m i imwiiii inn 11 iwiHimniii imrwni - f HEROES IN HUMBLE LIFE j I :: IN THE VILLAGE j Bythe.Lady Cathpvlne Pttlnes-Gnskell, Author of '-'Old Shropshire Life.'Etc. Ah?Mom Harper had Mveo. sil " ;J at tho Red farm . Pont want nothing dlffersjat, no told "My father WSJ here and tny grandfather, grand-father, and to lonve It. or the ?V. would bo the death of me and of mv olo's mlnstis. Mr Harper is some SO years of ;ige. All th.-n wo had have, gone before." h onco told me. "eons and daughter. they ho burled In Christendom and In Heathendom Heath-endom Harry died in Ingy flsWia the Queen soms twenty years an- Ufred be hurled in Ame.lky. and JlttW Sule her bo burled In Sllverlon. and law bieai jrer. there bi BW '?lUru, Ancoroua all dead, all dead. ' IK' " Mn nv old hob but It a.l fH happened so manv years ago tl at W very sorrows of his life seem-d lost In Um ""PerhapTyou have grandchildren?" 1 .aid by way of suggesting thouEht "Greal sranctehTtaers. ho, cor rooted, "two leastways what i Know. :,nd loves, tl,.- r. t I"- fiKi" Am- '-leant '-leant and a arajidson in Austi all .i. n like em English and Shropshire brM. "T-Buttell me about your Bntfish grand- children. I said, for 1 saw- tho old nan would like to talk about them UJ ' 1 K$nom had lighted his pipe raked up the ng fire and had all the w.iyj of a man who had something to U-i. n milled aoftly. "TlW 'T,",v s,tid slmph. "they be blows to me and to my old missus ' . no they live with you? hv -Sure enough Whers 'orjli ' und. r better to grow tip proper men than uncur, the Clee In old Shropshire? Then there was a pause. "Yer be a lady as likes "torleS-Oldl kjekahaws and odd cbajmian a ' Well " said Mr Harper. "I haun t none nf hey. but I II tell yer a plain tale along of the nre-our fire ' Anna Of hla chair, smoothed round the- r,,.l- r.f Ms embroider, d ?n,ork and att r rx. i.rellndnan couch r.egnn his tale. T1 ' hi j ild is don l be lieve a there's nny pluck left o tne world used ui tl aa3 . bj eddlcation. ninoke and ate im but thi s are wrong, i don't hold to eddlcation myself, for n -mnctiv n kind of polish, and keeps more brc id o il of moUtha than ft II (: edi , bUt I do i Ids that Hi. re is K-Mid i .. .. good rat wl ;du. i: In m u y wnen they're put to t ho pin- h " Y; i new d 'tell ma your I story ' - l "It was fourteen ears nl" pm -u.-.i mv hoci "My son Harry had died as I rota a In rngj A lighting followed l)j fever Anvway II seemed to break our heart when i and the missus board it F..i- all he v.. is married hi wife Fanny and the iwo lads had slaved behind and Susanna mv missus, had never taken to Fanny 1 oghill as was. We thought her a bit flighty, blrd-pated and with useless, senseless town ways; cried out when the two year ji mp d In the i art and Bcri Hin d m ce fit to leap out of her skin When hei seed a mouse run In the baok kitchen here. Her hadn't been to slay slix e her came as a bride, and her was of flimsy town breed aa ean't brew, bake nor scrub. but claPS on finery and struts about In trailing skirts only nt for the quality ' Weil, we got a friend to write, Ml i T.,-biirt Hill aa Uvea over the v ay And ii the end m missus said 11 yer nave a mind. Fannv. come you here and your two lads Aaron and little Harry and a week after they wrote. There was a man Ihev said as wanted the shop In llaekney Road, and they could sell It well and they'd com", and so be If they d snli thev .1 ship At this the mlSSUS her crumbled and fussed a bit Rampaged in her chests, got out a lot of old things -amocka and a coverlid for each bed. and dnrned up a strip or two of carpel Miss is.' 1 -n,d. IT might b. the Muk hlsself as was coming. Yer puts orself In such a tumult T don't care for Fannv.' she said, 'but I wants the lads my Harry s lads." and her eyes got fair covered with dew for ail she was seventj years and odd Well they corned and I drove Into Brldgcnorth to meet 'em " 'Here we be ' said Fanny, and I seed her. smart r,s a new pin for all she was In black, and her two lads, and standing bv 'em a hugeous hideous great beast nf a doK Might keep two pigs Instead ' I flung baok. 