The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1866-11-02
John Redesdale's Sermon.
4 TALE OF TRUE LOVE AND ITS CONFLICT

u, N'' ile was tall young fellow.
with eyes as blue as eyes could be, and
yellow hair all of a kinky curl Clever
too, for he was clerk to the apothecary of
our town, and, some said, knew more
than the doctor himself. Every one spoke
well OF him, every one liked him. and he.
from the first day we met, liked me better
than any other OF the girls, though there
were many richer and prettier than | in
the place.
30 we went about a good deal together,
and where every one knew every BODY, it
soon began to be said that Ephraim Tuck
er was courting Clara Speer
/ For the matter of that, did not mind
hearin,. it said. was Il poor sirl and
made dresses for a living, and had hard
times often to please whimsical customers.
or to make them pay for work | had toll
cd over all night, and except spinster
aunt, who lived miles away, and whom |
saw hardly once III the year, had not a
relative on earth, and it was happy
thought that should be mistress of a
heart and home, and in time to come.
perhaps mother; and, to tell the truth.
my mind was rather set on being loved
and cherished by some one and that one
being Ephraim Tucker.
1t was not the way woman should
love her husband but | did not know it
then, for | was as ignorant of anv stron
ger liking as babe at its mothers bo-
| som,
Perhaps it might have gone on 50, and
| might have married him, and never
GUESSED there was more to hope or wish
ior, ii had kept to my work one bright
summer day, when E.pllraim came tapping
at the door, dressed i'll his best, to coax
me to leave it. There is Il camp meet-
lng III the woods" he said, land | want
YOU to 90 to it. Besides, its too fine a
day to stay in"
But, Miss Prue HOLSTERS dress. :" |
said, looking at the lilac silk | was stitch
ing.
plague take Miss IIollister.," said he.
'She has fifty dresses, without doubt.
Make her wait"
And he twitched it out of my hand and
hung it on a pee.
go dress yourself" he said, and sat
down to wait for me-
Well. the sun shone and the birds sung.
and | longed for the free air, and | obey
ed as we do obey orders We like SO in
half an hour we were walking arm in
arm. towards the woods, chatting merrilv.
" t never were sentimental.
There had been no romance in all our
acquaintance. | never expected if. and
he | fancy, never thought Of it, We
were both Method>ts. and this was, after
ali, something like a Sunday holiday max
mo and when we came into the wood,
it was Il very solemn thing to look across
the bowed heads of the kneeling people.
in the waverlng leaf shadow. and to hear
the PRAYER COIN" up to God from his own
temple, better than any church built bv
man. We knelt down with the rest and
sung with them. and went from group to
grOup until the sun was sinking, and the
exercises were suspended to give Il chance
for rest and tea-drnking.
Then all grew merry, and those who
came from a distance bestirrcd themselves
and kindled fires, and spread their meals
on the grass, and i'll the gray twilight the
flames of the burning wood-blue, gold
, and crImSon-and the dark figures OF
those about them, made thousand pref
ly pictures.
We had looked at them lone enough.
and were going home, when Il hand came
down on my shoulder, and 4 loud voice
cried:
You here, Clara Spccr Wa'al, !
declare How are you, Mr.. Tucker
= Come right along to our camp and have
tea with us do, now
. 1t was Deacon Blooms wife; ant
whether we would or no we went back
with her and found the deacon. all tho
children and two young men waitin,
e about a gypsy lire for the evening meal
> the deacon. divided between his sense o
: duty and his hunger, in a way that mani
. tested itself in his greeting.
''iiow are We, Sister Speer and Brother
. Tucker! Sit down: charmin' mcetin
:, we've had rcirc>hin' season (Ann Maria
). the kettles bilin.) Don't think | evel
necred nolhm' more spiritual than Broth
d cr Bees discourse addressed Itself to ~
= highc,t-( -\nn Maria, them Short-cake
!" will Sartinly burn et you don't turn sm =
!. YES. amazin' appeal twas the occasion
+ o the convarsion O seven souls. say
.r vile. now the hams done we'd better 50
by, hadn't we Brother Rede>dale sa
grlcc
lie At that one of the young men arose
le le and | looked at him for the first time
Can describe him | could tell vo
that he was not tall, and that be wa
dark, and that he had black eyes. in eac
OF which seemed to burn flame, and me
bile scarlet lips, and cheek that tiushe
and paled by turns. And then You woul
know nothing of him. 1t was face nc
=. to be described, but one that having bee
ID seen was never to be forgotten
.Atterward, As we ate and talked,
could not help looking at him again whe
t, his eyes We're turned away, and once
caught Ephraim staring at me, with h
face hot and, flushed and his eyes eli:
tening with anger. Not SO angry thong
rs they were while after, when job
~, X R'des'lHle and | were talking together
y Ihev trimhiennL mo tLnu for their hlr