Litchfield enquirer., 1873-12-25
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probably be incredulous when say tkat. Einstead of accomplishing your object. YOur course has just tho opposite result. The very knowledge that you ara oddly and unbeOomingly dressed, attracting lafked attention causes your mind t0 uMeMupon yUur personal appearance faf more than 1t otherwise would. You are
 continual Preference, 80 to speak, and seldom lose sight of yourself And, though the original motive may have been Ia laudable one, I think, if you were to candidIy analyze your present. feelings since the vanity of style has been ex- punged-you would find that pride of a spirit of independence peryades your mind.''I 1a2 ssTh5i.e s1 do not understand how pride can lMk in a motive prompting me to dress differently from others, for the purpose of setting an example directly opposed
 to extravagance that only can engender pride" s.. .,.. -. ,..t.s..,-. Because pnide does not always accom- 1 pany extravaganza, and because you know you startle people from their equanimity,
 and have the bravery to withstand 1t.
 And, despite your odd appearance, that at first dispels every other thought from the mind of your audience, they soon be- come oblivious to it, out of admiration for your intellect; 'tis pride of self !"
 s'So far as that is concerned, think you mistake firmness of purpose for pride of self should be sorry, indeed, to know that you are correct in these conclu- l sions. Sorry that should have labored
 so long under a mistaken sense of my own
 motives; that should have so far nisun-
 derstood myself And were to abandon
 my present style of dress for a fashiona- | ID1o 4lnS A. | ity apparent in Trinity Church, it would
 be encouraging thls sin which most de-
 sire to eradicate" '4
 'sI think your efforts to overcome an ex-
 cess of pride, Gerald, are commendable, | but these clothes do not serve the pur-
 pose. certainly do not uphold paide of dress or position, manifested by too many
 Christian people. Indeed, believe it to
 be one of the most pernicious evils in the
 church; followed up as 1t is in minutest
 detail, and extreme of latest styles Yet
 a happy medium may be adopted, and I
 do believe as. much pride may be conceal.
 ed beneath an odd shit as ever displayed
 itself through the texture of finest broad
 cloth. This medium would demonstrate
 more wisdom than making ourselves con-
 spicuous subjects f0f undue attention and
 criticism, which really results from your
 course, and am convinced it is pr1de.
 ''Have you arrived at this conclusion
 from conjecture, or close observation?' l "From observation. e rses-l q.
 "Particularize, please
 ''I especially noticed it on the occasion | of the decoration of the soldiers graves.
 You were glad of an opportunity to mani l fest your independence by making your appearance in such style of dress, with
 this soft felt hat, in contrast with the richly attired speakers, for the satisfae- ton of astonishing them and the assem- l bly, with your erudition and fervid elo- quence. I saw it in your eyes. You were disappointed in Judge La Salle's speech, 1 as 1t was too dull to admit of 6 fair com parison with your own. But your face frightened preceptibly while listening to Mir. Moore; and the light in your eyes, together with the half-sarcastic, .half-sat-
 isfed smile lurking about your mouth,
 betrayed the consciousness of superiority l which possessed you when you were in- troduced. Then the careless air with
 which-your speech ended-you turned,
 took your hat, purposly bringing it into
 view as you left the rostrun, all revealed the absorbing element-pride. And while
 you cling to this suit. it constitutes
 mantle concealing pride.
 Gerald exclaimed: "Laura, believe l
 recognize myselfv' Then for long time i he sat lost in thought Finally he said: "I wish, dear Laura, that I might fully express to you my genuine thankfulness for the manner in which you have literal l ly dissected and criticised my thoughts
 and motives. You have held up to my 1 view mirror where see myself reflected
 beyond any doubt of identity. l would not have conceded to myself before what I am now compelled to admit is but the
 plain, unvarnished truth, simply because 1 I have been blind to my own indiscretions ] and resolutely believed that I was ban 1 ishing the very enemy have fostered.
 '''Oh. wad some POw'r the giftie gie us To see ourseI's as others see us!
 It wad from monie blunder free
 And foolish notion;
 1 What airs in dress an gait wad lea'e us. And ev'n Deyotion.
 he quoted, smiling sadly, and added, II 1 shall Rot forget how you introduced me 1 to Gerald Clinton, before too much, also! 1 q stranger"
 1 Thus it came about, though none save
 the minister and Laura Tracey knew the
 sequel, that our hero appeared before his l congregation the following Sunday. as he afterwards expressed it to Laura, "cloth-
 ed and in his right mind.'
 1 His parishioners were taken by surprise, 1 of course, and numberless speculations were indulged in concerning the change.
 But the mystery remains unsolved, though they have fallen into MT. Dewey's belief,
 that ''the old suit was worn as just re-
 buke to their pride"
 Another surprise awaited them. In Dec
 ember they were invited to witness fNI tho l that of their pastor to Laura Tracey, and Carl Tracey to Stella Prince.
 Mrs. Brown opened her eyes as she re-
 membered how unmercifully she had snubbed those dressmakers, and Carl
 Tracey actually was going to marry one of theml Miss Clemens sighed, and said ''she had thought some of accepting | Brother Cinton's attentions herself, but
 was glad she had suggested his taking Laura, for she seemed. better calculated 1 for a minister's wife," She doubtless must have forgotten that she made simi- lar remark with reference to Laura's
 mother, when, twenty-five years before, she married Charles Tracey, only now she
 substitutes minister" for ''poor man." I The only thing I noticed at the mar riage which caused me sadness was Ned
 Lamphere's face, white and sorrowful, I that told the suffering he endured wnlle hearing the'words spoken uniting Laura Tracey's destiny with another. But half an hour later saw him at the house con gratulate her with calm, even smiling 1 face, nor did his voice betray any sign of l the storm within. 5. ...s. ,,-.t ....... That was over four years ago, reader; 1 but Mir. Clinton still breaches in Waverly, l and Mrs. Clinton presides with grace and | dignity In the handsome parsonage by the
 Trinity; both are beloved by their people. Mrs. Clinton's chief pride seems concen- | trated upon her talented husband, who
 sometimes laughingly threatens, in case
 she does not manifest less of it, to again don 'sthat old suit" 1 r~o Tr;sbYno,, enoaoed in neddIipg