Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1867-09-05

1 ~ 49, S~~y 20 ''A~s~S - NS~S
mined woman of fifty might NJ
do. I'll look out for a new plae
; tomorrow"
'Dear me, Major, you have n
appetite" said Miss Patienc,
sweetly, at the dinner table.
"No, ma'am," said the Majof.
"Try to eat a little-just
please me, Major"
''No, | thank you, ma'am."
Y "Don't you know, Major, peopl
will say you are IN lone, if yo
don't eat more?" smiled the an
tiquated spinster.
| This was more than our her
could endure; he rose up and lef
Miss Pettigrew triumphant victo
of the wordy field.
81 won't 60 back to that hous
if I can help it, thought Majo
Teller, brushing the cold dev
away from his forehead with .
crimson silk pocket handkerchief
"Her intentions are serious; l know
they are"
| And the Major in his innermost
mind reviewed the catechism anc
hymns he had learned as child
trying to think if there was no,
some invocation particularly suit
ed to an elderly gentleman in
great peril and perplexity. But
he could not remember anything
appropriate to his particular case
otis twenty years since I've
been in the inside of a church, "
thought the penitent old offender.
81 wish | had gone a little more
regularly. / wonder if it's too
late in life to reformr"
For the Major, poor old gentle
man, had a vague idea that re-
ligion would be a sort of safe
guard against the wiles of his
fair enemy. Deliverance from
Miss Patience Pettigrew must be
obtained on some terms or other.
As Major Teller was frantical-
ly revolving these things in his
mind, he came to sudden and
involuntary standstill. There
was a crowd gathering in the
street--a fallen omnibus horse.
or an arrested pickpocket, or some
other nucleus, round which gath
ers the rapidly increasing swarm
Of metropolitan loafers. Now of
all things Major Teller most dread
ed crowd, and he looked around
nervously for some means of es-
cape.
An old-fashioned church, with
open doors and some sort of SER
vice going on inside, caught the
Majors eye. He made an instan-
taneous dart for. its huge Gothic
portals, shielded by inner doors
of green baize.
''It's good chance to think up
something solemn and appropriate,
and that sort of thing, until the
crowd get by" he thought, set
Ting himself in the corner of one
Of the softly cushioned pews to
listen to the mild, droning voice
Of the old clergyman.
The church was very warm,
and the light softened by the pur-
pie and golden crimson glass, was );
dim, and the clergyman's voice
rather monotonous, and Major
Teller was unconsciously becom-
ing rather drowsy, when a plump
old lady came in, and the sexton
beckoned him from his seat.
But the sermon was over and
the people were streaming down
the aisle, and the Major felt that
be didn't care to prolong the thing
and that he had done very laud-
able act in coming to church,
and
Even while these ideas were
passing indistinctly through his
brain, be was borne towards the
altar in an upward eddy of the
crowd and felt gaunt arm thrust |
through his.
"Protect me, Major! oh, save
mel" whispered Miss Patience
Pettigrew. "Pm Sc. feared in a
crowd alwaysp'
The Major strove to Withdraw |
his arm, but Miss Pettigrew would
not let him. They were standing
in front Of the altar arm /
n-arm. The minister, old and
,ear-sighted, and q little deaf, ad-
vanced-probably concluding that
lis services were required.