The Old Vicarage: a novel

Chapter I

' Children's voices s-hould be dear (Call once more) to a mother's ear ; Children's voices wild with pain, Surely she will come again ; Call her once, and come away !" The Forsaken Merman It was a summer's evening. The yellow sun shine streamed through the boles of the forest trees, tinting them with purple, vermilionj gold, or the richest brown. It gave a metallic lustre to the tops of the giant oaks, and lighted up with a silvery gleam the long feathery sprays VOL. I. B of the graceful beech trees, waving gently and slowly as the soft breeze passed rustling amongst them. The same slanting sunbeams fell on the dark glossy foliage of the tall groups of holly, and twinkled like stars upon their stiff-pointed leaves. Beneath these ancient and hoary trees, on a natural terrace clothed with soft mossy turf, and commanding, along a glade in the forest, a full view of the glowing west, there walked, with slow and lingering step, two persons, who seemed too deeply engrossed in conversation to heed the loveliness of the evening.

One of these was a woman, who might perhaps be half way between thirty and forty, but still possessing a large share of personal beauty ; tall, dark, glowing, with bright black eyes, and hair as black as jet, parted off her forehead in rich braids, and as she carried her bonnet in her hand, they caught the gleaming sunshine, and seemed to turn purple in its splendour. Her companion was a young girl, slender, fair, and rather pale, except that as she listened to the earnest discourse of the matron, the flitting colour dyed her cheek for a moment, and then left it pale again. Her slim figure, and girlish proportions, gave a notion of extreme youth and delicacy, and yet her face was of that kind which brings a feeling of trust and repose as you gaze upon it ; an idea that, young as she was, there was steadiness and prin ■ ciple to be read there.

" But, dear mamma," said the girl, " why do you talk in this way ? You will soon be about again, and able to see to all these things your self." And she gazed with earnest, anxious fondness at the face of her companion, unable to realise that danger could lurk near, or death invade a countenance so healthy and so invariably cheerful. " His will be done," said Mrs. Duncan, raising her eyes, and fixing them on the glow ing west. " Life and death are in His hands ; but, Hilary, it will neither increase my danger, B nor my anxiety, if I give you such directions as may be your help and guide hereafter. It is a great charge, a heavy responsibility which will fall on you, should I be taken from you, but one which will not be laid on you, unless He sees good ; and received from Him in a humble, trusting, loving spirit, the event will be blessed.

In my weakness, and want of faith, I shrink from the idea, sometimes ; but I know that aU is, all will be right, if you can but believe, and feel it so. Nothing He lays on us is too heavy to bear, if we do not add to it the burden of our own selfish repinings, mistrust, and im patience." " Oh ! mamma, it cannot be best to be with out you ; such a trial cannot be in store for us ; for my father too — how could he bear it ? and surely he so good, so heavenly. minded, so tender as he is — oh ! he cannot need affliction ; do not talk so, mamma, do not fancy such things ; you will do yourself harm by dwelling on it." Mrs. Duncan's eyes filled, and her lip quivered for a minute ; she was silent a little space, and then she spoke again, calmly, firmly, gravely. " Hilary, ever since I have filled your mother's place, I have met with the duty and affection of a daughter from you.

I came to you when you were too young to understand my claims, but I have never had to complain, so far as our relationship is concerned. Be ever the same ! do not now, by giving way to your feelings, make it more difficult for me to control my own. Try to listen to what may be my last wishes." Hilary clasped her step-mother's hand, strug gled with her rising tears, swallowed down a sob or two, and then turning quietly round, said, — " Go on, dear mother ! I will attend, and endeavour to remember." " Young as you are, Hilary, I do not fear to trust you, for I know that you have that within you which will lead you right. Experience, indeed, you cannot have, and you may mistake sometimes ; but with your earnest love of truth, your simplicity, candour, gentleness, and hu mility, you cannot go very far wrong ; and I would rather confide my girls to you, than to many an elder head.

I know that you will lean on the true, unfailing Support — that you will not trust your own understanding." " Dear mother, if I have any good principle or right habit, I owe it to you and papa ; what should I have been, had you not led me so kindly and gently in childhood?" said Hilary, blushing at the praise which she could not be lieve she deserved. " But my girls are not like you, Hilary," con tinued the mother, " and their characters have cost me many an anxious hour. Heaven knows how earnestly I have prayed sometimes, to be spared as their guide ; but this is self-will, and self-conceit, perhaps ; now my only prayer is, that, in whose hands soever they may fall, what ever troubles may come upon them, they may be brought home safe at last. We are so unbeliev ing, we would fain choose our own path, and THE OLD VICARAGE. the paths of our dear ones also ; as if our nar row view could be better trusted than His, who has told us so plainly what we ought to seek, and what we may then hope for.

