The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1867-08-02

Smoking Flax.

Near the hour of sunset one Satur-
day evening, at the close of the first
month of summer, a wretched aud dis
reputoble-looking woman stood hover
ing around a churchyard- gate, and
gazing with claspod hands and stream
ing eyes within
The church, which is a large gray
colored one, stands ut the corner of
Athanasius avenue and Seventh street.
in the bright little city of Abbeville,
Pennsylvania. 1t is built of brick. and
simply plastered over, so as in some
approximate fashion to resemble stone
work; but at a distance, and, indeed,
upon near view. is somewhat impos-
ing IN appearance. 1t is two-stories
high, the lofty windows upon the sec
ond floor opening into the body of the
church, and the low square ones upon
the ground floor admitting light into
the sabbath school and Bible class
rooms. These arc both spacious and
well attended. Perhaps il few cities
is a greater Sabbath-school interest
fostered by the pastor of church than
IN Ahbeville. The ascent to the sec
ond story, or to the portico which is
on level with the magnificent vesti-
bule, opening Immediately into the
body Of the church, is by means of two
flights Of very wide marble steps at
opposite sides of the church, and with l.
in the limits Of the facade Six Doric
columns are sentinelled along this
porticoi and it is these columns and
the width and height they encompass,
from side to side and from pediment
to pedestal, which render majestic the
exterior of the Church of ST. Timothy.
The graveyard in the rear of the
church, the open space before it, and
the narrower spaces on both sides, are
enclosed by low brick wall, into
which, in front, have been inserted
slender iron balusters. These permit
the passer-by to see the few delicate
colored serious-looking flowers with
which the grass-plat in front of the
church is adorned An iron gate, at
each end of these balusters, opens up
on a tagged path which cordcts to the
flight OF steps.
1t was neither upon the flowers, nor
the gyass-plot, nor the tombstones,
nor upon any portion of the venerable
but well preserved temple, that the
eyes of the woman of whom we have
spoken were fixed Groups of limo
cent and laughing children were chat
tering together on the portico, and
seemed to have just issued from the
church itself She could not hear
what they said, but it was evident they
were very happy, and that is one rea-
son why the woman wept. In few
moments they came running down the
steps in groups Of twos and threes, all
talking and laughing at once; all
dressed in new, expensive clothes; all
full OF the exquisite charm Of childish
freedom and gentility. Such scarlet
lips, such sparkling eyes, such wavy
hair, such soft, pure skins, such sweet
and happy laughter the woman
yearned to put forth her hand only to
touch a hem in the robe, seam IN the
garment, the end Of neck tie around
the white throat of one of these beau
tilul and elegant children. Then, as
the groups passed her, and went by IN
bright cloud of gleeful badinage,
without a glance toward or a thought
about her. she covered back as though
to shrink out OF sight Of the sunlight,
and looked after them without n mo-
ton, but with many quiyering signs.
1t was plain that no ordinary motive
had attracted her to this spot, for she
had been huttering around there for
nearly an hour. Sometimes, when she
fancied she might be attracting atten
ton. she had walked up the street for
half a square. Once she had made
the entire circuit of the block on which
the Church of st. Timothy and the
neiohboring houses are built. But
she had always returned to this one
spot by the open gate, and gazed, win
the same longing look, within. NOW
that the children had gone, the 'cast-
ina expression, that her face had worn,
rippled away, although suspense and
anxiety remained. She looked and
acted as though she wished to DO
something that she feared to do and
shrank from doing. Once she set foot
within the open gateway and advanced
n step into the churchyard. Then,
suddenly turning round, she almost
ran out again, pulling her bonnet
further over her head, and neryonsiy
clutehing her fingers together Hall
an hour more passed in this irresolu-
ton and the spasmodic futile attempts,
to which it gave rise, AT length as II
desperate and angry with her own