Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-10-07

] 'N''A Nt'l - HhN VII h1lsllhtEJ VII az
meals; our pursuits on that day being
oian opposite character for while !
was sporting over the columns of some
trashy Sunday paper, she attended
church, or a Sunday-school, In which
she was teacher.
One Sunday at dinner, Miss Kate
mentioned that Reverend Docto.
M, would preach in the afternoon
in her church, and asked me, with
what l then construed into Il aneer,
whether | would not like to hear
! him. S~ 4@ .sf
"If Miss Kate wlllpermit me to ac-
company her" replied J, with, the
Fifth Avenue bow.
"With the greatest pleasure," an
swered she, eagerly, a slight tint of
the rose colOring for moment her
usually pale countenance.
i thought | never saw her so pretty,
In fact, | thought her very beautiful,
and believe me, kind reader, | think
her so still.
We did go. ] offered her my arm,
and cannot account how 1t happened,
that when that little neatly gloved
hand came, by natural sequence Of
position, within few inches Of where
popular error places the heart, I al
most heard its beating, and | am al.
most certain Kate must have felt it,
though she denies 1t to this very day,
As we entered the sacred edilce,
the organ was already swelling its
solemn notes, under the skillful hand
of the performer. l had not been
within Gods house since the change
Of my fortunes. TO be sute, at School
| was made to attend divine service
twice on every Sunday, and, during
vacation, my mother insisted on my
accompanying her. "FOr," said she
'it was so respectable; and you must
pay particular attention to the Reyer-
end Mr.. Softly's pronunciation, it is
80 aristocratic."
But since then, as I had to work
hard six days in the week, thought
/ was entitled to days study of the
transcendental works Of Sylvanus
Cobb, Jr., and Co.
Yet, with all this, was not natural>
| ly irreligious; only, having been
taught to consider religion as mere
matter of form, | shared with thou
sands the most pernicious sort of
heathenism-the care for my worldly
welfare, to the neglect Of the immeas-
urably higher interests of my immor>
tai soul.
But when the first words OF the
Episcopal service were uttered, on that
to me memorable Lords Day, when
the sonorous voice Of the doctor pro-
claimed to the congregation the touch
ing numbers, "The Lord in His holy
temple; let all the earth keep silence
before Him. gush Of inexpressiOle
tenderness and gratitude filled my
heart; and now | remember for the
first time to whom / owed my preser-
walton, when, but few days before,
our train met with an accident by
which several lives were lost, while
mine was saved. Then, | attributed
it to chance; now, | knew it to be the
work of my Makers merciful provi'
dence.
shall nk describe my sensations
during the service, and the eloquent
sermon that followed. | shall moi
describe them, not because | fear tC
worry my reader, but because these
being of the Spirit, may be felt, bu
cannot be spoken. And when | Incl
dentally glanced at my companion
when saw the sincere fervor of hel
devotion, her aceslightly flushed, hel
lips gently apart, her blue eyes contid
ingly, lovingly lifting up towarC
Heaven-I thought | never saw any
thing so lovelyl Mol not even at {
caraVansary- party on the Avenue.
On our return home, we scarcely
: exchanged Il word, and soon after din
ner Kate withdrew to her own room
but the following Sunday, and many
Sundays AFTER sunshine or rain, thO
little hand rested within my arm OF
, our way to my young friends churcl
my church now, thank God
Who cares to read the story of low
and courtship ofa railroad conducto
and q miliner? lido not intend to In
hict 1t on you, kiud reader-only jus
3 these few words you must grant m
t leave to say, that, on the Sunday O
, my first communion, | asked Kate
: calmly, collectedly, in all sincerity Q
e heart, but without q shadow of 70
) nance, without falling OH my knees
without even placing my hand on m,
r waistcoat--to become my wife, an
e heard, with unspeakable delight, he
: "Yes," as calmly, collectedly spoken
: but with look from those mild eyes
r soft, yet full intelligence, which LEI
r no doubt of the sincerity with whic
r this monasyllabe was,uttered.
: Kate had scarcely ever been fror
d her beautiful native village, and | sc
e my heart on giving her weeks wee
ding-tour. ..zs
n Iappliet to the Superintendent f
a leave of absence, and was grutfly al
o swered, "NoW
o Old Adam not being quite dea
r within me, for 1t is astonishing ho'
), hard it is to kill the ancient gentle
man, / gave a rather saucy retort to
II saucy refusal. .,
/. One angry word followed anothe
e till at last, was told that my service
h would not be required after the first {
q the following month.
a | came home that evening crest-fa
len, dc pressed, almost despairing.
"a told Kate my troubles.
, She chided me. OH how gent.
Il how tenderly, afIectionately did 81
l. chide me! and that, not for the loss
), situation; but on account of my pet1
! lance, so inconsistent with the duty
O. a Christian. -,
"We are not so badly off, after, all
. . said she, in conclusion. "You ha'
-, three hundred dollars in the bank
|" :, have nearly two hundred. Well,
y, nv Reginald will lend me his trea
'9 a ure, | shall take that little store MI
/. Robinson wants to let, open a milli
=. er's store, and you may look, in Il
/ meantime, for something to do.
And she smoothed my ruftied bro
O. with kiss.
Z 1t was agreed. And ! thought the
n II as think now, how wretched, ho
7 7 forlorn Is the condition of him W
,d bath no loving woman for a counst
" l0r in the dark hour oftriaL
| went the next morning cheerful
e. to my duty. The superintende
- spoke cheermlly to me as If nothil
II had happened. | even thought that
s, felt sorry for words spoken in ang'
~ I certainly had no il-will coward hil
he vet | considered that to respect o