All will be right at last, and now I trust them entirely to the Will which cannot err : yet not the less would I warn you, Hilary, of the care and discipline they need. Sybil is tender, loving, feeble, clinging for support to those around her ; do not act for her, my love ; make her feel her own responsibility, or the realities and cares of life will fall with a crushing force on her. Look at the clematis which garlands this lime — such is she ; take away her support, and the long wreaths will droop and sink to the earth, and may be trampled by every careless foot." " But we cannot change the nature of the clematis, mamma ; we can only prop it up, and guard it carefully, and rejoice even in its cling ing, graceful fragility, which gives a beauty to the bare and rugged stem, or the unpoetical wall and trellis."

" True, you cannot change the clematis, Hilary ; but therein a Christian diifers from a soulless plant ; her nature may be strengthened by attention and discipline, till she may be firm and yet flexible ; yielding and yet self-support ing ; regaining with elastic vigour the upward tendency, even after the hand has bent it down, or the breeze turned it aside. You cannot make a clematis into a willow, but you may teach a feeble mind and drooping heart where to find strength of purpose and constancy of aim. Teach Sybil that the weakest may have strength sufficient to their need, but not in earthly things : earthly props break and crumble away, or are removed in kindness, lest we lean too much upon them. Trust to the One above. He never fails. Poor Sybil ! — she is very far from knowing this as yet !"

They were both silent for some time ; then Mrs. Duncan seated herself, and continued, as Hilary nestled close to her side. " As to Gwyneth, she is different : she has all THE OLD VICARAGE. the passionate and hasty nature of my country : Welsh blood runs in her veins, and along with this warmth, she has much self-will and presumption ; she doubts not her own opinion, and cannot bear to have it questioned j yet she is so young, that I have every reason to hope that attention may check what is wrong, and religion lead her to true strength and confidence. And then for my httle Nest — the darling ! — who can teU what that little black-eyed, bewitching fairy mav turn out ? — Heaven help me ! but it is hard to think of leaving her." Mrs. Duncan shuddered, and closed her eyes, as if struggling with some deep emotion.

" Whv should vou ?" said Hilarv, anxiouslv. " Dearest mother, do you feel ill now ? It is so Ions; since vou have had one of your bad attacks of pain ; not for months now ; I am sure you need not be alarmed." Mrs. Duncan smiled, a faint smile it was, as if she would rather put aside a subject of discussion than enter on it. Then, after a pause, b she added, " I believe you will find all my papers and accounts quite clear, and for the rest, dear Hilary, you are well able to take my place in the parish now ; and whatever may occur, you must do it for a month at least. But there are horses' feet upon the turf; your father and sisters are coming home. Say nothing at present of what 1 have told you, and let us go to meet them !" They rose, and advanced towards the house ; crossing a part of the garden, of which the ter race where they had been walking formed the eastern boundary.

Dividing the lawn from an open green space which lay in front of the old rectory, was a line of wooden palings nearly covered by ivy, honeysuckle, roses, and many flowering shrubs, and over this they saw, approaching through a shadowy glade, three forest ponies ; the tallest bore Mr. Duncan, an elderly man, whose figure was, however, active and up right, and his countenance marked with the glow of health and the look of peace : the other two riders were girls, the Sybil and Gwyneth already mentioned, whose black eyes, and long waving locks flowing from beneath their broad-brimmed straw hats, immediately reminded you of their mother. The children, for they were only girls of twelve and thirteen, sprung from their little ponies, and rushed up to the garden gate, just as Mrs. Duncan and Hilary reached it ; and be fore their father had descended in his more leisurely way, and consigned the animals to the old grey-headed servant who came forward to receive them, they had advanced far in the history of their ride, its adventures, delights, and novel ties.

They had found a new path, had come to a beautiful stream ; Gwyneth had leapt her horse across before papa came up ; Sybil was afraid, and had hung back, even when encouraged by him ; then they had seen such a lovely dell, all sur rounded with trees— oh ! such a place for a gipsy party ; mamma must come there some day, and they would have tea out there, under the huge oaks and beech, beside that broken mossy bank, out of which such a bright tiny stream trickled from under a grey stone. Up came papa, and listened to the eager speaker, as Gwyneth, with her cheeks glowing and her bright eyes glitter ing, dwelt with rather too much complacency, perhaps, upon the courage she had shown, until her father reminded her, with laughing but affectionate manner, how Gwyneth herself had shrunk and trembled when, as they were leading their ponies down a steep and precipitous path, a large toad had crossed their road, and hopped towards her ; whilst Sybil's only care had been that the creature should not be hurt by foot or hoof; — and after that, Gwyneth held her tongue for a while.

