England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction; Short stories, English
Standing at right angles between North Crabb and South Crabb, and from
two to three miles distant, was a place called Islip. A large village
or small town, as you might please to regard it; and which has not a
railroad as yet.
Years and years before my days, one Thomas Chandler, who had served his
articles to a lawyer in Worcester, set up in practice for himself at
Islip. At the same time another lawyer, one John Paul, also set up at
Islip. The two had no wish to rival one another; but each had made his
arrangements, and neither of them would give way. Islip felt itself
suddenly elevated to pride, now that it could boast of two established
lawyers, when until then it had not possessed one, but concluded that
both of them would come to grief in less than a twelve-month. At the
twelve-month's end, however, each was bearing steadily onwards, and had
procured one or two valuable land agencies; in addition to the legal
practice, which, as yet, was not much. So they kept themselves afloat:
and if they had sometimes to eat bread-and-cheese for dinner, it was
nothing to Islip.
In the second or third year, Mr. Chandler took his brother Jacob, who
had qualified for a solicitor, into the office; and subsequently made
him a partner, giving him a full half share. Islip thought it was an
extravagantly generous thing of Mr. Chandler to do, and told him he had
better be careful. And, after that, the years went on, and the Chandlers
flourished. The business, what with the land agencies and other things,
increased so much that it required better offices: and so Mr. Chandler,
who had always lived on the premises, moved into a larger and a
handsomer house some doors further up the street. Jacob Chandler had a
pretty little place called North Villa, just outside Crabb, and walked
to and fro night and morning. Both were married and had children. Their
only sister, Mary Ann Chandler, had married a farmer in Gloucestershire,
Stephen Cramp. Upon his death, a year or two afterwards, she came back
and settled herself in a small farm near Islip, where she hoped to get
along, having been left but poorly off. And that is enough by way of
explanation.
I was only a little shaver, but I remember the commotion well. We were
staying for the autumn at Crabb Cot; and, one afternoon, I, with Tod and
the Squire, found myself on the Islip Road. I suppose we were going for
a walk; perhaps to Islip; but I know nothing about that. All in a moment
we saw a gig coming along at a frightful pace. The horse had run away.
"Here, you boys, get out of harm's way!" cried the Squire, and bundled
us over the fence into the field. "Bless my heart and mind, it is
Chandler!" he added, as the gig drew nearer. "Chandler and his brother!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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