“ NEW AND OLD:” FOR THE SHOP AT CINDER END. By E. L. CHAMBERLAIN, AUTHOR OF “UNITY LocKE,” &c. CHAPTER XIII. 5 HRISTMAS was fast drawing near, and Aunt Susan did not look forward to it with very much pleasure, for everything here would be so different from Meadham Christmases. First there was the church; there it was so carefully made beautiful for the day, and the services were especially bright and hearty; pains were taken to let everyone understand, even the smallest child, that Christmas joy springs from the fact that “the Word was Made Flesh, and dwelt among us.” At Rose Bank the services were like those on an ordinary Sunday—so Joe said; and that meant that they were dull and heartless, and that the people listened as if the prayers, and psalms, and hymns, only concerned the clergyman, and the men and women who formed the choir; and the whole business, sermon included, was a performance that had to be got through every week, as best it might. The church would be very hot and stuffy; for the Vicar, being old and chilly, had enormous fires kept up in the ugly black stoves that stood against the walls in different parts of the building; and the sermon would be very long, and neither interesting nor easy to follow: if Susie were her aunt's companion, she would yawn; if it were Louie, she would fidget at first, and then grow white and faint in the oppressive atmosphere. At Cinder End the shop windows were full of currants, raisins, and candied-peel; while Mrs. Crane was distracted by anxiety as WOL. XII. N to whether a goose or a piece of prime beef would be best for the Christmas dinner, and it was clear that she would never be persuaded to go to church on the festival day. Besides these, there was only one other sign that Christmas was so near ; this was a great placard pasted on all the walls, announcing that a Banquet would be held in the barracks of the Salvation Army at Rose Bank. I should be ashamed to repeat the words in which the invitation was given; they were so blasphemous that many of the roughest Cinder End people were disgusted by them; ... and it shook Mrs. Crane's belief in the Army, which she had declared “must be some good, else a religious person like Miss i. wouldn't have joined it, and look what it had done for Bess aker l’’ One Sunday evening, about a fortnight before Christmas, Joe came home to supper, rubbing his hands, and beaming with good humour. “I’ve got some news,” he said; “who can guess what it is 2" No one could guess, so he had to tell; “We're going to have some new neighbours.” “Is that all 2" cried Louie in disgust. “Neighbours indeed we never get any sort of folks come to Cinder End that you may call neighbours.” “Ah, but there are some coming now ! Really first-rate sort of people, I can tell you ! You know that row of houses that was sold the other day, Mother? I mean those behind Dog Lane that were put up to auction because the owner died ?" * “Yes, I know; but there can't be anyone coming there that would make any difference to us.” “Wait a bit,” said Joe, “it isn't anyone that's coming to those places that I mean. That property and those old works down at the bottom of Dark's Alley have been bought by the New National Iron Company that have those big works between Coalhampton and Rose Bank. They are going to open the old works as soon as ever they can put them in order, and the cottages are to be pulled down and some new furnaces put up where they stand.” “Well, I never !” gasped Mrs. Crane in surprise; “it ought to do the place some good any way, and bring more custom to the shop. I'm always afraid though that if times got a bit better here, someone will be setting up against us!" “I should never be surprised if old Watkiss opened a branch shop here,” said Joe; “I only wonder he hasn't done it long ago; but we needn't be afraid even if he did—the people know very well that we keep good things, and deal fair. But about these new works; they'll have to send someone to manage them of course, and I'm glad to hear it's to be Mr. Morris, Johnson's uncle.” “Oh indeed; well I daresay then he'll be a nice respectable sort of man that one can neighbour with. Is he married, or single 2" “He’s a widower.” “Has he any family 2” THE SHOP AT CINDER END. 311 “Yes,” said Joe, looking into the bottom of his tumbler; “Give me another glass of beer, Susie.” “I hope there is a whole lot of them It would make it a bit more cheerful,” said Louie. “There's only one though.” “A son or a daughter? Why don't you speak out, Joe 2 you seem all of a sudden as if you didn't like to tell! What's the matter?” Aunt Susan looked up, and saw a faint red colour on her nephew's sallow cheeks; a thought struck her directly, and she smiled, but said nothing. “It's a daughter,” said Joe, “she is about Susie's age, I should think.” “Oh, I'm so glad she's young. Is she pretty, Joe, and nice?” Joe scraped his throat, as if he were very hoarse. “Y-yes,” he said slowly, “she isn't bad-looking, and I believe she is very—well —very good and nice, and all that.” Then he hastened on as if relieved to change the subject, “I’ve something else to tell you besides this about the Morrises. Johnson said to-day that he'd been thinking about you, Aunt Susan, and how you wouldn't much like the services at Rose Bank on Christmas day, and he was so kind as to propose that I should drive you over, and mother and one of the girls if they could go, and he'd have some tea ready for you at his lodgings, because we should have to start early you know, and we could all go to the morning service at All Saints, and then he'd have a bit of luncheon for us when we came out, and there'd be time for us to go and hear the carols sung afterwards, before we started home again. What do you think of it, Aunt” Aunt Susan could not answer this question at once; the plan was so delightful, so exactly what she would have enjoyed, but was not it her duty to give it up to please her sister-in-law 2 Maryanne could never feel as she felt about it, and would only be shocked at such an upsetting of her own ideas. Louie drew in a long breath, and could not speak; while Susie's eyes first lighted up, and then fell as they turned upon her mother. Mrs. Crane, as might be expected, was up in arms directly; “A fine idea indeed 1 and she was to spend Christmas at home by herself, she supposed, while they went out and enjoyed themselves | And all her trouble about the dinner would be thrown away, but she supposed folks was above eating good