The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-11-24

had quite forgotten the man IN the eaee
and all The rest Of the world ouhide q
that wall Of screening mist
II seemed 10 him a II hih life Wnl
rounded aud perfect just then. BE an
his wife ate their front, and talked pleas
ant pariah gossip. He wAS tsenty.three
BE had graduated the year before, viii
the reputation Of possessing q nice talenl
Tor English verse and vein Of tender
sentimenIalism, which would not impair
hiA usetulbeas as . popular preacher, Hi
only doubt ~ TO his own qualifications 10,
the heavenly calling was 10 10 his lack d
stature In the pulpit. But when he really
went into the pulpit . stool on which b
could stand remedied that difficulty, When
be was mounted on the stool hiS face an.
PeaLed above the snowy suTplice, blue,
eyed, calm, tastidious, framed niair hair
and aide WhiskerS, and a. innocent Of all
knowledge ofhnmannatnre ~ the insipid
Madonna In the window overhead,
As soon a. he was called 70 the parish
Of All.Saints he married. AllEaintS
was . snug nest for these two tame birds
Il Was made up Of half dozen families
In town which had sprung up about Z
railway station In Ohio. The church
was new, from the red cushions 70 the
tiny organ and painted window. Choir,
FyeatEy:nen, congregation, all were new
and full oil zeal. There was the gray old
senior warden, who kept an exceedingly
sharp eye on the Reverend Edward;
there were the bustling matrons in black
silk, with their sewing circle; there was
the inevitable Gordon Of Admiring young
girls. Mt. Britton was wont 10 declare
that his STOCK were one with him 10
spirit; that they held up his hands in his
battle with error" He had, In fact, car.
ried his own belief into practice with re.
gard TO changes in alba, chasubles, and
altar cloth, and the whole congregation
supported him heartily, as they did in
his dispute with the LoW.Ohurch pastor
Of 81. Thomas concerning the number Of
gehulectiOns requibite In the creed.
II will thus be seen that the Rev. Mr..
BrittOn had reason when he felt his life
TO be rounded and complete. he could
have Wiahed, perhaps, that PhGbe had
not been too much occupied with house.
keeping duties TO take much interest in
the alb or chasuble troubles. She wa al.
ways ready, however, to stand sponsor
for the children Of the congregation, or
to nurse them when they were sick, and
was a. anxious about the brides, and
cried over the dead, as II the people were
all her own kinsfolk.
He was talking now OF some otthese
babies whom he had baptized and young
girls whom he had marrid.
"lthank God often for the happy lot
that has fallen to me, my DEAR be said,
his voice unsteady. "To be the shepherd
Of thts little flock from the cradle 10 The
grave! ] little thought when Was boy
such good fortune would be mine.p
When you were boy, and your step
father used 10 thrash you 90 horribly"
said Phoebe, in her brusque way. Math-
eW Panssnt!-PanSent? Il seems As II l
had heard that name within day or
two. Didn't you tell me be went to South
Carolina after your mothers death?'
Yes. Ii Il not necessary TO speak
farther Of him." Mr.. Britton's voice
Was singularly altered. he rose hastily,
and began to pace up and down the room.
When she looked up she saw that his
CHASTITY face had undergone a ghastly
change. He stopped in front OF her.
Phoebe, l desire that you will never
mention that mans name to me again -
in q harsh, strident tone.
"No, Edward"
Mr.. Britton walked for an hour UP and
down the dim fire-lighted room. He did
not speak sgain. He was 4 gentle, sub
missiye Christian. Every body knew that.
He knew Il Of himself. But at the bare
mention Of P4nsent's name his head be.
gan to throb, and the blood burned in his
veins with the FIRE Of hell. His sole
thought was Of what punishment he
would meet out TO the wretch il he had
the power. None seemed 10 him suite.
lent. Hate him! Why should he not
hate himl Had he not tortured his youth,
made his mother'so old age one long breath
Of misery7 To hate him was to hate sin,
fraud-He caught one OF PhGbe's occas-
IiOaal keen glances, and tried to smile
back 10 her.
al will 20 out IN the fresh air my
dear. am GOT we'll" His eountenance
was pinched and colorless; there was q
different man looking out from 1t than
the sentimental little clergyman she had
married.
As he vent down stairs into the impen.
etrabIe log he staggered. It was hard
that he, clergyman, a godlJ man, should
be thus torn with wrath, however right.
eous. How could he follow out the holy,
calm life be purposed, while this man
livedi II he were dead, II he could zee
him lying on the ground here
He stopped, staring before him with q
long breath Of relief. 1t seemed for q
moment "a il the world was actually rid
Of this incubus; then, recollecting himself
with = shudder, he went on
When Mr.. Brittou returned an hour
later, the only trace OF the moral conyul-
sion through which he had passed was
that he was cross and peevfsh. These
weak, sWeetly toned natures are not in
frequently found with IN obstinate, inhu.
man chord running through them, and
when il Is struck, all their ordinary har-
monies are Jared out Of tune. This may
account for the fact that Mr.. Britton
presently told his wife Of the man in the
cage, although, an hour or two before, he
had been anxious to keep her in igno-
rance Of this terrible thing
at Is \ barbarous custom OF this State
he continued, irritably. "They treat a
great criminal as brute-chAin him by
leg and arm to the floor, inside Of just such
cage as is used for wild beasts.h
Phoebe turned very pale "a she listened;
but she said, calmly, "Does the man have
enough TO eatF
Elbow should 1 know, my dear 1
suppose that depends on the humanity Of
his keeper"
"Are hia friends allowed to see him ?"
II believe that he has none. Glosher
tells me that nobody has yIlited him ex.
eept the iailer."
Her eyes filed with tears. HCased and
chained for a year In = Christian eoun-
try, and not . soul to speak kindly to
him, or tell him OF Jesus who died for
himr
Mr.. Rritton moved uneasiIy. "That is
owing to the fact that there il no regular
chaplain; there could not be, Of course.
This Is mere country jail, with the one
lnmate-not apenitentiAfy.S
"You are going TO him tomorrow, Ed.