Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-08-10

Miss Slebbins' cup of bitterness was not
quite brimmed She had yet to learn, as soon
as Miss Crane recovered breath, that the cake
plot was an utter failure, since Mr. Bliss had
made neat apology for the absent IIebe,
which called forth IL hearty cheer from the
company, led by the Deacon himself, and
effectively sustained by the small boy, who
had recovered his spirits.
"rhe next time llebe Gladney goes n
walkin with Minister Bliss, she leaves my
roof, said Miss Stebhins, with deadly EN-.
phasis
Meantime the minister and IIehe had
strolled to the parsonage gate-were passing
ii, indeed-when she said, timidly, "Your
flower beds, sir.
"Why, certainly he answered ''we need
not go in, leaning over the fence abstract
edly. "What is your idea Of u bed III the
middle of that grass-pot?'
why, sir, you told me you had planted
cyprcss-vinc seeds there"
$50 did," said the minister; and after a
pause, GLOW would verbenas look climbing
up the sides of the stoop?"
90 dear, very nice il they could, but they
only creep, laughed llebe.
swell, well, | see am not fit even to
make suggestions. just draw little plan of
two or three beds, with the varieties of flowers
want tor walk you across the fields to the
bend in the brook, where there are more yio-
lets than you could press in my library"
1t was u straI &c walk llebe thought of
the times she had walked from Sunday School
with him, talking of the lesson and the little
duties to which it pointed, and wondered why
that should he so different from going to look
at viOlcts. The very grass had a strange feel
ing under her feet; and what monstrous
thing seemed slile to get over, when the
minister, of whom one stands in so much awe
for all his Kindness is holding out helpful
hand! AT the second stile he stopped, en-
sConCed llebe in sunny angle of the rail.
fence, and said, in answer to her questioning
look:
"lTebe must take ii back--the name
gave you last night
ayes, said lIebe, 81 know it,"
An assent so ready, and given in tone Of
such quiet, sad conviction, took him quite
aback. Nature had stolen u march on the
minister, and revealed this thing to the girl
by one of those flashes of perception that re-
veal new truths so absolutely in all their bear
ings and sequences TO the SOUL that ii accepts
them without surprise.
'You know it, lIcbe-how?"
81 feel it; cant-tcll-" said the girl,
quiveringly, and peeling the lichens from the
fence
ii was infinitely worse than saying the cate
chism to him,-only the catecliist himself
seemed strangely at loss for the next ques-
ton.
''Shall l say ii for you? 20 child! if the
little daughter of last night might some time
in years to come-be happy as my little
wife"
think lIebe will never forget just how,
when one is half blind with Joy, the yellow
disc of n dandclI0n swells into II golden mush-
room, and how lark lifts the happy heart
to heaven ON a thread of song
For spring was everywhere, IA tiny cupful
of spring in every butlercup,-a ncstful of it
wherever married birds were beginning life;
but nowhere such radiant perfect spring as
in Hebe's eyes.
at is only relic of college vanity, and has
no associations but those we give il now,
said the minister, slipping thin gold ring
from his finger to llebes; Large, isn't it ?
Well, it will stand the better for two things
that you can never get outside the circle of
my love, and yet-yOu see how easily it slips
oft must never bind you to a mistake
The small finger has been growing since
then, growing quite to the measure of the
golden circle; and it has found out no mis-
take as yet Only lately, walking through
the same fields, llebe said;
''See what good fit it is y
'Perfect, said the minister; ''and this is
II good quiet place to practice in, Let me
see,-'With all my earthly goods thee en-
dow"
''lm glad shall not have to promise that, .
broke in lIcbc, with mischevious twinkle.
"And why so, pray, llebe Bliss
"Because couldn't; didn't put my last
cent into those jumbles, sirT'
IrIIE END