They sat in the large wide porch, which, with its projecting gable and curiously carved roof, formed so conspicuous an ornament to the front of the Vicarage, and harmonised so well with the many angles, overhanging eaves, mullioned win dows, and twisted chimneys of that quaint old house. It was a building well suited to the forest scenery on which it closely bordered, with its time-mellowed red brick, and grey stone coignings, and huge oaken beams, whose ends were grotesquely carved. . From that porch vou could see the old church, half concealed in a grove of trees, principally lime and sycamore ; and farther off, the houses scattered on the village green, or retreating back amidst the clumps of oak and holly ; whilst to the south, through a long vista in the forest, you caught a view of distant hills, blue and shadowy, and a winding river, and a wide extended plain.

Here they sat and chatted gaily, whilst the young girls ate the fruit and cake, for which their ride had given them an appetite, and which Hilary brought out to them in an old-fashioned china basket, until the hour of bed-time arrived, and the children lest them ; and then the others returned to the cool parlour, where Hilary made tea, and smiled and chatted with her father ; Mrs. Duncan meanwhile resting quietly on the sofa, nearly silent, and perhaps engrossed in thought. Hilary's was the hopeful as well as the trustful temper of youth, unaccustomed to the vicissi tudes of life ; the storm of which she saw no symptoms could not alarm her ; and although her step-mother's presentiments had at first raised a vague terror, she had recovered from this feeling, and was now tranquil. The trust which she felt that all would be for the best, conspired to increase this peaceful state, for to her young mind, it seemed impossible that good could spring from such sorrow as the loss of the only mother she had known, would oc casion her and her family ; therefore this loss was not to be expected or feared.

Hers was the youthful idea of divine protection, and fatherly care ; years of experience alone can teach us that " His ways are not as ours," and that it is not exemption from suffering which is promised to His children, but such discipline as shall strengthen, and purify, and elevate their hearts. It was a cheerful family party on which the bright summer moon peeped in through the old windows that evening ; and Hilary, as she penned a few words at night, of the journal which she always kept for her only brother Mau rice, recorded with a grateful heart, that hers was indeed a happy lot. Yet scarce was the ink dry on the paper where she wrote these lines, than her pleasant dreams were suddenly dissipated, and the very sorrow which she had refused to consider as probable, was presented to her mind.

Mrs. Duncan was ill — very ill — alarmingly so ; and before that sun which had set in such glory, returned to their view, the eyes that had gazed on it so earnestly were closed in death, and the spirit which had looked out so clear and loving but twelve hours before, had fled to that land which needs no sun to lighten it, and which knows neither change, nor time, nor darkness. The mother just now in all the prime of womanhood, in her glorious beauty, was cold, and white, and silent, and on her arm lay the tiny marble face of that little being, whose en trance to this world had cost his parents such a price, and whose stay had been so short, that you wondered why he came at all. On Hilary devolved the task of making her -young sisters acquainted with their loss ; of communicating to them the sad change that one night had occasioned ; for this, when all was over, and her father had withdrawn to the solitude of his own study, she crept softly to their sleeping apartment, and sitting down beside the bed, watched patiently and silently for their first awaking.

Her grief was very quiet, although very deep. In idea she tried to follow the departed, and to realize what she now was, so far as mortal fancy might paint it ; and the glad, solemn, mysterious thought, that that dear one had felt her last grief, suffered her last pain, heaved her last sigh for ever, made it seem even a profanation to indulge regret. It was when she permitted her thoughts to anticipate, that she shuddered and mourned ; it was the future for herself, her sisters, her father, which made her tremble. How barren and blank it seemed ; the sweet voice which had taught and soothed her, silent now ; the bright smile vanished for ever ; the sunshine of the house gone ; who would fill her place ? Could it be that she so young, so simple, so inexperienced, that she should be called on to attempt this heavy duty ? did it devolve on her to soothe, instruct, watch over her sisters, to think for the household, to comfort her bereaved father, assist in lightening his cares, or sharing his anxieties ?

She had told her such would be her duty — had bid her reflect on the responsibilities laid on her ; had warned, encouraged, and comforted her — and as she had spoken so, Hilary had felt strong and trustful ; but now — oh ! how miserably weak, ignorant, helpless, and deficient she appeared to herself ; the memory of all her own girlish faults, indolence, thought lessness, ignorance, selfish indulgences, idle ways, all the many failings for which she daily judged and condemned herself, rose up in her mind, and seemed to say, " impossible ;" seemed to whisper to her that her task was harder than she could endure ; that such a life of carefulness and watching, and thought for others, and denial of self, as her mother had depicted for her, could not be expected of one so young; it would wither her youth, and blight her spirit, and darken all the gay happiness which ought to be hers !

