The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-05-19
SELECT STORY.
Mr.. BEAMAN'S MISTAKE.
An Old Fashioned Story.
From the Galaxy, for April ]


sill echoing from the singing Raiary.
and the congregation, with rustic and
a stir, turned their faces toward the
minister for the benediction, In the
brief pause before il was spoken. old Mr..
BAaman, the town clerk OF Bayfield,
stepped in font of the pulpit. and rails
ing his hand, said in loud clear voice,
"Know all it may concern, that Mark
Boynton, of this town, and Elizabeth
Heath, ofthe same, intend marriage"
There was a movement throughout
the whole congregation as if it were
pervadai by an Electric shock, and looks
of surprise passed from eye to eye
But there were three persons present on
whom the clerk S announcement fell like
a thunderbolt. One of these was u
young girl with pale face and downcast
eye. When Mr. Beaman began to speak
she listened with a kind of patient COM
posure; hut as the names were announced,
a wild, startled look came into her eyes,
she sank back upon her seat, and buried
ber now burning face in her hands.
Not many steps removed stood a man
of perhaps forty-a grave and sober
person, with hair slightly turning to
grav His face, habitually a somewhat
sad one, had worn throughout the ser
vice that day. look of cheerful content;
but a. Mr.. Beaman made his announce
ment, 1t took the paleness Of death. -
His head dropped upon his breasb
and he stood like one paralyzed, clasp
ing the railing of the pew for support.
Very different was the effect produced
upon a young man. the solitary occupant
of pew not far away. He had been
standing with dropping head and
downcast heavy look; but "a he heard
the words of the old clerk he started
visibly, the blood mounted in a Grim son
flush to hiz forehead, while his eye
flashed with look of blended triumph
and defiance and his lips closed with an
expression of stern resolve.
There was painful hush over all the
house, as if every one present were
strangely moved to sympathy with one
or another Of those so deeply AMI vari-
ously affected by what had been said =
1t was broken by the voice of the min
lister saying solemnly, "and now may
the grace of God, and the communion of
His Holy Spirit, be and abide with you
all for ever. Amen" And the people
moved silently out of the church.
The pale and stricken man on whom
the old clerks most unexpected words
had fallen 80 like the stroke of doom,
was Robert Jocelyn. He had listened
that day 20 hear his own name coupled
with that of the lovely girl who had
promised to be his wife, and the voice
of the clerk had Joined with hers that
of another and a younger mani To un-
derstand the full force of the blow
which had fallen on him. it is necessary
to go back at a time, nearly twenty years
before, when as a youth he had won the
love of his pretty and gentle cousin
Phoebe Jocelyn. Poebe was the lovliess
admimers by the score, but Robert Joce
lyn was the choice of her heart, and to
him she was tenderly attached. But
though capable of loving with devotion,
poor Phoebe was weak-willed and timid
and quite powerless to resist a resoIute
and domineering mother, who had chos-
en- different person to be her daughter s
husband. William Heath had more
money than Robert, and was a snowy,
plausible fellow, in whom.the ADDITIONS
mother fancied abe saw a more brilliant
match for her daughter. She piled the
yielding girl with arguments, reproaches
and appeals TO flial duty till she WAS
quite bewildered; and almost before she
was aware of it she had given mp her
cousin, and was pliehted to William
Heath. Her married life was fortunate
ly brief, for she knew no happiness in
the three weary wears she lived with her
husband. At the end of that time h
left her in poverty, and no one in Bay
field ever saw him again. Poor Phoebe
sinking under the pressure Of grief, neg
lect and privation, lived bnt few months
after his desertion. During that time
she was tenderly cared for by her cousin
Robert. who supplied all the wants ot
her and her infant daughter, and found
for them a serene asylum under the roo
of his brother Ezra and his wife. Thi,
ind l. H. oLs \
her mother was gone the little Lizzie
was adopted by them az their own.
Robert Jocelyn had meyer married
He lived on. a sad and silent man, ole
before his time, but he had no heart tc
offer to another woman. He had loved
Phoebe so unselfshly that he could have
borne to lose her if she had been happy
. but to have her taken from him to suffer
neglect and cruelty was hard indeed. i
was with SOLEMN ihankfulness that ht
saw the sod laid over her. faded beaut,
and broken heart.
Years passed, and Phebe's daughter
was a charming, brig ht eyed girl o.
eighteen. Under the fostering care o
Ezra and his wife she had grown III
cheerful and happy, loving and dutiful
favorite with all. Like her mother
she had many admirers; bnt it could no
be positively determined that she favor
ed anv. Still, there were shrewd supic
ions and more than one young FELLOW
would have been glad to stand in Mari
Boyrton's place. and would have fel
rich indeed with but a portion of tn
smiles which shone on that fortunat
youth.
Mark was a neIghbor Of the Jocelyns
He had inherited from his father fine
well-stocked farm; but unfortunatel
there had been discovered flaw in hi
title; and ever since his majority he ha,
been involved in a tiresome law sui
which it was new generally believe
would 60 against him. Should it 30 re
suit he would be a poor man, if a youn