Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1870-09-15

my darter, has gone, though, You,
right into the meetipt house, and. Deaco
Goldthwsite u show you my pew. 6He'
know you'fe . stranger.He y "a 1nl;,,..
- Hardy thanked him and walked awal
4 On reaching the .church-door he foun
that the deacon did seem'tp know atfone
II thai he wns sRtranger,RndSto be- show
4 to the Bunce pew; for, after beckonfn
with his hand severa1 tianes, md noddin
\ Significantly, he went p-toeing., up tn
broad aisle and mott Toned the young mai
to a seat One other person aheadys oe
seated himself by the door heo threw I
careless glance in that direction. Per
haps his look expressed IA shade. of th.
surprise. he felt as hef said to himself
"Can this be The landlords daughter
usAASti6ialo hsR IslusSsi z4sz 4
4 The stranger sppeaTed to. be. sbou
twenty and had the unmistakab1e air d
lady. Hardy's critical eye noted ap
proyingly the pure rose.leaf complexion
| the small firm mouth, the low sweet fore
head, and the wealth Of soft brown ihAir
and pronounced her beauty also! iaHei
| eyes were turned from him. but rhe fell
i sure they were gray Her dress, too
| suited peffectly his fastidious taste II
was all of some soft gray material fashions
able IN arrangement, but studiQusly plain
and everything, down to the very shade oi
eAlCi iAutAAh4Cnd SAONCnga PcL1cCb
| Hardy sat wondering who she could be,
when he chanoed TO notice green gauze
veil that lay on the seat beside her, and
Immediately recalled the passenger in the
stage: coach and his unseen fellow-lodger
ne service began With laka in7dSasion
longer than theIssrhbn shoqld have been,
which was followed by the singing Of
thatesYeetr etrhFpnzof Nontgomeyy's, be-
RInnInR u
:. T4e grows not OlafT With length n years, etc
ffie~ singing was coH9reg S1ionakss a
method very beautiful in theory, but usu-
ally something fearful n pradtidey Good
Deacon Goldthwaite Qsouuded ed1theI first
note; il can hardly be- said he He'd the
tune, Tor certainly mo- one followed Ehim
The tune was ~Hebron," so sweetly sol
emn; and, despite some jafring diseofds,
there was real music In the performance
There were all kinds of notes.-the dea-
cons cracked and trembling tenor, which
played him such odd tricks at some of the
high notes !; the rough bass of some of
the young farmers; the quavering treble
of thin faced matrons, singing with more
of pious ferVer than Of correctness; and
the louds ringing tones of the young girls,
sweet with the sweetness of youth and
When the hymn was given out, Hardy
had turned to the page, and, as the peo-
pie rose, he moved up the pew and held
the book for the stranger, who, with a
gesture Of acknowledgment looked over
the page with him. The first verse was
not half finished when q sweet clear
voice took up the strain, and seemed to
MI the whole church with melody. When
it first fell on his ear Hardy looked quick
ly down at the singer beside him butt
her.eyes were fixed on the book At the
second verse he too joined In, with a voice
rich, strong, and as perfectly 'modulated
as The lady b II was nnK her turn 10 Lift
her eyes.tQsee what manner of man il.
ssw mas wa pa sSes sRs1 aSESp de@e sa9
into her own with q. glance of undis-
guised, though respectful admiration. She
met his gaze, steadily for an instant, and
then her eyes were calmly turned to the
page again, her face still wearing its sell
renely UNCONSCIOUS look, as If she were |
too wen used to being looked at and add
mired to be disturbed In her quiet and
devotional frame of mind. Sweetly the |
Two trained voices roseAnd fell with the |
majestic measure; and unconaciously the |
rest were led by them, until somethipgl ]
more, like harmony, PREVAILED than WAS /
often heard IN the little meeting house.
The "long prayer" was indeed long, |
and the sermon .l0ngeri and then, with
one more hymn, the service closed. Hardy |
stood holding open the pew door while /
The LADY passed ont, bestowing upon him |
! grave bow as she did 30. He followed /
with his eyes her graceful figure as she \
moved down the aisle, and had s0me1
thought of Joining her in her walk back |
% the tavern; but when he reached the /
ioer she had dfsappeareda;SY, 6.s Il
He spent the rest of the day lazily lying |
IN the grass under the ,spple-trees.- = Al
wilight he took q long stroll, thinking /
enderly the while of his dark eyed alb.