But it was Clarence's leisure
hours that we begrudged; though truly no one could be meeker than
this unlucky Lawrence Frith, nor more conscious of being an
insufferable burthen. I even detected a tear in his eye when
Clarence and Emily were singing 'Sweet Home.'
'Do you know,' said Clarence, on the second evening, when his guest
had gone to dress for dinner, 'I am very sorry for that poor lad.
It is only six weeks since he lost his mother, and he has not a soul
to care for him, either here or where he is going. I had fancied
the family were under a cloud, but I find it was only that old Frith
quarrelled with the father for taking Holy Orders instead of going
into our house. Probably there was some imprudence; for the poor
man died a curate and left no provision for his family. The only
help the old man would give was to take the boy into the office at
Liverpool, stopping his education just as he was old enough to care
about it. There were a delicate mother and two sisters then, but
they are all gone now; scarlet fever carried off the daughters, and
Mrs. Frith never was well again. He seems to have spent his time in
waiting on her when off duty, and to have made no friends except one
or two contemporaries of hers; and his only belongings are old Frith
and Mrs. Stevens, who are packing him off to Canton without caring a
rap what becomes of him.
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