126 Life and Times of " The Druid" 



and the sudden contrast might have seemed 

 irksome, or even insupportable, had she not 

 fortunately found a large family of cousins, 

 that of the Rev. Mr. Preston, who had ten 

 sons and daughters, residing at Doncaster, 

 who received her with unwearied kindness 

 and affection. Business frequently called 

 "The Druid" away, and without the com- 

 panionship of her cousins, his deserted wife 

 would have been sorely tried by long spells 

 of solitude. 



At the end of eleven months a small house 

 fell vacant at the top of Hall Gate. It stood 

 just opposite to Mr. Preston's residence, and 

 just suited the moderate income of the young 

 couple. They contrived to furnish it very 

 comfortably for eighty-five pounds, which 

 they had saved out of " The Druid's " 

 earnings during the first year of their 

 marriage. The change of quarters was 

 effected in a strange and exceedingly 

 thrifty fashion. In the dusk of the evening 

 " The Druid " and his wife might have 

 been seen gliding up Hall Gate laden with 

 books, desks, household linen, hassocks, and 

 all sorts of heterogeneous personal belong- 



