MATTIE:—A STRAY.

BY F. W. ROBINSON

THE AUTHOR OF "HIGH CHURCH," "NO CHURCH," "OWEN:-A WAIF," &c., &c.

IN THREE VOLUMES

VOL. III.

LONDON:
HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS,
SUCCESSORS TO HENRY COLBURN,
18, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET.
1864.

The right of Translation is reserved.

LONDON:
PRINTED BY MACDONALD AND TUGWELL, BLENHEIM HOUSE,
BLENHEIM STREET, OXFORD STREET.

CONTENTS OF THE THIRD VOLUME.

BOOK VI. SIDNEY'S FRIENDS.

CHAPTER I. Mattie's Choice
CHAPTER II. Mattie's Adviser
CHAPTER III. The Old Lovers
CHAPTER IV. A New Decision
CHAPTER V. Ann Packet expresses an opinion
CHAPTER VI. Mr. Gray's Scheme

BOOK VII. SIDNEY'S GRATITUDE.

CHAPTER I. Maurice Hinchford in search of his Cousin
CHAPTER II. Maurice receives plenty of Advice
CHAPTER III. A Declaration
CHAPTER IV. More talk of Marriage and Giving in Marriage
CHAPTER V. Mattie's Answer

BOOK VIII. MORE LIGHT.

CHAPTER I. A New Hope
CHAPTER II. Mattie is taken into Confidence
CHAPTER III. Half the Truth
CHAPTER IV. All the Truth
CHAPTER V. Struggling
CHAPTER VI. Signs of Change
CHAPTER VII. Returned
CHAPTER VIII. Declined with Thanks
CHAPTER IX. Mattie, Mediatrix
CHAPTER X. Conclusion

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BOOK VI.

SIDNEY'S FRIENDS.

CHAPTER I.

MATTIE'S CHOICE.

There are epochs in some lives when the heart cracks or hardens. When humanity, wrung to its utmost, gives way, or ossifies. Both are dangerous crises, and require more than ordinary care; the physician must be skilful and understand human nature, or his efforts at cure will only kill the patient who submits to his remedies.

Man—we speak literally of the masculine gender at this point—though born unto trouble, finds it hard to support in a philosophical way. A great trouble that in nine cases out of ten shows woman at her best, transforms man to his worst; if he be a man of the world, worldly, he is dumbfounded by the calamity which has fallen upon him. It is incomprehensible why he should suffer—he of all men—and he wraps himself in his egotism—his wounded self-love—and thinks of the injustice and hardness that have shut him out from his labours.

Such men, heavily oppressed, do not give in to the axiom, that it is well for them to be afflicted; they will not bow to God's will, or resign themselves to it—their outward calmness is assumed, and they chafe at the Great Hand which has arrested them midway. Such men will turn misanthropes and atheists, at times.

Sidney Hinchford after all was a man of the world. In the world he had lived and fought upwards. There had been a charm in making his way in it, and the obstacles ahead had but