A special permission having been procured, the monk talked with John Stanburne freely, saying that he loved his new life and the hardships of it, dwelling with quiet enthusiasm on the beautiful discipline of his order, and leading him over the rude and picturesque lands which had been reclaimed by the industry of his brethren.
But when they parted, there came a great pang of regret in Philip Stanburne"s heart for the free English life that he had lost--a pang of regret for Stanithburn, and that Alice should not be mistress there instead of Lady Helena.
And after the service in the humble chapel of the monastery--a service singularly devoid of the splendors of the Catholic worship--a monk lay prostrate across the threshold, doing penance. And all his brethren pa.s.sed over him, one by one.
Cambridge: Press of John Wilson & Son.
MR. HAMERTON"S WORKS.
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THE UNKNOWN RIVER: An Etcher"s Voyage of Discovery. With an original Preface for the American edition, and thirty-seven plates etched by the author. One elegant 8vo volume, bound in cloth, extra, gilt, and gilt edges. Price $6.00. (A cheaper edition now ready.)
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"This is a choice book. No trainer of animals, no whipper-in of a kennel, no master of fox-hounds, no equine parson, could have written this book. Only such a man as Hamerton could have written it, who, by virtue of his great love of art, has been a quick and keen observer of nature, who has lived with and loved animal nature, and made friends and companions of the dog and horse and bird. And of such, how few there are! We like to amuse ourselves for an idle moment with any live thing that has grace and color and strength. We like to show our wealth in fine equipages; to be followed by a fond dog at our heel, to hunt foxes and bag birds, but we like all this merely in the way of ostentation or personal pleasure. But as for caring really for animals, so as to study their happiness, to make them, knowing us, love us, so as to adapt ourselves to themselves, is quite another thing. Mr. Hamerton has observed to much purpose, for he has a curious sympathy with the "painful mystery of brute [Transcriber"s note: This is where the text ends.]
FOOTNOTES:
[1] This publisher was not a member of the firm of Messrs. W. Blackwood & Sons, who afterwards purchased the copyright of _Wenderholme_, nor was the story ever offered to him; but his opinion had great influence with the author on account of his large experience.
[2] Careful.
[3] Spent.
[4] Slake; it is good slake--it slakes thirst well. The expression was actually used by a carter, to whom a gentleman gave champagne in order to ask his opinion of the beverage.
[5] Till.
[6] Almost.
[7] Quiet.
[8] Seek.
[9] "Some and glad" is a common Lancashire expression, meaning "considerably glad."
[10] The possessive is omitted in the genuine Lancashire dialect.
[11] Perhaps.
[12] All the. In Lancashire the word _all_ is abbreviated, as in Scotland, to a", but p.r.o.nounced _o_.
[13] Value.
[14] Without.
[15] Push beyond.
[16] For the information of some readers, it may be well to explain that the epaulettes of flank companies, which were of a peculiar shape, used to be called wings.
[17] The reader who cares to attain the perfection of Mrs. Ogden"s p.r.o.nunciation will please to bear in mind that she p.r.o.nounced the _d_ well in "soldiers" (thus, sol-di-ers), and did not replace it with a _g_, according to the barbarous usage of the polite world.
[18] The reader will please to bear in mind that _who_ means _she_ in the pure Lancashire dialect.
[19] Half.
[20] The reader will remember that the best part of the estate had been mortgaged to Mr. Jacob Ogden.
[21] Where hast thou been.
[22] Nothing but what is right.
[23] Have.