The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-03-13
Written for the Sunday SENTINEL
A MINISTER'S W00ING.

OAhtAAb \. WILLIE
BE with you all. now and forever more.
Then the aged minister added, in a louder
voice:
There will be a meeting in this house to-
night, beginning with early candIeIight."
us the old man agoing to give us two SER
mons dsy3" queried one of his Pensioners
of another. as they passed out.
mo; he's not able TO preach one, hardly
30 we've got young brother from distance
to come aud help him this summer"
On after these two old men followed
Mirah Hueston down through the green
churchyard, out across the little used coun-
sry road, and over the fields, through which
q narrow path led them short cut" home.
She was an orphan, without brother or sis
ter. Her guardian, out of her small income,
had educated her, and now she was among
these people as the teacher of their district
school She wondered as she listened to the
conversation ahead of her whether the COM
ing of this young minister would in any
degree change her dull life. She reached
the farm house where .she made her home,
and recognized the presence OF company
before she entered, from hearing orders
given to Miranda Jane, the help, to spread
the white table cloth, and to put on some
preserves" and some cakes out of the best
lot.
she entered the keeping room ana saw
the guest. Before he looked up she had
time to think. "How handsome nc is
How intelligent he looks''
The young minister looked up and saw
very pretty girl; but in his larger experience
with the world was not forcibly struck
with her was Mirah with him. She was
golden haired, slight blue eyed and grace
full; looking what she was, very pure and
good.
"Mirah," said the farmer, this is Brother
Grey; he's agoing to stay awhile on Bear
Creek circuit"
Arthur Grey held her little hand in his
strong, white one second, released it, and
then finished the subject he was discussing
with the old man.
The farmer rose at last the leave the room,
and the minister asked of him
us that your dSughter?'
Who? Oh, yes; Mirah. No; she's our
school ma am"
And then she was left to entertain the
guest.
Arthur Grey had selected the ministry as
the best field TO display his peculiar talents,
and as Il sure ans OF rising in the world.
As he was a moral man and hard student
ne bid fair to adorn the cause he had shosen
TO labor for.
Now as this young servant of the Lord was
Of the earth, not heavenly, he was just as
apt to become interested in beautiful fea-
lures, and to have his blood quicken in his
veins at sight of perfect form, and loved to
be talked TO as well by an entertaining girl
as any other man.
So pleasantly did MIrah cause an hour to
pass that the young minister made up his
mind ere he was called out TO dinners to ac-
cept Brother ThorntOn's invitation to make
his home with them during his stay.
And so il came to pass that these two
young people were thrown great deal in
each others society. Before the summer
was over it was apparent to all that "the
sweet old story, ever new" was being enact
ed over again in that old farm house.
Arthur Grey knew that Mirah had become
attached to him, and-it pleased him; and
he encouraged her, too, saying to himself the
meanwhile:
.Mrah is not the woman to be my wife
she would prove only clinging ivy. She
makes my life in this lonely country place
peasant one, but at my departure this must
all end"
Not right? Perhaps not. Selfsh2 OF
course. But who says that preachers, as a
class. are Unselfish?
IL is late summer time now, and Arthur
Grey has discovered that the 'cliDging ivy"
has entwined itself about his heart little
more than is comfortable. Mirah's beauty.
famed by the breath Of love, has expanded
into something royal. This fact is appealing
to one part of his nature; and her tender,
loving uedTI anu o"cct, naive ways arc APP
pealing,to the other part.
SO he concluded TO be honest with her
and give her to understand just how much
they could ever be to each other The
thought had never struck the good pastor
until be began 10 feel himself in danger and
felt the need of help from Mirah to keep
him from throwing himself away.
He had asked her now to go out walking
with him, and intended that she should
know ere they returned that he could never
be more than he now was to her.
She was coming now; q peal of girlish
laughter ringing through the hall above
came floating down the wide stairway, in
through the open door. like a chime of
golden bells. The sound touched chord in
Arthur Grey's heart that Jared with pain
Then there was a light, springing footstep
on the stairs. and Mrah stood in the door
way in her floating white dress and coquet
fish lit lie hat, looking her loyliest, ready to
20 with this man to be asked to help him
keep from loving her.
Arthur Grey's ambition was greater than
his love of sell indulgence, or he could not
have gone through with his part, for he
realized ct that moment that Mirah possessed
bis heart.