Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1871-12-01

/ Inc minister spoke these WOTdS
TO himself, as If unconscious of til,
presence of his visitor; but the louo
tones or her voice soon brought him
back to realities.
! That's just like my Minerva,
said she. "You cant think how
hat girl is wrapped up In religion
| believe she could set and hear you
preach fiom morning till night, FL
/ der Bruce, without ever thinking o.
Ia morsel to eat. She wants To talk
over Sunday school matters. anu
Hiram wants To speak about engag
,ng Brother Ricketts, to come over
and hold course ofmeetings. They
have been having glorious refresh-
ing time ut Spaulding. and should
nate to let the SpauIding folks gel
ahead of u.s." .a mrn es
II am glad If Gods Spirit has been
made manifest to the people NJ
Spauiding. Sister Spangler; but II
ioes not appear to me that the time
/ is ripe for such efforts In our own
church. l have nothing TO say
against Brother Ricketts, labors.--
Doubtless, In the good providence oi
God, be has brought many to see the
tight bat all communities are not
alike, and there are some among III
that believe that the Kingdo N com
eth quietly and without observation.
! There are timid souls that have been
quirkened. see 1t in their faces,
and they have come and breathed
confessions int my ears but tile
I flame which burns but feebly as yet
must be nursed, aud might he ex-
unguished by too rude u blast"
"WeIl,n returned Mrs, Spangler,
urtying the strings of her bonnet,
"all that have To say Is, that /
nope the enemy won't be left to COW
tares. There Is Widow Walcott,
over across the street. She's come
from Clinton way, where the Uni>
versaisls are AS thick as hops; aud l
don't feel quite sure about her We've.
She seems shy about talking of her
own experience"
II sliuaId be 10th 10 condemn any
body Oh that ground" I" said the par
son, looking intently through his
glasses. Those who talk the most
loudly about religion do not always
have the most precious witness in
their heats. 1t is very much as IL is
with a mans honesty. When he
talks a great deal about IL, he Is 20 be
distrusted. am not deeply versed
ln worldly ways, Sister Spangler !;
but have observed enough to know
that the widow woman across the
street appears to be quiet. unpre.
tending person; end / should be
sorry to entertain suspicious Of her
on slight cause"
We'll, 1 must say she's very close
mouthed about her affairs. She
don't tell much about her folks but
Hiram found out that she ldraws
money regular from the uank, and
the postmaster says she gets heaps
of letters. But, any way, it don't
make much matter for dare ven-
ture to say she won't stay here long.
You never can place much derend-
ence on them kind of folks coming
aud going like the old woman's soap.
dropped in, Elder Bruce, to ask
you to come over aud take tea with
US to morrow night. Minervy has
got heaps Of things she wants to say
to you. and she'd be dreadfully cut
up if you shouldn't come" The
elder gave the desired promise, aud
Mrs. Spangler took her leave.
The next after noon the good man
wiped his pen with sense of relief,
He had gone through all the mazes
of Original Sin, and his Sundays
sermon lay compieted before him.
IL was not n theme which he had
chosen from strong sympathy of
mind, for his nature inclined him to
the more tender aud consoling AS
poets of prOvidential dealing but he
had been prompted by sense of
duty toward those In his congrega~
tion who liked "doctrlnai discour
ses." His heart Was somewhat sud
with the remains of a somber train OF
thought, as he glanced again through
his study windaw, and let his eye
fall OH the Widows cosy dwelling.
There at the gate, playing hither
ard yon In streak of dappled sun
shine, with her light curis floating
airly about. was little Mary. The
minister's brow was cleared at sight
of her I; and he thuagi,t to himself
that. /; God in his g.edness had sent
him daughter, he would have had
her resemble little Mary. He re-
m.mbered the damage done to the
Widows garden, and his promise to
call 40 taking his hat and stick. Ia
less than three minutes he was sit
ting in Mrs. Walcott's little parior.
with Mary on his knee, who pushed
the sIlken curls away from her blue
eyes. TO look slyly up i'm his face.
that was good and pleasant in spite
OF it, plainuess. The widow sat op.
posite to him, with her black dress
relieved at the throat by merely
suggestion of white ruffle Her
hair was confined under little cap
at the back. but In the front showed
little brown bands. There Was
soft feminine quality about her that
extended to the vase of lilies on the
table, and the few pictures on the
waii-the lovely, meditative face of
q young girl. Madonna cIasping
her divine chiid-all Of then, em-
.bodying some sweet. pure thought
Mrs. Walcott's husband had heen a
scholar In his time, and the widow
corld not bring herself to part with
bis books. They filed one corner of
the room In solid substantial rows,
and the minister's eyes turned gree
'dily toward them, There was dis
covery In store for him--a name was
written ON the fy.leaf Of q volume
which he opened. It was the name
Of an early friend. q youth of beauti-
ful promise, who had died young
The Widow Wslcott proved to be O
Younger sister Of this friend. The
Minister forgot all Sister Spangler's
hints of imperfect orthodoxy on