The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-01-28
HsAEI1Y JOURNAL
STEPHEN ARCHER.
By GEORGE MACDONALD.

Stephen Archer was a stationeT,
bookseller, and newsmonger n one OF
the suburbs Of London. The news
papers hang in a sort of rack at his
door. as if for the convenience of the
public to help themselves in passing.
On his counter lay penny weeklies
and books coming out in parts,
mongst which the Family Herald
was in force, and the London Journal
not to be found. / had occasion once
TO try the extent of his. stock, for /
required a good many copies of one Of
S~hakspeare's plays-at q penny, If i
could find such. He shook his head,
and told me he could not encourage
the sale of such productions. This
pleased me; for although it was of
little consequence what he thought
concerning Shakespeare, it was of the
utmost import that he should prefer
principle to ponce. So [ loitered In
the shop, looking for something to
buv: but there was nothing in the way
of literature; his whole stock, as far
as I could see, consisted Of little reli-
gious volumes of gay binding and in
ferior print; he had nothing even
from the Halifax press. He was o
good looking fellow, about thirty,
with dark eyes, overhanging brows
thatindieated thought. mouth of char
aeter. and no smile. | vas Interested
10 him.
[ asked if he would mind getting
the plays / wanted. He said he would
rather not. Ibade him good morn
ing.
More than a year after, I saw him
again. / had passed his shop many
times, but this morning, | forgot why,
/ went in. / hardly recall the form
er appearance of the man, ST was it
swallowed up In a new expression.
His face was alive aud his behavior
courteous. A similar change had
passed upon his stock. There was
Punch and Fun amongst the papers.
and tenpenny S~hakespeares on the
counter, printed on straw paper, with
ugly woodcuts. The former class of
publications had not vanished, but
was mingled with cheap editions of
some worthy Of being called books.
| see you have changed your mind
since [ saw you last | said.
"You have the advantage of, me,
sir" he returned. Il did 0 know
you we're a customer"
Not much of that" [ replied;
only In intention. | wanted you to
get me some penny Shakespeares, and
you would not take the order"
"OhI [ think / remember,,p he
answered. with just a trace of confu-
sion; adding, with a smile, I'm mar
ried now" and / fancied / could read
a sort of triumph over his former
self.
L laughed, of course-the best *
preston of sympathy at hand-and
after a little talk left the shop, resolv.
ed to look in again soon. Before a
month was over | had made the ac-
quaintance of his wife too, and be-
tween them learned so much of their
history as to be able to give the fol-
lowing particulars concerning it.
Stephen Archer was one of the dea-
cons, rather a young one, perhaps, of
a dissenting congregation. The chapel
was one of the oldest in the neighbour
hood, quite triumphant in ugliness,
but possessed of a history which gave
1t high rank with those who fire.
quented it. The sacred odOr of the
names of pastors who had occupied
its pulpit fingered about its wallis
names unknown beyond its precincts,
but starry in the eyes of those whose
world lay within its tabernacle. Peo-
pie generally do not know what a
power some of these ~c0nUeHticles are
in the education of the world. If
only as an outlet for the energies of
men of lowly education and position,
who In connection with most of the
churches of the Establishment would
find no employment. they are of IN
estimable value. 9
To Stephen Archer, for instance,
when / saw him first, his chapel was
the sole door out of the common
world into the infinite. When
he entered, as certainly did the
awe and the hush of the sacred
place overshadow his spirit as
ii it had been a gorgeous cathedral
house borne aloft upon the Joined
palms of its Gothic arches. The
Master is truer than men think, and
the power of His presence, as Brown
ing has so well set forth in his
christmas Eve" is where two OF
three are gathered in His name. AnC
inasmueh as Stephen was not a mar
of Imagination, he had the greater
need of the underlined influences O.
the place.
He had been chief in establishing
a small mission amongst the poor ii
the neighborhood, with the WORKING
OF which he occupied the greater par
of his spare time. / will not venture
to assert that his mind was pure from
the ambition of gathering from thes,
to swell the flock at the little chapel
nay, L will not even assert that there
never arose a suggestion of tn,
enemy that the pence of thes,
rescued brands might alleviate
the burden upon the heads an,
shoulders of the poorly prosper
Gus caryatiGs of his church; but / d,
say that Stephen was an honest ma
In the main, ever ready to grow hon
ester; and who can demand more
One evening, as he was putting VI
the shutters of his window, his atten
ton was arrested by a shutting be
hind him. CHANGING round, he Sc
downthe shutter, aud the next In
stant boxed the boys ears, who raj
away bowling and mildly exeavatin
eyeballs, while a young pale-faeed wo
man, with the largest black eyes h
had ever seen, expOstulated with hlI
on the proceedings.
20 sirl" she said. she WASH
troubling you" There was a touc
of indignation in the tone.
I'm sorry L can't return the com
pliment," said Stephen, rather illog
Ically. IF I'd ha' known you like
to have your shins kicked, | Nigh
ha' let tina young rascal alone. Blu
you see | didn't know it,
He's my brother said the youn
woman, cOnclusively.
"lhs more shame to him" return