-
Articles/Ads
Article CATHERINE CARMICHAEL; on, THREE YEARS RUNNING. ← Page 2 of 15 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Catherine Carmichael; On, Three Years Running.
years . This Peter Carmichael , who was now nearly fifty , had for many years been closely connected with Baird , and at one period had been in partnership with him at the diggings . John had heard of Baird and Hokitika , and when the quarrel had become , as he thought , unbearable , he had left the Canterbury sheep-farm , and had tried his fortune in a gold-gully . Then Baird died , and what friends there were laid their heads together to see how
best the famdy should be maintained . The boys , and John Carmichael with them , would stick to the gold . Word carae out from the aunt in Scotland that she would do what was needed . Let the burden not be made too heavy for her . If it were found necessary to send children home , let them , if possible , be young . Peter Carmichael himself came across the mountains to Hokitika and arranged things for the journey;—and before he left , he had arranged things also for Catherine . Catherine should go with him across the mountains , and live with him at Mount Warriwa , —as his home was called , —and be his wife .
Catherine found everything to be settled for her almost before she was able to say a word as to her own desire in the matter . It was so evident that she could not be allowed to increase the weight of the burden which was to be imposed upon the aunt at home J It was so evident that her brothers were not able to find a home for her ! It was so evident that she could not live alone in that wild country ! And it seemed also to be quite evident that John Carmichael had no proposition of his own to make to her ! Peter Carmichael odious to her
was , but the time was such that she could not allow herself to think of her own dislikings . There had never been a word of overt outspoken love between John Carmichael and Catherine Baird . The two were nearly of an age , and , as such , the girl had seemed to be the elder . They had come to be friends more loving than any other that either had . Catherinein those gloomy daysin which she had seen her father perishing and her
, , brothers too often straying in the wrong path , had had much need of a friend . And he had been good to her , keeping himself to sober , hard-working ways , because he might so best assist her in her difficulties . And she had trusted him , begging him to watch over the boys , and to help her with the girls . Her conduct had been beyond all praise ; and he also , —for her sake following her example , —had been giod . Of course she had loved him , but of course she had not said so , as he had not chosen to speak first .
Xhen had come the second death and the disruption . The elder Carmichael had come over , and had taken things into his own hands . He was known to be a very hard man , but nevertheless he spent some small sums of money for them , eking out what could be collected from the sale of then- few goods . He settled this , and he settled that , as men do settle things when they have money to spend . By degrees , —not very slowly , but still gradually , —it was notified to Catherine that she might go across the mountainsand become mistress of
, Warriwa : It was very little that he said to her in the way of love-making . " You might as well come home with me , Kate , and I'd send word on , and we'll get ourselves spliced as we go through Christehurch . " When he put it thus clearly to her , she certainly already knew what was intended . Her elder brother had spoken of it . It did not surprise her ; nor did she start back and say at once that it should not be so .
From the moment in which Peter Carmichael had appeared upon the scene all Kate ' s intimacy with John seemed to come to an end . The two men , whose relationship was distant , did not renew their quarrel . The elder , indeed , was gracious , and said something to his younger kinsman as fo the expediency of his returning to Warriwa . But _ John seemed to be oppressed by the other ' s presence , and certainly offered no advice as to Kate's future life . Nor did Kate -a word to himWh first allusion
say . en an to tho suggested marriage was made in her presence she did not dare , indeed , to look at him , but she . could perceive that neither did he look at her . She did not look but yet she could see . There was not a start , hot a change of colour , not a motion even of her foot . He expressed no consent , but she tola herself that , by his silence ,-he gaveit lhere was no need for a question , even had it been possible that she should ask one -
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Catherine Carmichael; On, Three Years Running.
years . This Peter Carmichael , who was now nearly fifty , had for many years been closely connected with Baird , and at one period had been in partnership with him at the diggings . John had heard of Baird and Hokitika , and when the quarrel had become , as he thought , unbearable , he had left the Canterbury sheep-farm , and had tried his fortune in a gold-gully . Then Baird died , and what friends there were laid their heads together to see how
best the famdy should be maintained . The boys , and John Carmichael with them , would stick to the gold . Word carae out from the aunt in Scotland that she would do what was needed . Let the burden not be made too heavy for her . If it were found necessary to send children home , let them , if possible , be young . Peter Carmichael himself came across the mountains to Hokitika and arranged things for the journey;—and before he left , he had arranged things also for Catherine . Catherine should go with him across the mountains , and live with him at Mount Warriwa , —as his home was called , —and be his wife .
Catherine found everything to be settled for her almost before she was able to say a word as to her own desire in the matter . It was so evident that she could not be allowed to increase the weight of the burden which was to be imposed upon the aunt at home J It was so evident that her brothers were not able to find a home for her ! It was so evident that she could not live alone in that wild country ! And it seemed also to be quite evident that John Carmichael had no proposition of his own to make to her ! Peter Carmichael odious to her
was , but the time was such that she could not allow herself to think of her own dislikings . There had never been a word of overt outspoken love between John Carmichael and Catherine Baird . The two were nearly of an age , and , as such , the girl had seemed to be the elder . They had come to be friends more loving than any other that either had . Catherinein those gloomy daysin which she had seen her father perishing and her
, , brothers too often straying in the wrong path , had had much need of a friend . And he had been good to her , keeping himself to sober , hard-working ways , because he might so best assist her in her difficulties . And she had trusted him , begging him to watch over the boys , and to help her with the girls . Her conduct had been beyond all praise ; and he also , —for her sake following her example , —had been giod . Of course she had loved him , but of course she had not said so , as he had not chosen to speak first .
Xhen had come the second death and the disruption . The elder Carmichael had come over , and had taken things into his own hands . He was known to be a very hard man , but nevertheless he spent some small sums of money for them , eking out what could be collected from the sale of then- few goods . He settled this , and he settled that , as men do settle things when they have money to spend . By degrees , —not very slowly , but still gradually , —it was notified to Catherine that she might go across the mountainsand become mistress of
, Warriwa : It was very little that he said to her in the way of love-making . " You might as well come home with me , Kate , and I'd send word on , and we'll get ourselves spliced as we go through Christehurch . " When he put it thus clearly to her , she certainly already knew what was intended . Her elder brother had spoken of it . It did not surprise her ; nor did she start back and say at once that it should not be so .
From the moment in which Peter Carmichael had appeared upon the scene all Kate ' s intimacy with John seemed to come to an end . The two men , whose relationship was distant , did not renew their quarrel . The elder , indeed , was gracious , and said something to his younger kinsman as fo the expediency of his returning to Warriwa . But _ John seemed to be oppressed by the other ' s presence , and certainly offered no advice as to Kate's future life . Nor did Kate -a word to himWh first allusion
say . en an to tho suggested marriage was made in her presence she did not dare , indeed , to look at him , but she . could perceive that neither did he look at her . She did not look but yet she could see . There was not a start , hot a change of colour , not a motion even of her foot . He expressed no consent , but she tola herself that , by his silence ,-he gaveit lhere was no need for a question , even had it been possible that she should ask one -