dinners nowadays; so long as they could scramble off to a strange church, and hear a lot of singing, they'd be content to have nothing but cold victuals on Christmas Day—it was downright heathen conduct, . she called it !” Aunt Susan and Susie both hastened to assure her that they would not think of going to Coalhampton if she disliked it; and they begged her not to vex herself about it, as of course Joe had: made no promise, and it was easy to write and tell Mr. Johnson, that they could not manage to go. But the more they tried to. soothe her, the more angry Mrs. Crane seemed, and the more. unreasonable things she said; then all at once, in a manner-that - N 2. seemed just as unreasonable as her objections, she gave way and declared that go they all must, and she should stop at home. What chiefly worked upon her was the sight of her youngest daughter's silent tears, as Louie for the first time in her life could find no sharp words with which to join in an argument, but sat with great drops welling up in her eyes, thinking of the beautiful sights and sounds which for once she might enjoy if it were not for mother's fancies. When Joe saw that his mother was coming round, and almost inclined to give her consent to the plan, he cunningly seized that moment to tell her that he had not yet finished all he meaut to say; his proposal was that Johnson should come back with them, and that they should all have supper instead of dinner, on the goose, as soon as they returned. “You must get a goose now, Mother; Johnson is very fond of goose, and he says he hasn't had one since he left home, years ago. I told him that you were a first-rate hand at cooking them. He generally spends Christmas day at his uncle's, but Mr. and Miss Morris are going to dine with some friends this time, and so poor Johnson won't get any sort of Christmas fare, unless you'll have him to supper, mothe !” This settled the matter at once with Mrs. Crane, for she lovedto hear her cooking praised, and she had never lost her old farm house hospitality; so that she was pleased to have a visitor, and thought it would seem lik old tines, when she was young, to have a friend come to see them now and then. The very next day a party of workmen arrived, and repairs, alterations, and new buildings were begun upon the property bought by the New National Iron Company. The nail trade was very bad that winter, and all the unemployed population of Cinder End crowded round to watch the proceedings: some begged to be taken on to fetch and carry for the masons, or when the manager came to see what progress had been made, they mobbed him, entreating to be given work when the factory should be open. Those who did not ask, or who could not get near to ask for work, fought with those who did. Altogether it did not seem as if the establishment of the new works would bring peace to Cinder End, even if it brought prosperity. Christmas Day came at last, and at half-past eight in the dull damp morning the light cart stood at the shop-door, and Mrs. Crane was busy packing all the party into it, warning them not to get wet, not to take cold, above all not to be late home for supper, which was to be quite early on account of Mr. Johnson, who would have to go back to Coalhampton that same night. When she had watched them drive away she turned back into the house, pleased #nd happy even though she was going to have a long day alone: happier than she would have been had she kept them all at home out of consideration for her own wishes. It was pleasant to remember how heartily they had all wished she was going with THE SHOP AT CINDER END. 818 them, and hoped she would not be lonely, and what warm kisses Susie and Louie had given her before they drove away. When she had had her own dinner she was going to take the remains of it, nicely warmed, and a mince pie, to the old woman whom Mrs. Baker used to live with ; she liked to think how much it would be enjoyed, and she said to herself that afterwards she could go to the end of the lane, and see how the Works were getting on : it would be a good chance to-day, when no one was there. Very quiet indeed she found it,-indeed she had seldom known Cinder End so quiet; the whole place seemed deserted except by a few old people and little children. “How quiet it all is, Mrs. Jones !” she said, when she had given the food to the old woman; “What has become of all the folks 2” “They be all gone to Rose Bank—something about this 'ere Army, I believe.” “Oh, that's it ! I suppose Miss Stubbs is gone, for I see her house is shut up.” “Aye, she was off early in the morning; I dunna know how she can stand it at her age, trapesing all over the country with a pack of young 'uns; I should think she'll be tired of it soon, they has a most all her money off her.” “Indeed I think she's gone quite silly,” returned Mrs. Crane. “My eldest daughter met her last week and said she looked very bad, and as if she didn't get near enough to eat; so as my children and my sister was all going to Coalhampton to-day, I sent and asked her to come and have a bit o' dinner with me middleday. It was all for her good, you know, not as I'm partic'lar fond of her company; and if you'll believe it, Mrs. Jones, she sent back a message that was down-right insulting. ‘She didn't want meat that perished, she said; as if she mightn't have known I always has my meat from Tompkins at Rose Bank, and he's the best butcher anywhere about here. Perished indeed !” repeated Mrs. Crane indignantly. “Yes, to be sure, to be sure,” said old Mrs. Jones, who had not the smallest notion what her visitor was talking about, which was not to be wondered at, perhaps, as Mrs. Crane herself had so completely misunderstood poor Miss Stubbs' message, and was so much hurt and offended when Susie brought it, that she had told the girl not to tell anyone else what Miss Stubbs said. Of course if Aunt Susan had heard it she could have explained that the message referred to a text in the Bible, teaching us that food for our souls is more important than food for our bodies; but it was not for some time afterwards that she heard how the kindly Christmas invitation was refused. Meanwhile at All Saints' Church, Aunt Susan and her two nieces had nice places found for them by Mr. Johnson, before he himself went to the vestry to put on his cassock and surplice. He fully understood Miss Crane's wish that on this, the first time Susie and Louie had attended a Church where everything was done as the |