The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1860-10-03
Pshaw p said Mark

broad acres that he likes better.
AS if on arrow had pierced her very
heart Mary turned and left him.
When she reached her chamber she
threw herself into chair and burst
into tears.
! The old gray cat who had followed
her mistress up stairs, jumped into her
lap and rubbed her head lovingly
against Mary's hands.
0, puss !" she said crying most
heartily, Pm glad there's one in the
house to love me-"
When this good thorough cry was
over, Mary felt better. And as she
stood up in the moonlit room, folding
her shawl, pleasant thought seemed
to come to her, for smile broke ever
her face, like sudden sunshine after
April showers.
Yes, I will will do SO, she said
laying the folded shawl on the bureau,
and bringing down her hand upon it,
energetically. My father must learn
the lesson some time and why not
now p
What this lesson was, we shall see.
The rough repulse he had given his
child's generous confidence, troubled
Mark for many days afterward, and
was the secret spring of many new
plan for her Happiness. When the
next Friday night came, he secretly
hoped Mary would have the same com
pany hemeward, and when the time
drew near for her to be there, he lit
the two tall lamps on the mantel- piece
This made a most decided addition
to the ordinary illumination given to
to the room, by single candle in
pewter candlestick-addition enough.
Mark thought, as he rolled up the two
curtains to make the child understand
her companion was welcome if he chose
to come in.
For long while Mark sat uneasily
watching the face of the old-fashioned
clock in the corner, for Mary was
somewhat later than usual When
she came, however, she opened the
door SO gently that less watchful
ear would not have heard her at all.
She's bashful child, thought the
old man, and feels sort a'shy,' for he
truly thought the minister was in
the entry behind her, so he said
with more than common cheerfulness,
ASK him in Mary, ask him in.
There is nobody here father she
replied gravely. i came from Aunt
Sarah's alone.
Umpn / SAID MARK.
Mary made no allusion to either
lamps or windowcurtains, and after tel
ling her father, as she usually did, the
various items of news she had CLEANED
from Aunt Sarah, quietly withdrew,
and left him to his own meditations
As for Mark, he concluded Mary
had made mistake in thinking her.
self an object of special regard to the
new minister, and said to himself mus
ingly, as he laid down on his pillow:
'Umph ! wiser heads than yours,
child, make mistakes in their reckon
ing.
Whether Mary had made mistake,
we do not say, but it is certain that
the young minister thought he had,
when he came out into the church
porch that Friday evening, and found
her gone
On the next Wednesday the sew
ing circle was held, and the minister
was invited to tea. Now Mary was
there, and had left word at home for
the hired man to come for her in the
chaise at nine o'clock. The minister
made several ineffective att empts to
speak to her during the eavening, and
when he heard that the chaise had
come, and she was going to ride
home, he somewhat anxionsly followed
her into the entry, saying in an under
tone
I have been trying all the evening
to speak to you,' Gas if she did not
know it, adding, shall you be at home
tomorrow evening "a
Il shall be at Aunt Sarah's,' said
Mary, and she continued with a
rognish smile, Aunt Sarah will be
very CAD to see you there.
From that time, Mary spent all her
Thursday evenings at Aunt Sarah's,
and Miss Sykes, with whom the min
lister boarded, said she did not know
what it all ment, but there was one
evening in the week that the minister
went away without telling anybody
where he was going. And for her
part she must say, though she had
tried and tried, she could not find
out
One morning about month after
this, when Mark went down to the
village for groceries, Joe Smith the
grocer's son, said to him,
! We'll, Squire, how do You like the
new parson p
|Umph 'said Mark he's no great.
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