Falls and boiling under the bridge, it rushes away to the west, running under this hill and skirting that meadow ; or again cutting a large tract of pasture and meadow land in two, it flows for awhile smoothly, lightening the landscape in its course.

It had rained heavily a few days before, and the salmon were filling the river on their way up to their winter beds. The waggonette met several fishermen carrying their coracle boats on their backs to be launched up the stream and float down in pairs, with a hand-net between them to stop and catch the king of English fish. The weather too was delightful, and the sun, setting over the hill behind the town of Cardigan, illumined the western sky, burnishing the trees on the roadside in their mature leaf. As the ponies trotted gaily home, Evan was in spirits. He talked as a well-educated man can talk, who knows what he is talk ing about, and the two sisters hung upon his words. They were at St Briavel's before they knew it, and Evan went to his inn to get his letters. ' Have you enjoyed yourselves ? ' asked Mrs Lloyd, as the two eldest girls came into the house. 'Oh, so much,' said Helen; 'the drive home was delightful.' ' We have had a pleasant day, mother,' exclaimed Grace. ' Evan drove us home.

He can be entertaining if he likes.' ' I know that,' said the mother ; ' he comes into my room in the afternoon and tells me all the news.' The tea-dinner at the Rectory was an nounced at six o'clock, and the two younger boys were placed at a side-table, for Mrs Hastings had arrived, and the Rector would not allow her to be inconvenienced. She had contrived a quiet talk with Evan, and he had given her two five-pound notes. During the meal one of the little boys said, ' Let Jack off reading to-night, Evan,' but Jack interposed, ' Shut up, and mind your own business, Evan and I know ours.' ' Fancy grinding at Horace such an evening as this,' continued the little fellow. ' That is what you go off to, is it ? ' exclaimed the Vicar, ' as if Jack had not enough of it with Mr Lark ! ' 'Jack will please himself,' said Evan firmly, ' but a fellow going up for these competitive examinations should never leave twenty-four hours without acquiring some thing.

To omit it, is just like omitting to give a horse in training his daily exercise.' ' Do not mind their chatter,' ejaculated the big man. ' I wonder if Algie has passed,' remarked the Vicar. ' The examination was awfully hard,' responded Algie. ' Two of Jacob's fellows said the Trigonometry paper was the hard est ever set.' ' 1 am sure that you did your very best, dear,' cried his mother ; ' your dear papa says the service is gone to the dogs, only book learning is thought of, not position or rank. I hope you have passed.' ' I daresay that we shall know to-morrow,' rejoined Grace ; ' papa's paper will be here at breakfast time.' ' Who is coming with me to see how they got on with carrying the oats to-day ? ' remarked the Rector, and Evan got up and went out with his uncle. ' I wish I had told them to telegraph to me when the list came out,' said Algie. 'Evan gets the Times every day,' remarked Jack. ' To be sure, he brings it to Elsie every evening,' cried one of the twins. ' He did not bring it to-day,' she remarked. ' Depend upon it, the list is in the Times' rejoined the Vicar. 'Yes, it is,' said Jack; 'Algie's name is not there.' Everyone made an exclamation, and in the babel of tongues Mrs Hastings disappeared in tears. ' What a silent and sly chap Evan is,' the Vicar remarked. ' He knew it all tea time and never said a word.' 'There was nothing sly about it,' broke in Jack. ' Father took the key of the mailbag with us, and Evan got his Times out at Cenarth.

Father saw it there, and said, " Let them have their tea in quiet and tell them afterwards." What was the use of making a fuss before tea ? Aunt Hast ings is bad enough now.' ' That was Evan's advice, I am sure,' remarked Algie angrily. ' He always has some prudent and wise advice like an old fellow of fifty.' But he did not seem distressed at his failure. He had a five-pound note in his pocket, which his mother had given him before tea, and as long as that lasted, care sat very easily on him. After tea, Elsie Lloyd went to her favourite seat under the large chestnut tree in the Rectory garden, and Helen went with her. Algie followed them, and they asked Jack to come. ' Well,' he said, ' look out on the road and tell me if you see Evan going to his lodgings ; I am bound to grind with him for a couple of hours.' ' You have not said that you were sorry, Helen,' remarked Algie, ' at my bad luck.' ' Indeed, I am so sorry, dear Algie, but did you work ?