Page 180 - Fairbrass
P. 180

brothers  and  sisters,  and  the  mere  mention

                            of  his  name  stopped  many  an  angry  word,
                            and  bridged  over  countless  quarrels  the

                            moment  they  began.               In  due  season  Pax
                            took  up  his  abode  with  a  newly-married

                            couple  in  the  Little  House,  and  there,  as
                            may  be  understood,  his  sometime  little

                            master’s  name was  as  that  of  a  household

                            god.       Long  after  Fax  lay  buried  among
                            the  roots  of  the  twin  sister  Poplars,  those

                            cver-rustling  kindly gossips  bent  down,  as
                            far  as  their  stiffening  backs  would  let

                            them,  to  bid  cordial  welcome  to  another
                            little  boy  who  was  lucky enough  to call  the

                            sister  of  these  pages  mother,  and  her  lover

                            —for  he  was  one  of  those  who  was  more
                            than  ever lover as  husband—father*

                                 But  though  this  little  person  was,  by
                            an  admiring  crowd  that  included  grand­

                            parents,  mother  and  father,  of  course,
                            uncles,  aunts,  cousins,  relatives  in  all

                            degrees,  and  a  tremendous  conclave  of

                            friends,  declared  to  be  the  finest  specimen
                            of  humanity  ever  born  into  this  world,  he
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