Nay, but it was her duty ! it was God's will, and as such, it could not be too hard ; her bur den would not be greater than she could bear ; more would not be expected of her than she would have power to perform ; could she but fix her eyes aright, and draw strength from the Source of everlasting strength, she should not find it fail ; weak, trembling, insufficient as she was, she need not fear, if she only trusted all to Him, and nothing to herself. And then a voice seemed to whisper to her heart, " Child of my love, how have I wearied thee, Why wilt thou err from me?" and half unconsciously she repeated to herself the succeeding lines of the same hymn ; there was soothing in the thought. Yet ever and again, as she grew calmer, came rushing in the painful memory of her loss ; and while she doubted not the wisdom and mercy which had ordered all, and accepted meekly the burden of care which seemed laid on her, her heart ached in bitterness to remember what had been, and what was.

That hour of watching and waiting was in tensely trying. She had been occupied all the night, so eagerly and energetically, as to exclude thought or anticipation ; now she could only sit in silence, and weary, worn out, sorrowful, and yet striving to be patient, remain quietly expect ing the painful task before her. She wished to keep awake, and opening her Bible, she tried to fix her eyes and thoughts, and determined so to pass the time ; but blessed sleep stole over her so softly, that she knew not of its approaches, and the tearful eyes closed. the heavy head drooped upon the pillow beside it, and a deep unconsciousness, a perfect dream less repose wrapped all the past in oblivion, and brought the refreshment which that young, but willing spirit needed to fulfil her destined task. " He giveth His beloved sleep."

Gwyneth was astonished that morning, when, on unclosing her eyes, she discovered her eldest sister, half sitting, half lying on her pillow, dressed as last night, and yet sleeping pro foundly, even though tears trembled on her eye lashes, whilst her long and glossy brown hair lay unbound and unbraided over her neck and cheek. With the thoughtless impulse of her nature, she at once woke her up, and eagerly enquired why she was there, what was the matter, what had made her cry. That sudden waking bewildered Hilary ; the vague, puzzled feeling which so often follows deep sleep, at an unusual time, or in an unaccus tomed place, came over her, and for a minute she could remember nothing ; not where she was, nor what had happened, nor why she found herself so strangely sleeping there. She pressed her hands over her eyes ; the full tide of thought and memory came back, and she shrank from the pain she was about to give.

But it must be done ! yes, and done by her too, or the task would fall on her father, perhaps ; and done at once, that the first wild agony of tears and grief might be stilled and composed in part, before it came to add to that father's pain and desolation. She drew the two rosy faces towards her, for Sybil was awake now, and pressing each in her arms, as they knelt or crouched upon the bed, she faltered out the words, through her tears : " Mamma has been ill in the night !" Gwyneth fixed her full dark eyes upon her sister's face with a gaze which seemed to ask for more, for some explanation. Sybil gave a frightened start, and said : " Oh, Hilary, and how is she now? — has she been very ill ?" "Very," replied Hilary, forcing back her tears, and speaking gravely, calmly, but very sadly ; " very ill indeed ; but, Sybil, she is better now !"

Gwyneth still stared at Hilary. " Then why were you crying ?" was her question. " Let me go to her," said Sybil, struggling to release herself from her sister's clasp, which, however, now bound her the closer for her efforts to move. Sybil was quiet without a word, only glancing apprehensively at the face hanging over her, with brimming eyelids and quivering lips. Gwyneth exclaimed again im patiently : " Speak, Hilary, or let me go ; — nay, I will go to mamma." " No, Gwyneth, you cannot," said the elder sister, laying her forehead down on her sister's black curls. " Who says so ? — did she ? she never refuses to see us ! how unkind you are, Hilary." " A higher hand than mine, dear Gwyneth — be quiet ; you cannot see mamma now, because — " and such a deep, heart-felt sob stopped her words, that Sybil saw it all in one moment, and quietly turning from them both, laid her head among the pillows, and, except for a slight convulsive shiver now and then, was still and silent.

