Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-03-25
A CLERICAL EPISODE.

It's a very disagreeable duty"
thought the Rev. Mr.. Thornton, as he en-
tered Mrs Mason's parlor, "but as I've
been thOughtless enough to make the
promise, there's no way of avoiding it."
Mr.. Thornton was young and rather
handsome gentleman, whose thorough
earnestness and sincerity, joined to a
fair share of mental ability and a very
large amount of kind-heartedness, had
made him extremely popular 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 considered him almost
perfect, and would have been deeply in
suited 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 promise
to her that he would call and have an in
terview with her niece, Miss Hattie Hal
lowell, who was spending few weeks at
her house.
Miss HallOwen was one of the reign
ing bellies of neighboring city, and her
manner toward gentlemen, though not
actually unladylike, was far too free and
unconstrained to suit her aunt's old
fashioned and rather narrCw-minded
ideas of propriety, and the latter had
begged her minister TO give the young
lady some wholesome advice on the sub
ject. After promising to comply, Mr.
Thornton had become more and more con-
scious that he had placed himself in
very awkward position, and that the only
result likely to ensue from his under
taking to advise Miss Hallowell was a
great deal of displeasure on her part
And though unwilling to give way to
what he feared might be a mere want of
moral courage, he was good deal EN-
barrassed when the time came for the
duty to be performed
His embarrassment was by no means
lessened when Miss Hallowell came into
the room, looking really lovely in her
handsome, darkblue morning dress,
which enhanced, by contrast, the bright
ness of her blonde complexion and beau
tiful light hair. The truth was, she had
made up her mind some days before that
the minister was " the only civilized man
in the whole stupid little town." and had
taken some pains that morning to appear
at her best before him.
She greeted him very cordially, and,
as he noticed how frank and pleasant
her manner really was, he was troubled
by still greater uneasiness about lect-
uring her on that point. But after some
preliminary conversation-durin which
she noticed that he was very nervous
and i'll at ease-he made determined
effort to get through with his disagreed
BILE task
Miss Hallowell," he said, 81 am sure
you know what a high regard l feel for
you, and how very much interested 1
have become in you since you have been
here
"Pm very glad, indeed, that you like
me so much, Mr.. Thornton" she answered,
with 2 charming smile.
He found it impossible to say anything
more at first, and there was an awkward
pause. Then, under sense that some
thing must be said, and not knowing ex-
actly what it was to be, he went on in a
strain that was rather stronger than the
facts of the case warranted.
g feel as if 1 were more than friend
to you," he said. Indeed, I haven't
seen anybody for long time who excit-
ed my interest as you have done"
Here there was another pause, during
which he became more embarrassed
than ever, while his companion began to
entertain certain idea about his mean
ing.
q want to ask you something" he said
finally, in ahesitating way. "pm afraid
you'll think it very strange in me to say
such thing to you when I've only known
you few weeks; but l think you will
mean, hope"
Here he came to dead stop and was
entirely at loss how to go on.
But before he could put an end to his
hesitation the lady herself suddenly
brought matters to climax in a way
that put very different aspect on the
affair
Mr.. Thornton" she said, with man
ner IN which kind feeling was combined
with decisive firmness, 81 think know
what you want to say to me, and I'm
sure 1t will be better to stop you before
you say 1t. believe you were going tc
ask me to marry You. / can always es
TEEN and honor you very much; but i
would be impossible for me to be more
than your friend, even if I wished to