The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1869-10-07
God knows what depths Of earnest
desire and true purpose her words stir-
red up In his heart.

A sound Of voices came up tho gA
den path. Deacon Wentworth . hearty
cheerful tones, ard another voice, nor
refined and cultivated, but not lea
hearty and cheerful, and Dr.. Marc.
arose and turned to the door in time b
meet the frank blue o. 3es and pleasant
smile Of Mr.. Gerald Martyr, the young
clergyman of the church to which Dea'
con Wentworth and lis family Belong
| Mr. Martyn offered his hand 70 Dr.,
Marcy With some words Of eearteosi
greeting. He had winning, stsr,etivs
manners and genial way of address.
ing himself to everybody with ~hom
be was brought in contact which made
him hests of friends, ont OF the church
a. we'll as in It. Even Robert Marcy
acknowledged that he "rather liked tho
man, if he was Z preacher"
1 think that under different worldly
conditions the two would have b:sa
fast friends. You could guess it from
the lights and shadows that came cut
On their faces as they talked. Yet one
was watchman on the walls Of Zion.
tie other hard, reckless, skeptical.
Was it onlya woman's caprice, o.
that deeper insight into human nature
and human motives which woman
sometimes possess that caused Jess;e's
eyes as she listened to rest oftenest On
the dark, bright face of the more world
~ man ! Or was she thinking, as MIR.
Jones; the Uniyersalist minister in this
city once said, that "there were posi-
bilites Of good in DR.. Marcy's nature,
aud fine traits in his character, Of which
no strait-laced Pharisee could boast7"
But then Nh. Jones vas an orthodox,
and Of course bis opinions were of very
little value among those whose piety
was akin to that Of the man mentioned
In the Holy Writ, who lifted up his
eyes, standing in a conspicuous place,
and thanked God that he was not like
other men, "or even like this publican"
Mr. Martyr, however, was not =
Pharisee, but a large-hearted, hard
working minister Of the gospel; con.
scientious and faithful in the discharge
Of bis manifold duties, but still fudin2
time, aside from these, to pay frequent
visits to Deacon Wentworth's family
the more frequent that he was unmar-
ried and Miss Jessie an attractive g1rl.
The next day was Sunday. Mr.
Wentworth attended servire-both
morning and afternoon, as was his in-
variable custom. DR.. Marcy had de-
clined to accompany him had, instead,
et.ken himself, With book and cigar,
to the back piazza, vhere he could en-
joy himself after his own fashion with
out disturbing the ladies. Jessie uas,
Of course unable to go out, and Miss
Martha remained at home to keep her
niece company. And while the yellow
afternoon sunshine slanted in from the
west the old lady brought the great
family Bible to Jessie and desired her
to read aloud.
The girl complied readily-it was
their regula, Sabbath day custom
turning the leaves reverently till she
came to the Acts of the Apostles. She
selected the twecty-sixth chapter-it
was one of Aunt Martha's favorites-
Pauls defence before King
Agrippa ; and her earnestress gave en-
ergy and freshness of interest to the
word she had read fifty times before
brave, strong words, that have come
ringing dowa to US through eighteen
hundred years; spoken by one who
could boast Of being Roman 81
that mi ghty nation which at that time
the wealth and culture,
aud power of the world-a man who
was accounted worthy to plead his
cause before kings and princes; thu
finished scholar, the eloquent speaker,
he courteous gentleman, who gloried
IN the commission by rig ht of which he
;igned himself, "Paul, an apostle Of
Jesus Christ"
DR.. Marcy, out on the porch, threw
way his cigar and closed his book .
,e listened. When the reading was
ended he put on his hat aud went SLOW
y out through the little kitchen gar-
len into the cool, shady orchard. For
more than an hour he walked up and
]own out there up AMI down, With the
slow, firm tread OF sentinel.
Whatever resolve he had come to.
his face gave no token of it as he went
pack to the house aad into the p.rlor,
There he had left Jessie. She vas
lsleep, one rounded arm from which
he wide sleeve had fallen away thrpwn
'bove her head like that of a tired
'hiId; but the figure had the full
graceful outlines of womanhood, and
here was line of gravity about the
ed mouth, even in sleeping, which told
# the beginning of life cares and re-
possibilities.
There was no one else IN tie room,
md he brought low chair and sat
lown little way from her, keeping
guard over her as he had done that
lay when she lay faint and hurt BY the
oadsice. The pure face lying back
here among the pillows was the fairest
md dearest in all the world to him.
he remembered how it had lain close
o his heart for one brief, precious mo-
nent that day of the accident.
Doctor Marcy was not a vain man,
'ot gwen to forming extravagant esti-
mates Of himself or his own powers;
ut he had had much experience in
hcsc matters, and he knew, better than
he knew herself, that Jessie cared for
lim. Her heart was not wholly his
ct, he knew that but she preferred
lim, and he knew he had it in his pow.
+ to win her love.
AS for himself, he knew that he Iov.
d her as he had never loved, never
'ould love another woman. He need
d her-her sanity presence, her ten
Ter compauionship, to aid him in BE-
coming better man. His soul lolged
or her; his heart hun sered for her
Vith craving that was like death. Hs
wanted her for his vife-this woman
whose like he should never see again.
But would it be best for herl
He thought of that, even then, in the
* L..