Middletown transcript., 1873-09-27

her heart and The summer away together.
Gay groups Of goldcn.rod shiwmercd in
the sunshine. aud long sprays Of white
and purple astcrs. with hearts Of pale
flame. bravcly stood at their posts, cover
ing tho retreat Of summer.
Ruth was only eighteen. but at that
moment her life looked to her as dcsolz,c
its bloom aud sweetness as nearly van
ishcd---as the dead summer. over whose
bier the gay.colorcd autumn leaves
were already slowly drifting She half
paused at the gate, looking back wistfuly.
as one looks who sees through mis,s and
tears the fading shore Of beloved land
Then she swung back tho rustic gate and
went slowly up the path, the rustic Of the
dead leaves, instead Of tho bob-o' .link's
song 10 her ear, and alas. in her heart.
Tha, night the Rev. Francis Bradford
went to bed in a very uucbristan temper
He was vexed with himself with the
rhorndale Fire, Parish. and last. but by
no means least, with Ruth Clifton. II
the truth must be told. he was jus, q, this
time more vexed with her than. either Of
the others
"Who ever would have dreamed such a
gentle. sensitive, dependcn, little thing
conid be so unreasonably stubborn y he
calculated angrily, as he tossed from one
side to the other one moment resolved to
get up and walk of his excitement. and
the mex, to 20 TO sleep and forget the
whole thing-if he could
"Who cares what the Thorndalc Parish
say should like to know" he wen, on !:
II am sure don't. and Ruth wouldn't il
she loved me one half as we'll as love
her Aud to think how firm and deter
mined she was She would never be q
milestone about my ncck-wha, nonsense
As il she were not ft for queen a, this
moment. How grand and pure, and
brave she looked when she said Because
| love you am firm | can sacrifice my
love, but not your future My future
As il was boy and the Thorndalc
! Parish were my guardians Well. |
shall not stay hcre--I shall resign, and
| III do il Tomorrow -
But he did not. dear reader he stayed
there aud frcttcl himself i'll, and was in
turn jellicd aud dressing gowncd, and
slppercd by all the young ladies in the
lar.h-sa,c one and. with the perversi,
| ~ of human nature. this exception was
/ the only one from whom he desired these
! iayors. namely, Ruth Clifton But tho
i Deacon Stone came to see him. no word
or token came from Ruth He assured
/ himself twenty times n day that he would
| pu, all thought Of her out of his heart.
and then consistently went on thinking o.
/ nothing else.
! The Thorndalc Parish wsre in state
Of beatitude. aud Mr. Bradford grew in
! favor with men and wotnen-morc par,ie.
ularly the latter. There did not begin to
be oue.four,h enough aajcctigcs in :hc
English language, of a complimentary
/ character 10 express their opinion of him
And as 10 his sermons, all were agreed
that they were perfectly splendid"
very original phrase. by the way
A, last. after repeated failures, Thorn
dale FRS, Parish had found minister
after lis own heart Everybody was juhi-
/ liant The Sabbath school had an cxihi.
ton, the ladies fair The sewlng.crcle
culargci in its phylaltefes, aud half a
score Of young women added 10 the
church The First Parish hal not enjoy
ed suoh season Of prosperity for years
The pastor Of such tnurishing society
ought 10 have been perfectly happy,
certainly
Aud vet am afraid he was not-nay
am sure that only one thing KEEP, him
I from iarsakng hi' aimifing flock alto
getlicr, aui that was once 4 week, nj least,
he saw Ruth Clifton For Rath vi, al
ways AT church. though tand il made HIM
mere angry than minister oaght u hr
since ministers are not supposed 10 have
passions like other men, very little notie,
or attention was vouchsafcd her by thc
prominent" members Of the parish
And. cn pdssnn'. the church sristncracS
i the most cool. the most exclusive thing
! in the world. The "promincn, aud in.
huential' members Of parish occupy :
position 20 which monarehs may aspire
but never reach.
But think he did no, seem to notice
and the parish congratulated themselves
on their elearness and promptness in tn,
premses-there was not a shred or rihbor
a tint of dress, or more yet the shadow
Of an expression on the grave young fac,
that looked up at him from the hunbl,
wing pes of Deacan Stone ,ha, ,h,
ysung minister did no, know by heart.
But one Sunday there vas radica
change. A stranger, gentleman Of per
haps fifty years. sat in Deacon Stone
pew, holding the hymn book with Ruth
aud when the service was over. both par
ish aud pastor were considerably exercised
by seeing him hand her into n charmn.
little phaeton. TO which were attached
span of the lovelics, dapple.greys. thci
long tails sweeping the erourd, aud ,hei
beautiful silken names tossed back from
their proudly urehing neeks.
Ba, while the parish wondared vho h.
could be, aud commented on his stylisl
air. the elegance OF his drcss--no, for
getting the diamond ring that he wore OF
bis little 6ngcr-,he pastor rememb bcree
more tho look Of ho lf sadncss half exul