The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1863-12-09
stienees @bueaioa, agritultnt Nlarhs 5masnal, DC


joyous ones, would have rung out ?l
My daughter could not bear it, be said
to them. ~ Ja r5siqa r5 ,i,b bsel
gs7 tsTrue, true,' they answered, struck
with compunetion, for their want of
thought. "Poor Miss Dudley What a
wedding day what wedding day r'ii d
The day dragged itself. on, and the
shades of evening began to fall. The
rectory that day had been like fair, peo-
pie tramping in and out of it. Hilton
Coombe made the calamity its own, and
pressed its friendly sympathy, its lament
lnss, on the rectory in person. Had tes-
timony been needed by Mr.. Dudley and
Lady Katharine of the worth of their in
tended son:in-law, of the estimation in
which he was held, that day would have
supplied it. Many case ofbenevolence,
exercised in his professional capacity, of
considerato kindness to the poor, which
otherwise would never have been held up
to the light, it was poured forth them
"Wh hat good man we have lost" breath
ed Lady katharine, as she wiped the
dews remorse from he troubled face.
How do you feel, my child?" whisper
ed the rector, approaching the sofa where
Annis sat so still and quiet, her head bent
In the dusk OF the evening
She turned aud laid it upon his arm,
not speaking. .
Remember our Fathers PROMISE he
continued, bending his lips ON her cold.
cheek. "As thy day is, so shall thy
strength be-" ,..fa. r.
"Yes, yes, papa, she breathed. 'It is
his strength which IS keeping me up, not,
mine" .a H-s.,L',. - f.F
That troublesome old j ohm again! The
rector was called out to him. Them
boughs, sir? BE they not to be got out
of the church tonight? It'll r.do to
let EN- stop in for service to- morrow.
The folks would do nothing but, stare at
EN-. bas5u 7d 5n-. ssIesss qfs H.
"For service to.morrow9pa mechanical
ly repeated MIR. Dudley. }
1''lt will be the lst of November, sir:.
,Ali.Saints' Day" s ss 3ae
In his great trouble, the rector had posi-
lively forgotten the fact For once in his
life the coming day, marked in the Church
calendar, had slipped his memory.
$40 be sure, to be sure,' he cried.
''Clear the eyergreens out at once, John.
1t is dusk. now, and you may escape spec
tators"
Old John took the keys, and made the
best of his way to the church. He had
barely entered it, when sharp knocking
came sounding right in his face, inside
the vestry door. =
"Lawk merck calculated he, star
tied half out of his senses. 7Tt
The knocking came again, sharper than
before. 1t may be that thought of
ghosts crossed Johns mind, causing him
to hesitate; to doubt whether he should
not run out of the church, bellowing,y and
alarm the neighborhood. But ghosts
don knock, or speak either; and this one
was calling cut, in Enthusiastically stentor-
ian tones, Let me out! Open the door!'
The vestry door--it has, however, been
explained, that though called the vestry
door, it was only the door of small place
leading to the svestry-opened from the
outside alone. The clerk turned the
latch, and--saw Mr. OLIVER. bsgi.sa
Heaven be good to us!'' he repeated.
sThen-are-you--n at the bottom of
the mill-stream, 'sir?}, .z..se' q "a ..la i
81 hope not" replied Mr.. OLIVER.
"Am supposed to-be there, John?"
We'll, yes" said John. 1.-The drags
have been at work all day; but they hav-
emit tished yousup yet s". .5a5 ls.t;A .
He sat down ON gravestons to overget
his astonishment, and stared at Dir. sulli
yer. That gentleman. did not, present a
very reputable appearance, inasmuch as
the front OF his black evening suit was a
mass OF mud, which had dried ON.
Have you been in there all this time,
sir?'' st o.s
"Yes, I have; since you quilted the
church, last mig hit, alter decorating it.
The story was sosn told. 1t was u very
simple one. In passing over the bridge
the previous night, Mr. OLIVER by some
means let fall his cane. Making spring
to catch it, he fell down upon the muddy
bank, hands and knees and clothes, and
slid downwards in the slippery mud.
The cane went floating along the stream,
and Mr.. OLIVER was sight to be- seen
in his state of mind. There was ne time
to look after the cane; poor Mrs. Key was
in urgent need of her medicines, and he
hastened on by the path leading throug oh
the churchyard. The lights and voices
in the church attracted him to enter; he
knew what they were doing, that merry
group, and he intended to treat himself to
secret peep. But, at the same nome mt,
the inner doors opened; Georgina Balme
came forth; and Mr. OLIVER, not caring
to be seen in his muddy attire, slipped
inside the open door ofthe vestry passage.
There he waited until the coast should
be clear again; and there he got--shut in.
1Oid John closed the door in passing it;
and it was only by the silence that super.
vcned that Mr.. oliver awoke at length to
the unpleasant fact that he was fast, and
the churcA empty. He tried the xestry
door, but that Was also iast-thanks to
the clerks habit of locking every place
mp; he shouted and knocked, but withou,
much hope vf being heard. In fact, there
was no probability that he could be heard;
the passage was az inner passage, and any
noise made in it would not be likely to
PEI citrate outside. And there he had re-
manned, with the best patience he could
call up.
Il should think you are hungry, sir, y
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