Girlhood and Womanhood

Girlhood and Womanhood, by Sarah Tytler

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Title: Girlhood and Womanhood The Story of some Fortunes and Misfortunes
Author: Sarah Tytler
Release Date: August 29, 2006 [EBook #19140]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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GIRLHOOD and WOMANHOOD
The Story of some Fortunes and Misfortunes
BY SARAH TYTLER
AUTHOR OF "PAPERS FOR THOUGHTFUL GIRLS," "CITOYENNE JACQUELINE," ETC. ETC.
LONDON WM. ISBISTER, LIMITED 56, LUDGATE HILL 1883

CONTENTS.
PAGE I. CAIN'S BRAND, 1
ON THE MOOR, 1
THE ORDEAL, 16
"HE LAY DOWN TO SLEEP ON THE MOORLAND SO DREARY," 29
MERCY AND NOT SACRIFICE, 37
II. ON THE STAGE AND OFF THE STAGE, 62
THE "BEAR" AT BATH, 62
LADY BETTY ON THE STAGE, 72
MISTRESS BETTY BECOMES NURSE, 77
MASTER ROWLAND GOES UP TO LONDON, 86
MISTRESS BETTY TRAVELS DOWN INTO SOMERSETSHIRE, 90
BETWEEN MOSELY AND LARKS' HALL, 96
III. A CAST IN THE WAGGON, 108
DULCIE'S START IN THE WAGGON FOR HER COMPANY, 108
TWO LADS SEEK A CAST IN THE WAGGON, 113
REDWATER HOSPITALITY, 122
OTHER CASTS FOLLOWING THE CAST IN THE WAGGON, 134
DULCIE AND WILL, AT HOME IN ST. MARTIN'S LANE, 151
SAM AND CLARISSA IN COMPANY IN LEICESTER SQUARE, 158
STRIPS SOME OF THE THORNS FROM THE HEDGE AND THE GARDEN ROSES, 161
IV. ADAM HOME'S REPENTANCE, 167
WILD, WITTY NELLY CARNEGIE, 167
A GALLANT REBUFFED.--NELLY'S PUNISHMENT, 172
A MOURNFUL MARRIAGE EVE, 177
NELLY CARNEGIE IN HER NEW HOME, 179
NELLY'S NEW PASTIMES, 185
THE LAIRD CONSCIENCE-SMITTEN, 186
BLESSING AND AFFLICTION.--ADAM HOME'S RETURN, 192
THE RECONCILIATION AND RETURN TO STANEHOLME, 197
V. HECTOR GARRET OF OTTER, 202
THE FIRE, 202
THE OFFER, 211
THE NEW HOME, 228
THE PAGES OF THE PAST, 236
THE MOTHER AND CHILD, 248
THE STORM, 259
VI. THE OLD YEOMANRY WEEKS, 268
THE YEOMEN'S ADVENT.--PRIORTON SPRUCES ITSELF UP, 268
A MATCH-MAKER'S SCHEME, 275
A MORNING MEETING AND AN EVENING'S READING, 280
THE BALL, AND WHAT CAME OF IT, 293
VII. DIANA, 302
AN UNDERTAKING, 302
THE FULFILMENT, 311
HAZARD, 316
THE LAST THROW, 323
VIII. MISS WEST'S CHRISTMAS ADVENTURE, 337

CAIN'S BRAND
I.--ON THE MOOR.
Cain's brand! that is no fact of the far past, no legend of the Middle Ages, for are there not Cains among us; white-faced, haggard-featured Cains to the last? Men who began with a little injury, and did not dream that their gripe would close in deadly persecution? Cains who slew the spirit, and through the spirit murdered the body? Cains unintentionally, whom all men free from the stain of blood, and to whom in the Jewish economy the gates of the Cities of Refuge would have stood wide open, yet who are never again light of thought and light of heart? On their heads the grey is soon sprinkled, and in the chamber of their hearts is drawn a ghastly picture, whose freshness fades, but whose distinct characters are never obliterated.
Of this class of men, of hot passions, with rash advisers, who meditated wrong, but not the last wrong, victims of a narrow, imperious code of honour, only to-day expunged from military and social etiquette, was the Laird of the Ewes. Many of us may have seen such another--a tall, lithe figure, rather bent, and very white-headed for his age, with a wistful eye; but otherwise a most composed, intelligent, courteous gentleman of a laird's degree. Take any old friend aside, and he will tell, with respectful sympathy, that the quiet, sensible, well-bred Laird, has suffered agonies in the course of his life, though too wise and modest a man to hold up his heart for daws to peck at, and you will believe him. Look narrowly at the well-preserved, well-veiled exterior, and you will be able to detect, through the nicely adjusted folds, or even when it is brightened by smiles, how remorse has sharpened the flesh, and grief hollowed it, and long abiding regret shaded it.
Twenty years before this time, Crawfurd of the Ewes, more accomplished than many of the lairds, his contemporaries, and possessed of the sly humour on which Scotchmen pride themselves, had been induced to write a set of lampoons against a political opponent of his special chief. He was young then, and probably had his literary vanity; at least he executed his task to the satisfaction of his side of the question; and without being particularly broad and offensive, or perhaps very fine in their edge, his caricatures excited shouts of laughter in the parish, and in the neighbouring town.
But he laughs best who laughs last. A brother laird, blind with fury, and having more of the old border man in him than the Laird of the Ewes, took to his natural arms, and dispatched Mr. Crawfurd a challenge to fight him on