The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1875-04-09
A Clerical Episode.

cts a very disagreeable duty, -
thought the Rev. Mr.. Thornton, as he
entered Mrs. MasOn's DarlOr, but as
I've been thOughtless enough to make
the promise, there's no way of avoiding
it." Mr.. Thornton was a young and
rather handsome gentleman, whose
thorough earneStHess and sincerity,
| Joined to a fair share of mental ability
and a very large amount of kind-heart-
edne: S, had made him extremely pOpu-
lar with the people of the country town
in which he was located, and with no
one more SO than with the lady whose
house he had just entered. She con
sidered him almost perfect, and would
have been deeply insUlted if she had
heard anyone rashly calling in question
the sOundness of his Judgment on any
subject. On the present occasion he
had come to fulfill a promise to her
that he would call and have an inter
view with her niece, Miss Hattie Hal
lowell, who was spending a few weeks
at her house.
Miss HalloweIl was one of the reign
ing bellies of a neighboring city, and
her manner toward gentlemen, though
not actually Unlady-like, was far too
free and uucOnstraiued to suit her
aunt's Old-fashiOned and rather narrow
minded ideas of propriety, and the lat
ter had begged her minister to give the
young lady some wholesome advice on
the subject. After promising to COM
ply, Mr. Thornton had become more
and more conscious that he had placed
himself in a very awkward position, and
that the only result likely to ensUe
from this undertaking to advise Miss
HaFlnryall q rrV-nnt Ia21 of HfGVoIaaC-
ure on her part. And though unwilling
to give way to what he feared might be
q mere want of moral courage, he was
a good deal embarrassed when the time
came for the duty to be performed.
His embarrassment was by no means
Iessened when Miss HallOweu came
into the room, looking really lovely in
her handsome, dark blue morning dress,
which enhanced, by contrast, the
brightness of her blonde complexion
and beautiful light hair. The truth
was, she had made up her mind some
DAYS before that the minister was 8" the
only civilized man in the whole stupid
little town." and had taken some pains
that morning to appear at her best be-
fore him.
She greeted him very cordially, and,
as he noticed how frank and pleasant
her manner really was, he was troubled
by a still greater uneasiness about lee
turing her on that point. But after
some preliminary cOnyersatIOn-durIn
which she noticed that he was very
nervous and i'll at ease-he made de
termined effort TO get through with his
disagreeable task.
Miss HalloweI," " he said, q am
sure you know what high regard I
feel for you, and how very much inter
ested I have become IN you since you
have been here.
I'm very glad, indeed, that you like
me so much, Mr.. Thornton" she an
swered, with a charming smile.
He found it impossible to say any
thing more at first, and there was an
awkward pause. Then, under a sense
that something must be said, and not
knowing exactly what it was to be, he
went on IN a strain that was rather
stronger than the facts of the case
warranted.
"I feel as if I were more than
friend to you," he said. Indeed, 1
haven't seen anybody for a long time
who excited my interest as you have
done"
Here there was another pause, during
which be became more embarrassed
than ever while his companion began
to entertain a certain idea about his
meaning.
q want to ask you something" he
said finally, IN a hesitatipg way, fI'm
afraid you'll think it very strange IN me
to say such thing to you when I've
only known you a few weeks but /
think yoU will mean, hope"
Here he came to a dead stop and was
entirely at a loss how TO go on.
But before he could put an end to his
hesitation the lady herself suddenly
brought matters to a climax IN way
that pUt a very differe nt aspect on the
affair.
"Mr. Thornton" she said, with q
manner in which kind feeling was com
bined with decisive firmness, d" l think