'It Is only fit for his Lordship's Lord-ship's kennels, and then to use for a night dog again poachers.' bat Harry, he put his arm round the great hastes neck. 'Grand Daddy.' he says, 'let me keep Buller for SO papa named him, for if yer don't I'll never live with yer.' "Then Fanny said: "How dare yer speak rude like that to yr grand-fevther?' grand-fevther?' But Harry he looked so peart and roguish that I hadn't It In my heart to say him nay. So I said vlambcr in.' Mid somehow the gi.-it bnslo gut In nimhie as nim pi ni and squashed in bOr I ween the young una for all his size and awav we jogged. 'What'a the history f he? I asked of Aaron while Hlack Sam took us along at a decent rate Well it s hke this, grandpa, replied Aarnn; 'Buller he he nurse and companion com-panion and all to little Harry. When mamma minds tire shop she sa 'Buller. yer mind Harry and seo ho don't come to il" harm' and wlimi w- goe out Buller walks behind ami the big boys In London they dursn't come near, and If one was to pitch a stone at mother or Harry he'd go for them right enough.' " "What was Buller. what breed of dog?" "Yon shall see rlgbi enough, mam, but 7 had im shut up for he's a bit free with his' teeth when there's strange dog s about Thev told me as he was a V.i i of Danish mastiff and by the look of him he has a mighty strain of bull. "Grardchilder?." "Well, when wo got back the missus was right upset that beast would mess Icttchen and kill her tabby and be the . ath f her gulleys (young geeee), bul Harry he got over 'em nil. My missus and her old maid Sally and Phil Dykes the carter he went to them and cuddled tin-m. 'Let a poor man's dug b. how i an i sleep in this place without Buller " And SO for all Bull. r looked such a Turk he eoon showed that he was a decent dog enough, and didn't kill eat nr gosling or even make io hold as to come Into the missus' parlor without her leave. Well all went pretty smooth. Hurry was only f. but Aaron some 14 years. A timid cakey son. l feared. "The hill win get him right. the missus used to say, but I laughed at her. He takes nfter his mother,' I used to Hing out, 'and the barndoor bri ed are alius cakey : But her said: 'Give un time. Absalom, even blackberries on tho Cleo hedges can't ripen in a night ' so i in.ik un out, hollared hol-lared to 1 ' 1 1 m id un i da a ponj and help drlvln' In ..f the COWS, and sent uh out with Ne,l when the she.-n got lost In tho winter; but I was low and dispirited about 'lm for 1 like-; a lad with a b'.t of boun. -and a bit rowdy like mugs of beer that How over With B head, whereas Aaron ho . mad mui-i and mlsslshi Hull to talk to, given to readln', and to borrowing books off the curate; fond of putting things down on paper, and mad on Funis as pups be for boot-buttons. The little Parson." his mother called un, but 1 said: 'Fan, no little Parson for me, the plough and the team he i be trades for a Harpi r and if 'tis not too late we'll make a man yet of the lad ' 'Well," continued my old hoxt, "the lads went pretty much their own way us lads mostly do when they've got to deal with C.randfeythers and old folks. When one night I heard Just afore dawn a SOUnd like an organ let looso and growing to Itself. I started up and orled to my old wife- 'Missus. Missus what's that!' iirk amercy'1 .sin- cried, "tla that great dog gone mad Quick get thy gun. man 5 " ir it will be the death' of tho llttlo lads.' So I sllpt on rrry brccks and made down to where I keep Father's gun slung up near the kitchen dresser, and I was ramming ram-ming In a bullet as sharp as If I had been twenty when who should come down f but Aaron find as he pressed Into tie . ..ii. hen, I smelt the breath of Are. pome nock.' ho cried, or Harry will ho bttrnt,' foir Harry was la tbe little lofl chamber where wo kopt the cheeses and away froio the rest save tits mother who had a ii.-d next door With Snll, and Aaron he turned white as a sheet 'Listen.' he cried, Y r Buller 1 le-Is' on Qing for help. He ami, flurry be shut In and Mother i an t in, do the door.' "I hutr up that gun ifor .ill I was in a hurry." pin'sinsl m .del host. "'Twae no gladness tbien on the pgr! t the .i.K. but right down sense, and away 1 ran up the Btalrs Aaeon came on do- behind and there we fqund Pauny fit tr. kin herself, .ailing out- "I've looked the . 