Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1876-05-11
Helena, Montana, Thursday, May II, 1876.

me here to my quiet country home am
very happy; was going to try to be very
good-but somehow this letter perplexes
me-"
You will see that she was not very much
in love with the writer, yet he had been q
pleasant companion in her gay London wint-
ters
Il am to carry this bouquet, if l love him.
she mused.
For nearly an hour she sat over the letter
thinking deeply; then she rose, took the bou-
quet in her hand, and deliberately thrust the
flowers into the fire, to her maids consterna-
ton.
Sir Rudolph Haines, felt keen pang when
he saw Minnie saunter into the brilliant
drawing-room leaning on her fathers arm,
empty yhanded; but he was not man to drop
after firing one shot, and, to N1innie's sur
prise he was as devoted as ever
It was an odd life the yonng girl led after
this evening. She wasin constant correspon-
ence with Henry, and held fast to her resolve
to be good; but while every letter spurred her
on to higher aims and new efforts, every in
terview with Sir Rudolph drew her back to
the gay world again.
Mr.. Godfrey Wood died, and his son was
appointed to Fairwater. For one year he
had been absent, and there was not heart
in his congregation but felt pang as he ap-
peared on the first Sunday after his return.
The pallid face, hollow eyes and weary droop
Of the mouth told tale of illness and suffer-
ing that went to every heart there. AS he
proceeded, the color came slowly back to his
hollow cheeks, and the fire to his eye, while
his stirring words of exhortrtion told of spirit
unquenched by physical suffering, mind
| devoted to one cause and one work.
With plying eyes the congregation watch
ed the dropping figure of their beloved pastor
as it daily grew weaker, while over Minnie's
bright life pail seemed suddenly to fall.
Die! Everybody spoke Of bis death as a
certain and not ar-distant event. Die! Her
friend, her counsellor, her guide to every pure
and holy aspiration of her life! She turned
sick over the possibility, and then, sparing
herself no maiden pang, she read her own
heart truly. He had never spoken to her Of
love, never given her more than friends ina
terest; and she knew that, unasked and un-
sought she had given the deformed minister
the love Sir Rudolph Haines sought to win.
Poor, deformed and sickly, he had won
what her handsome suiter would have given
all his wealth to gain.
1t was late one summer afternoon, and
Minnie was dreaming away the twilight in
her own room when she saw figure in deep
mourning coming slowly up the garden walk.
1t was no new sight, for the old minister's
widow, Henry's mother, was frequent and
welcome visitor at Mr.. Stokes house. Every
| body was out and Minnie escorted the old lady
to her own room, took off her bonnet, found
| her the easiest chair and then sat down on a
stool at her feet for long chat. Motherless
herself, the young girl was very fond of
Henry's only surviving parent.
"Minnie,' said the old lady, stroking back
the clustering curls and looking into the fair
| face raised to hers. 81 have come to make
| strange request to-day. want you to go
away to your Aunt James until after you are
married"
go away! Married." cried the astonish-
ed girl.
are you not? You will be his wife soon?''
| 'Never.'
Il was mistaken, then. Still, implore
| you, take your lovely face, for time from
Fairwater. Perhaps, after a while-Oh!
Minnie, Minnie spare me my only son.
''Tell me what you mean? Quick! Tell
me!'
''Do YOU not see how he loves you? Do
you not see that he is dying of hopeless
love?''
'He never told me-
'No, no; how could he? He, the dwarf,
deformed, poor parson; you
Il, so unworthy of his noble heart, his holy
affection!'
"Minnie, Minnie, do not mock me!' and
the aged hands grew tremulous.
''Mother!" she whispered; "may call you
mother?"
"Well," said Mrs Lovejoy, as she took off
her bonnet, Il never expected to see Henry
Wood look as he did this morning when he
stood at the alter with Minnie. He is new
man; and she looked lovely! He is horribly
deformed, though; so, after all, as it was
years ago, she is still Beauty to his ~
'Hush, COUSIN" and Louis soft hand stop
ped the words on Mrs. Lovejoys lips. "She
has chosen well.''
But the merry laugh, long stilled, rang out
at the parsonage as Henry said, caressing his
wife's curls. s'You know, Beauty, the Beast
was dying when the fair lady promised to
marry him. Unfortunately the promise has
wrought no transformation to-day.
Tenderly the little hand fell on the disfgur
ing hump as Minnie whispered, 'My dear
husband, has not God made perfect soul
even in this poor, suffering body? All, my
darling, believe me, no beauty could be, to
me, so lovely as the holy life ! have seen led
by one tried in the furnace of aff1iction as you
have been."
And SO the sorry jest passed by, and the
ministers wife followed humbly in the paths
her husband trod in his Masters service.
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