Mrs. Dorriman: A Novel. Volume 1 of 3Chetwynd, Henry Wayland, Mrs.
General
Mrs. Dorriman: A Novel. Volume 1 of 3
Chetwynd, Henry Wayland, Mrs.
Fiction
His first expense was, of course, machinery; his second storehouses; his
third was in experimenting how to extract the purple from the hills in a
satisfactory manner, and at small expense. Then it occurred to him that
growing the wool himself would be such a splendid idea! and quantities
of sheep were bought--without much reference to their keep--and his
first experience in connection with them was, that not having sufficient
turnips of their own they not unnaturally laid siege to those of their
neighbours, and so effectually, that heavy damages had to be met. Then
he had not taken into consideration that there was no railway near
him--and he had to procure carts to carry fuel to feed his engines.
Here he is spoken of in the singular number, but five people joined him
in this enterprise. There were some carpets made upon the principle of
primitive colours of no particular pattern; they were made of the best
wool, and would probably wear for a long time, but their ugliness was
their most salient feature; they cost an enormous sum of money to
produce, and the result of a struggling existence for three years was to
carpet his own house, much against his wife's inclinations, to provide
certain carpets for the other members, to sell a few at a loss, and to
collapse. Mr. Dorriman was not one of those men who, because they are
extremely sanguine at one moment, are proportionately depressed at
another. He bore disappointment with unflinching good humour, and was so
immediately interested in a new scheme that the sense of failure never
rested long upon him. In this instance, however, whether from failing
health or from some cause not evident, he was seriously affected. Though
he did not know it--he was the only one of the six investors who had any
real property, and the consequence was that the whole loss fell upon his
unfortunate shoulders.
To Inchbrae, his wife's little property, his thoughts turned. There he
went and there he died; and it was only then, as before said, that a
glimmer of reproach at her want of understanding touched his wife, and
she had kissed him tenderly.
The record in his book that troubled Mr. Sandford's peace was not any
written record, it was what was left blank. After detailing various
papers there came this:--
LETTERS FROM JOHN SANDFORD.
1. About the broken fences at Ardenthird.
2. " sale of larch-poles.
3. " advice on the subject of wool.
4. Papers and memorandums of his conversation about my wife's money.
5. Memorandums, written verbatim on same subject.
6. Certified copies, verbatim, on same subject.
7. Certified copies, verbatim, on same subject.
8. Transcribed conversation word for word.
9. Have not succeeded in seeing my father-in-law's will.
10. Copy of paper ... old Mr. Sandford.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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