" Why, why, where is mamma ?" cried Gwyneth, fighting with the wild, incomprehen sible terror which was overpowering her. " In Heaven, we trust," said Hilary, regaining her composure in a wonderful way ; she pressed one hand upon her heart, made a strong phy sical effort to put away her grief, and then endeavoured to draw Sybil towards her, hoping that the sight of her tears would touch Gwyneth's heart. For Gwyneth sat still now, with wide open, tearless eyes, and parted lips, and cheeks as colourless as her neck ; and her breath came slowly and with difficulty, and in deep, sobbing inspirations, and yet there was no tear ; it was not like childish grief, it was the stillness of despair — her face might have belonged to a woman of thirtv, so old it looked at that moment. Hilary felt helpless at first ; then her whole heart was raised in prayer ; words not her own came to her mind, to express her thoughts and wants, as she prayed that in all her troubles she might put her whole trust and confidence in that Mercy which would not, could not fail.

Sense and feeling returned to Gwyneth, and with it the self-will, the passionate independence of her character. Hilary's arms had relaxed their hold ; she seized the opportunity, escaped from her gi asp, and springing from the bed, ran out of the room without so much as pausing to put her feet into her slippers. She crossed the broad passage, and rushing to the door of her mother's chamber, tried violently to force it open. It was locked. Hilary had followed the wilful child, and now laid her hand upon her arm. But Gwyneth screamed, bursting into a furious passion, and uttering cries which re sounded through that otherwise silent house. It was a mixture of feelings, terror undefined, and therefore the more oppressive, grief, vex ation, anger — she could not well have told what it was ; but the utterance of these wild screams for a moment relieved her, and appeared to throw off the weight on her heart.

In vain Hilary tried to soothe, to quiet, to command ; her gentle voice was unheard, and Gwyneth, clinging to the handle of the door, and hiding her face on her arms, continued to scream with increasing energy. The old nurse appeared, and tried what she could do ; but interjectory addresses, supplications, and en treaties, were unnoticed, and force made matters worse ; when suddenly the door unclosed from the inside, and Gwyneth was only saved from falling on the floor, by being caught in her father's arms. The screams stopped instantly ; she gave one glance at his pale sad face, then hid her own upon his shoulder, and indulged in a copious and passionate burst of tears He held VOL. I. C her quietly and gravely, without a word. Hilary stood with the feelings of a culprit ; it seemed to her as if in her very first endeavour, she had failed entirely of all she ought to have done ; she blamed herself for her sister's wilful ness, and changing colour and trembling, waited for what might follow.

By degrees Gwyneth's sobs subsided, and she lay quiet in her father's arms. " What is all this ?" said he at length, glancing at his eldest daughter. She could not answer. Gwyneth whispered, " Mamma — I want mamma." Hilary looked up hastily and fear fully at her father's face. A sadder shade swept over it, like the darkening gloom which precedes the heavy shower ; then it passed away, and the quivering lip was still. " Hilary, love, does she not know ?" said he gently, and drawing her close to him. Hilary conquered the rising inclination to give way to tears ; it was a hard struggle first, however, but she felt she must answer, and to her own surprise her voice came. " I tried, papa, to tell her ; but she would not believe — she cannot understand — she is so young, and feels so acutely ; oh, papa ! it was my fault, I did not know how !"

" My poor child," said he, as he stooped and kissed her forehead, after anxiously scanning her pale cheeks and weary eyes ; " you have had no rest — you have over-tasked yourself: you should have gone to bed." " Never mind me, papa dear ! I shall do well enough — but let me take Gwyneth back — she will be cold. Come, Gwyneth." But the child rebelled again, clung to her father, and seemed about to renew her shrieks. " Hush, hush ! this will not do," said he, " this must not be. Be still, Gwyneth, and you shall see your mother — once more." He stepped into the darkened room, whose grave and solemn aspect hushed the mourner's emotion at once. He opened one shutter a little c way— the bright morning sun streamed in upon the white bed-curtains, and danced upon the toilet-glass. He brought his young daughter, clinging to his arms, to the bed, drew back the curtain, lifted the sheet, and Gwyneth's eyes fell on the cold, still face of her, for whom she had called in vain.

Words cannot describe the feeling of a child thus brought face to face with death. The dead flower appears as a shrivelled atom — the extin guished fire presents an uncouth heap of ashes — the setting sun vanishes from our sight, — these speak for themselves, here the change is real, perceptible, obvious ; but the soul departed leaves the body the same — and yet how different — how slight, yet how immense the alteration. Lost in wonder, unable to realise what is gone, the child gazes in unspeakable awe at what re mains — death ! is that death ? it looks but like profound and happy sleep ; for a moment the eye is deceived : but to the touch the truth is at once revealed, and the young finger shrinks, and never again forgets the strange, cold, unyielding, icy feeling of the dead. For years it will thrill through the frame.