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CHAPTER XXII.

LAST WORDS AT JOHN TOTTS'S COTTAGE.

S we began our story at John Totts's cottage, so we will end it there. It is just

five weeks after the above recorded ever memorable wedding-day on which Charles Fellowes was happily joined in marriage to Grace Manton, and a select party is met for tea, by special invitation, at the carver's cottage. This party consists of Squire Milvert, Mrs. Milvert, and Clara, Mrs. Grummerly and her nephew James, who has run down for a few days' holiday from his London lodging, where he has been carrying on his work as an engraver. The curious old parlour is looking as cheerful as well-polished oak and nosegays of such flowers as are in season can make it; while an abundant supply of home-fed and homecured ham, the freshest of eggs beautifully poached, admirable home-made bread, butter for the churning of which Mrs. Totts had a name all over the

country, and tea crowned with the richest of cream, formed a meal which needed no pressing on the guests.

"I make no apologies for our plain and homely country fare," said John Totts; "but to it, such as it is, you are all and each heartily welcome ;and I am proud to see you, squire, with your wife and daughter, content to sit down to such a table."

"Indeed," said Mr. Milvert, "we should not deserve to have any food at all if we were to despise such excellent provision as Mrs. Totts has now set before us. Such ham and eggs, bread and butter and cream, might tempt the daintiest and most fastidious."

"Yes," remarked Clara; "and your snow-white table-linen, Mrs. Totts, is so charmingly in keeping with the food that lies upon it."

"And

True, indeed!" exclaimed Mrs. Milvert. here is honey, too; such honey as one very seldom sees now-a-days.-Is it from your own bees, Mr. Totts?"

"Yes, ma'am, or rather from Sarah's," was his reply. "I must still call her Sarah sometimes. She took the bee-hives under her special care when she was with us. And pray notice the jar which holds the honey; it is a genuine antique, and came from

Egypt. But now, my honoured guests, pray fall to.
As our greatest of poets has it,—

'May good digestion wait on appetite,
And health on both.""

Then, after a simple grace from John himself, the meal began in earnest. When all had done full justice to the good and liberal provision prepared for them, the carver rose to his feet, and, having returned thanks to the Giver of all blessings in a few devout and simple words, said,—

"I must ask the attention of you all to what I am about to say. I shall not keep you long; but I am anxious that we should not separate till you have heard me. I want, first of all, to express to Squire Milvert in my own house my sincere and heartfelt thanks for the efforts he has been and still is making for the truest welfare of all who live in any way or degree under his influence.-Nay, sir, don't draw back from hearing and receiving these thanks, for they are merely your due. I have long been convinced that an estate is specially happy and privileged when the owner of it gives, as you have long been doing, every opportunity and encouragement to his people and poorer neighbours to raise themselves by their own honest and independent exertions and perseverance. I have myself experienced your kind sympathy and help on more

occasions than one, for which I now in my own house tender you my sincerest thanks. But I have

yet more to thank you for. I mean that you have made it evident to us all that your desire and aim are, not to foster in any, young or old, a cringing, servile, or self-seeking spirit--for this would be no gain to any one; but to encourage a spirit of manly independence, and self-respect, and self-help, and to bring forward ability and merit that they may obtain their proper reward. In doing this, sir, you have been indeed promoting the true interests and progress of your tenants and neighbours, especially of the young among them-such as our friend James Grummerly here and I feel it to be both my privilege and my duty to offer you thus my acknowledgments for the excellent stand you have thus taken and the line you have so successfully pursued. I cannot sit down, however, without adding my warmest thanks to Mrs. Milvert and your daughter for the very kind and hearty way in which they have always worked with you in carrying out your plans for the real happiness, prosperity, and progress of the people placed by God under your guidance and influence."

He sat down quickly, and the squire rose from his seat, evidently much moved, and spoke as follows:

:

"My good friends Mr. and Mrs. Totts, I most heartily thank you, for myself, Mrs. Milvert, and my

daughter Clara, for the excellent tea which we have all most thoroughly enjoyed. And now I must add how deeply gratified I feel by your kind appreciation, Mr. Totts, of my endeavours to encourage merit and real progress in my people, in the way of leading them to help themselves, and of striving to draw out talent wherever it has existed. I had rather have your expression of appreciation of my honest, though truly but very imperfectly carried out, plans and endeavours, than receive the most elaborate and fulsome congratulatory address from those who might have more command of laudatory style and language than yourself, but do not occupy a position so advantageous as yours has been for observing and forming a correct judgment on the efforts I have been making for the advancement, intellectually, socially, and morally, of my tenants and neighbours, especially among the workingclasses. Thank you, also, most sincerely, for your kind expressions regarding Mrs. Milvert and my daughter. I am sure that they both value them, and always will do so; and I believe they will be ever ready, if we be spared to one another, to cooperate with me in encouraging ability and rewarding merit. And now, as we are quite as it were a family gathering, I think our friend and neighbour Mrs. Grummerly would like to say a few words to

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