Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1875-03-01
From the Portland Transcript.
The Rev. Arthur Ather-
toms Valentine.

stalled as their pastor 1t was altogeth-
er a new sensation to have young and
interesting man to inspire. their faith
and keep their conscienees In healthy
state of wakefulness, and a somewhat
startling one as well, for it had grown
to be a settled idea with Saltwater mai
denhood that all ministers were very
old, had a good many daughters who
taught school, and wild son at college,
and were always preaching farewell ser
mons until everybody grew tired of weep
ing over them, and listened to the most
pathetic with comfortable drowsiness.
DIR. White, who died few months be-
fore, at the age of eighty-six, and had
been settled over the Unitarian parish
so long that the first babies he baptized
after his advent were very old men and
women now, was one of this description,
as were also the three other ministers in
the place, so, when the pale, handsome,
young face Of the Rev. Arthur Atherton
appeared above the great pyramid of
white lilies that rose from the commu-
Mon table, there was a visible stir in
the congregation. Bright eyes exchapg-
ed quick glances, there was futtering
of hearts, as we'll as fans, and such rows
of sympathetic, upturned faces I. While
he was reading the hymn (what differ
ent hymn from any that DR.. White had
chosen) the most thoughtless was i'm
pressed with the poetry of piety, and
when the organ began to peal to the ech-
oes of his low, thrilling voice, it took
different tone from any that it had ever
sounded before, exalted. inspiring, ear
nest. All the prettiest of the girls look
ed as wrapt and worshipful as st. Cello,
while they listened.
''Isn't the new minister splendid?" |
said to sister Kate, before we were fair
ly off the church steps
30, he's very well" said she, with a
little elevation of her sauey nose. L don't
know what Kate would have done with
out that nose to cOntemptify people with.
"Very we'll ~ / echoed, somewhat tax
en- aback, for as Kate was three years
older than l, had been to a boarding
school and hadn't, was belle and l
wasn't, inwardly her opinion was Of
great weight to me, outwardly l scorned
it. "Why, think he's handsOmer than
anybody l ever saw, and his sermon was
remarkable. Then he's such a splendid
reader. You looked as if you liked hin
in church, Kate, intensely devout and
interested"
Up went the nose again, but l had
the satisfaction of seeing a deeper color
on her check. Il call the sermon de
cidedly scaly one" said she grandly
"but then. the boys fresh from the Sem
mary, and what else could you expect
How sentimentally he stared at thos'
lilies, and how he closed his eyes anC
looked up during the singing. Full o
afectation.
Boy" said |, 'he's at least fv,
years Older than you are, if he is boy
He"
This interesting conversation was in
terrupted by the appearance of Ton
White. wild son of DIR. White deceased
who had just graduated at Yale and ad
mired Hates eyes. Kate firted wit
him, though everything of the kind wa
forbidden by her mother, and stor
that they were engaged had been fyin
about town. [ frowned on Tom, an
while he was talking to my sister, fel
to building an air castle. in which float
ed Kate and the minister as husban
and wife. was in love with that gen
. tleman, not as lover, but as brother
in-law, and if he was not already engag
ed, and for some reason or other imaa
r ined he was not, could not Kate MARI
him if she liked OF course, all til
? girls in town would be sure to fame
him. and there we're several very prett
ones in our parish, but no one of thel
was as fascinating as my sister Had
not seen youth after youth fall victil
5 to her saucy ways, her bright speech an
: beautiful eyes? She sang in the choi
like an angel. too, and. in spite of whi
she said, she could be as sentimental +;
: : any one over lilies and music. 81
! might be rather too saucy to please ii
v taste of Mr. Atherton, but if she we
to fall in love with him, as l was SUI
d she would do. she would conquer the u
!; ward tendency OF her nose. and teaC
!. that reckless tongue Of hers not to dr.
every sarcastic, sharp or silly thOug
# that strayed into her mind. l was 81
J, teen, and as romantic as an old sto
,, book, and l made up my mind that d.
! that Kate would marry the ministt
What if she dad say his sermon was SC
70 ly? She said good many things.
e. Mr.. Atherton boarded at my uncle
N as his house was nearest the church. al
I he had plenty of spare room in it. al
'e no children to make one distracted, al
- write desperate sermons with their noii
% The pretty, picturesque old parsona
ID was empty, and looked sad and lone