1 . .. r and can't get hftn out.' Oih'o.over with yer screeching.' 1 cried, nn.l turn to for siimmat io bveak "pen tb door, for kick .-s i wnd. It 'wouldn't gtt-'e nohow l fell hoi with desperation. 'Vhat's t be done.' I . rled, for bung as I warfjld the oak door WOUldnt gl'a an lin-h ' 'Tis the Weiak Who (Hear the Call. 1 "And Aaron he stood y me white as a sheet, and treDoa-Ung I thought with fear Peeing lun f. I lost my temper. One mo.Niiv aoea tlth le un or aummal When one s a brt w.ik one s relf. and I slajit 'im siraUrtit wnth the palm Of un hand, aaul I .allod, un a milksop, a livelier, liv-elier, and a cow rd. nnd 1 swore as my dad did when he onoO bllrtll hi- hand. but Agron he nevjer answered a word and wiis g.mo afore I had llnlsh.-d . living I wont on at the door bamnv-r and tongs like. mad. lit to b bnet mysell and all the while the great i east kept on hollaring insj.b- like a 'hrl. itlan, only 'twas In his .ywn dog tongue. Hid Harry he was orv-lng orv-lng lit to break lil lltth- lean calling out. 'HSfVO pity, mamma, havo pity, mamma. So I w-tnt down njnl i.m.U the pOker and the he Off the kitchen table qui was loose, but i hey made no Jrapres- - ' , slon on that door it might have been i e "f Iron for all the notice It took of ki k- or blows. Suddenly It got int., my head as an axe might do the job. and a l was goln' down I seed on the stairs as BOme im bad reared up a ladder agin the loft winder and my heart stopped still for Jov, and tho missus who was behind me screamed out: 'The Lord hava saved him.' and there was Aaron as 1 had alius thought such a milksop. BUUh a r ikey loicller; he it was that was to save OUf little darling's life And 1 Stopped Stop-ped Short and mv old missus hurst out Into tears and she .aught hold of my hand and her whispered: ris the wok s. an. ' linos Malster. as beans the call." nnd then we heard Aaron break the window smart and sharp and lump In: and then we heard him. i r iad, groan, for t b sm.,ke and the Homes lenpt out ..f the lofl Hke a hugeous bonfire bon-fire and we heard un totter and stumble for he seemed glddy-IIke, then we seed the great dog put ld9 head out of tin' window and In bis great laws he 1 .1.1 the llllle un. And my old missus rled 'Oh. lxrd If she should drop un.' but h" didn't, for Aaron got on the ladder nnd took llnrry In his arms. Then my mlaajUS her blest the dog and I've never thought him mrlv since, nnd we Seed Aaron go down the ladder carTyln' his little brother and when they got to the bottom thev kind of laughed, and for all thev wasn't girls, they KlBSed under the lais Then all was quiet save the howlln' of tbe great baste upstairs. "But Aaron he leemi d to think of everything like a .'heap Jack at n fair, and afore I or the missus could do ought, he had run Into the row-shed and comcd back with some armfuls of straw, nnd then he whistled sharp and shrill anil the great baste gave n whimper and h apt clean out and lighted on the straw, vn there was m damage .lone, and after that the farm hands eomed and they got In nnd put out the fire. "And al'le,- he had worked like ten, Aaron came buck and put his arms round Harry till Harry fell nsler-p and the missus said thnt hlfl face was most like an angers. I'm an old man. mnrm.'' continued Mr. Harper, "but I could fain cut r, it my hand for shame for having strmk amn that there blow, and T felt clean shy as I watched him nursing his little brother so quiet In tho night. When I went up to him he said' 'It was nought; It was all along of Buller' 'twas he as woke me.' "Then grandma she didn't speak, but she went straight In In the larder and her clean cut up her Saturday night take as had mixed In six good eggs and a good snap of butter, and her said 'C'omo bore, dog, thou hast done a good nights work.' and hi ! g ive the lot to Buller. Mr. Harper ceased speaking, and 1 said: " "HOW proud you must bo of tho boy." , "H. 's my son Harry's lad," replied tin-old tin-old man Next week: "Amongst the Fisher Folk," hv Athol Fotbefl. (Copytighl In the t'nited States of America.)