More Pages from a Journal

More Pages from a Journal

The Project Gutenberg EBook of More Pages from a Journal, by Mark
Rutherford (#5 in our series by Mark Rutherford)
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Title: More Pages from a Journal
Author: Mark Rutherford
Release Date: September, 2004 [EBook #6404] [Yes, we are more than
one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on December 6,

2002]
Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, MORE
PAGES FROM A JOURNAL ***

Transcribed from the 1910 Oxford University Press edition by David
Price, email [email protected]

MORE PAGES FROM A JOURNAL WITH OTHER PAPERS

Contents:
A Bad Dream 
Esther Kate Radcliffe 
Mr. Whittaker's Retirement

Confessions of a Self-tormentor 
A letter to the 'Rambler' 
A
letter from the Authoress of 'Judith Crowhurst' 
Clearing-up after a
storm in January 
The end of the North Wind 
Romney Marsh
Axmouth 
The Preacher and the Sea 
Conversion July 
A Sunday
morning in November 
Under Beachy Head: December 24th 

December Dreaming 
Ourselves 
The Riddle 
An Epoch 
Belief

Extracts from a diary on the Quantocks 
Godwin and Wordsworth
Notes 
Shakespeare

A BAD DREAM

Miss Toller, a lady about forty years old, kept a boarding-house, called
Russell House, at Brighton, in a dull but genteel part of the town--so
dull that even those fortunate inhabitants who were reputed to have
resources in themselves were relieved by a walk to the shops or by a
German band. Miss Toller could not afford to be nearer the front. Rents
were too high for her, even in the next street, which claimed a sea-view
sideways through the bow-windows. She was the daughter of a farmer
in Northamptonshire, and till she came to Brighton had lived at home.
When she was five-and-twenty her mother died, and in two years her
father married again. The second wife was a widow, good-looking but
hard, and had a temper. She made herself very disagreeable to Miss
Toller, and the husband took the wife's part. Miss Toller therefore left
the farm at Barton Sluice, and with a little money that belonged to her
purchased the goodwill and furniture of Russell House. She brought
with her a Northamptonshire girl as servant, and the two shared the
work between them. At the time when this history begins she had five
lodgers, all of whom had been with her six months, and one for more
than a year.
Mrs. Poulter, the senior in residence of the five, was the widow of a
retired paymaster in the Navy. She was between fifty and sixty, a big,
portly woman. After her husband was pensioned she lived in Southsea.
As he belonged to the civilian branch, Mrs. Poulter had to fight
undauntedly in order to maintain a calling acquaintance with the wives
of executive officers, and in fact the highest she had on her list was a
commander's lady. When Paymaster Poulter died, and his pension
ceased, she gave up the struggle. She had no children, and moved to
Brighton with an annuity of 150 pounds a year derived from her
husband's insurance of 2000 pounds, and a life interest in some
property left by her mother.
Mr. Goacher was a bachelor clergyman of about forty. He read prayers,
presided over the book-club, and by a judicious expenditure of oil
prevented friction between the other boarders. It was understood that he
had been compelled to give up clerical duty by what is called
clergyman's sore-throat. It was not known whether he had been vicar,
rector, or curate, but he wore the usual white neck- band and a soft, low

felt hat, he was clean-shaven, his letters were addressed 'Reverend,' he
was not bad-looking; and these vouchers were considered sufficient.
Mrs. Mudge was the widow of a tradesman in London. She was better
off than any of the other lodgers, and drank claret at twenty shillings a
dozen.
Miss Everard, the youngest of the party, was a French mistress, but
English