The Portland daily press., 1878-09-28
[From Sunday Afternoon]
Nicholas HarbOur's Work.

Nicholas HarbOur's Work.
BY REBEccA HARDING DAVIS.
So far as can learn, only one event ever
took place at Kerr's Ford. 1t happened
years ago, but it is the gossip of the village
to this day; you hear dark illusions to it at
tea parties or the church sewing circle, as to
legend belonging to the far, outlying
regions of iniquity; at the drug shops or
about the stove at the post office, however, it
is openly talked of when the magnates of the
village are assembled, and with lily concealed
pride. New York and Washington may
nave their murders and gigantic frauds; but
Kerr's Ford, also, has had her mystery, her
sensation which, with head lines, filled a
column of the county newspaper.
The whole story hinges on the appearance
OF stranger. Colonel Caldwell, with the
Judge and Phipps, the undertaken, claim to
nave hrst seen this man; he was coming up
the street as they were sitting in front of
Bryce's store smoking their cigars after din
ner one October afternoon.
II noticed the man." the Colonel is won !,
to say. "The Judge, he just had asked me
about my pigs. Caldwell, he says, 'how's
pork with you@ aud says, Pretty fair, con-
siderin' the scarcity OF chestnut mast'-(chest-
nut failed entire that year) when I noticed
this man coming direct to US, crossin' by
Hobbs's grist mill. Here's a tramp | SAYS.
Not that tramps or strangers was any novelty
in Kerr's Ford. I'd seen three go through
the town that very week comm up from
Coalport. It's a regular sink of iniquity-t
that town. But I've keen eye for charac-
ter, and seen at glance this man was diff
ferent from + anything than even Coalport
could produce in the way of rascality. 1T
warn't his clothes, though they might have
been his sleepin' apparel in the gutter; and
'twan't his lean, shakin' hands. Lots of
men in our own town is no better off till
they've driven nail in their coffins in the
mornin; and 'twan't that his cheek was yell
low and sunk like corpse's neyther. Twas
his eye, sir. AS soon as l seen that fellows
eye says to Phipps, Here's man would
cut your throat for quarter dollar can
see through human nature better n most men
if | do say So"
The man, Just as the Colonel pronouu ced
this verdict on him, stopped by the curb
stone.
"There seems to be some kind of public ex.
element in your town." he said, with a
hint OF amusement in his tone. "What is
it?"
ga church fair" said Bryce, always civil
to possible patron of the barrel OF whiskey
kept OH tap dL Lne Dack OF tno store.
'sChurch fair?'' staring at the little, very
new, very Gothic stone house at the foot of
the hill. Religious community here, reck-
on? Pays a humping salary? Good fat
ground tor young preacher to settle down
in, eh?"
eyes," said Bryce. "Pretty fair salary.
Though our clergyman don't need it. He
has good income of his own"
''Oh! A good income?" the man re-
peated with the same peculiar smile. ga
rich man preaching the gospel for big
salary. Yes"
The Judge turned sternly on him. Some
thing in his voice and manner made the men
forgot his squalid clothes and treat him as an
equal. "He breaches the gospel, sir, because
he was called of the Lord to do it, Money
would be no temptation to him. He belongs,
believe, to one of the wealthiest families in
Western New York-the Harbours."
"Harbour?' with sudden stride, which
brought his eager, lean face close to Bryce's.
nicholas Harbour?'
eyes, his name is Nicholas. Here he
comes, by the way. You'd better come in
and take something" said Bryce uneasiy
The clergyman was the embodiment, in his
eyes of gentihty as well as godness, and he
had no mind to be seen by him in company
with his new companion.
Clergyman, eh? Good income?' NUT
coated figure as 1t came alertly up the shaded
street. mo, I'll not 60 in; want nothing
to drink. Pve drunktoo much already"
The men laughed as he skunk quickly away,
going down an alley. II offered guess"
the Colonel used to say when telling the cir
cumstances, ''as to how much liquor he had
put out of sight in the year, and told 'em
that he'd cut any mans throat for 'even
pence. But if I'd foreseen that he'd have
unturned Kerr's Ford as he did-took out the
underpinnings from the foundations, as one
might say-me and Phipps, being burgesses,
would have made short work with him that
very day."
The young clergyman came up the street
with QUICK, buoyant step. The wind was
bracing; the sky arched higher to-day over
this hill and river than he had ever seen it
before; the distance was vivid, sunny blue.
The village lay on rising ground land stretches
of autumn woods and rich, peaceful farms
sloped down from it on every side. His
church was new, aud finished according to
his own taste, even to the crimson cushions.
(The Judge had wanted dark blue) His con-
gregation believed that every word in his SER
mons glowen with holy fire; even the carnal.
minded OF the village men, like Bryce and
Phipps, treated him with profound respect.
Mr.. Harbour did not precisely describe his
position in Kerr's Ford as s'good, fat ground
on which to camps but he certainly did
think of it with complacency. 1t seemed to
him as direct recognition of his virtuous
life by Providenee; though, being a genuine
young fellow at bottom, he did not put this
idea into words,
His father had been noted banker in New
York; then defaulter, then convict. He
had died in prison. His elder son John, had
inherited the faint of blood. At twenty he
was old, and exhausted in dissipation and
vice. Nicholasl had turned his back upon
both father and brother, and with the money
left him by a good, Christian mother had
fitted himself for the ministry, and taken this
charge on the hills of Pennsylvania. Nobody
in Kerr's Ford knew the history ofhis family.
Why should they? He had washed his
hands clean of the accursed stain. Now and
then he had received begging letters from his
brother John and always sent him money.
But the gulf was like that between Dives and
Lazarus, and Mr.. Harbour had doubt little
which brother was secure for all eternity.
There were many minor causes to-day to
contribute to his comfortable compacency.
Just below Bryce's store he met COM
mttee of ladies from the church fair; there
were two or three portly matrons in black
alapacas and blacker fronts; Miss Ann Hyde,
thin, watchful and aggressive as a colley
driving stupid, fat ewes; and little behind,
a group of pert pretty girls, They surrounded
him, eager, vehement, all talking at once.
The Rev. Nicholas listened with an anxiety
which he strove to subdue into benign at
tention. 1t hardly suited the dignity of his
calling to be concerned about the raffied
cake or grab-bag, and yet it was all important
that the church should have stained rose
window.
'sPierce has agreed to charge nothing for
the dishes, and what do you think, Mr.. Har-
bour, ice-cream should be plate? We don't
want to be exhorbitant,you know. But peo-
pie ought to be generous, considering the
cause is the Lords"
Certainly, certainly. Very good in Pierce,
Pm sure" calculated the bewdered pastor.
Sand Miss Sarah Clevedon has consented
to assist. The pastors wandering eye grew
steady at this. 'Not", pursued Miss Hyde,
''that the girl will be of any real use. The
most eccentric, unreliable person! But it will
give tone to the affair to have her name. The
social status of the Clevedons will induce
many to take interest in our efforts who scare
nothing for well cooked supper, or even for
IL