Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-12-13
THE GOLDEN HAIR.


Mr.. Smith, our new minister, come to
engage board, | believe" said Mrs.
Perry, excitedly.
!" SO It's, true as | live. Well, there's
one thing certain, if he comes here we
shall want new door-mat in less than
. month"
"What makes you think so, Mi
randy2"
Because the girls heels will wear it
threadbare running after Mr.. Smith"
La, sus! how your tongue does wag,
Mirandy-be spry and open the door"
This brief visit resulted in the engage
ment of bedroom and study, and Mr..
Smith, the handsome rector of st.
Luke's, took possession of them imme-
diately
This Connecticut village parish was
composed of the firters and the anglers,
that is, the young lady part of it:
Walk into my parlor said the spider
to the fly"
Poor Mr.. Smith.
But how should he know? This was
his first charge-what would he not do
he proposed to be eyes to the blind,
feet to the lame, and bind up broken
hearts; striving always to initiate the
Great Teacher, who went about doing
good, This, and this alone was his OBJ
iect in life.
They were good girls, too; genuine de-
pendants of the Puritans, as conscien-
tious as the old COvenanters, and ma
jority Of them would have been asham-
ed even to dream of a Irritation yet-
yetthey smiled, oh, so sweetly upon the
handsome rector.
Nevertheless, he was lonely and home
sck-he thought of Aunt Eunice who
with her painsta king care had supplied
his dead mothers place with such tidel-
ity-of bright Cousin Kitty with whom
he parted so regretfully when he left the
little brown cottage, for a new field of
labor-of Kitty and her sweet ways, the
companion of his boyhoOd, and the
friend of his early manhood.
But there was kind Mrs Perry to talk
to-she was one of those practical Yam
KEGS who tell the truth bluntly, and cut
and slash ones feelings right and left
without mercy, and with the best OF mo-
lives
Good old soul, she had no daughter
to give to the minister, but she had
plenty OF advice.
&" Now, Mr. smith, she said, there's
Betsey Hopkins, she's just like her
mother-porcupine all over, has a quilt
ready to throw at anyone; and there's
Lucy Hooper, she has laundering
after those blue Presbyterians-and
Sarah Jane Hall-well, she has no moth
er poor thing, so it's no wonder that
she's not over neat-now don't mind
winning ways, Mr. Smith, when girls
buttons are hanging off, and ought to
he sewed on-and Mr.. Smith, YOU
hain't got no mother; you know, and |
DO hate to see young man kinder
taken in.
" | dare say some of these young
ladies would make amiable wives, Mrs.
Perry, but | have no thought of matri-
mOny"
"Oh! then you must have left your
heart down with Aunt Eunice," she said
with some curiosity.
"Oh, no! am heart whole and fancy
frenzy bride is the church, at least
for the present" the young man said,
with pleasant smile.
Mirandy," said Mrs. Perry shortly
after, to her confidential companion,
them girls that's sot their caps Tor our
new minister, had better pull them off,
for I'm thinking he's not one Of the mar
rying sort"
Well-may be sO-but if LIirandy
Poet is any Judge of human nature, the
one he thinks the prettiest will catch
him yet"
Squire Wheeler was the big man of
Punckinmck; he owned a great deal of
real estate and drove two horses to
church, his wife and son were stylish
altogether they were "some pumpkins, f"
Mirandy said-but the browning excel
lence of the Wheeler family eliminated
in Miss Antonio. She was at fashion
able boarding-school in New York City
" to be finished" and at the time of Mr..
Smiths advent, was receiving a genuine
Partisan polish, which would enable her
to shine III society.
The Punckinunk girls secretly ex-
ulted at her absence, for, with her SUI
perior attractions, they felt sure that
she would monopolize Mr.. Smith, and
throw them all into the shade. And so
1t proved.
The gothic-covered church became
suddenly glorified one summers morn
ing, when there fluttered in vision of
marvellous beauty-the very incarna-
ton Of sweetness and simplicity.
1t was Miss Antonio.
The recter glanced downward upon
her, just as ray of sunlight glistened
on her glossy, golden hair, making her
look like some medieval saint.
Mr.. Smith admired golden hair-a
woman so crowned, as with a halo.
seemed to him an embodiment of
purity and goodness; here, then, it was
in abundance, shading the face of an
angel, he thought, and he never seemed
SO near heaven as upon that particu-
lar morning.
At dinner his irrepressible landlady
asked him what he thought Of Miss
Wheeler.
She is a pure, true woman, with
magnificent golden locks" he replied,
while a slight color rose to his cheeks
ooh, beware, Mr.. Smith; remember
all is not gold that glitters.
A word to the wise is sufficient, /"
added Mirandy.
But who thinks of old maxims, or
coolly calculates possibilities, when
HeoII. young IONG rays eNGl 81 oOltIy
his light touch upon the heart.
Mr.. Smith did not; he was wickedly
heterodox, for he offered incense to has
particular idol, Miss Antonio Wheeler,
and she reserved her polished. affecta-
tons for lesser lights; to him, she was
an artless, golden-haired beauty. r.
That pleasant summer passed away,
as all enjoyable things do; the winter