Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1879-08-30
OUR .MINIsrER's WOOING.n
BY HELEN PIERCENAL.

Once upon a time, very unexpectedly,
and very much to its own establishment,
The little village of Ryefield awOke to ex-
perience q sensation. For the last thir-
ty and odd years the spiritual affairs OF
the community had been presided over
by the Rev. DR.. Fairfield.
But as somebody pathetically, remarks,
ito all things comes change" and one
day, as the good doctor was returning
from pastoral call, his steady-gOing
old horse was suddenly inspired with a
crazy notion to run away. The doctor
was thrown from his carriage, carried
home insensible, and in few days there
after, calmly as he had hved1 he died;
and they carried him out, and buried
him where the shadow of the cross on
the little village church fell daily upon
his grave. - u
His successor, Maxwell Grey, mount
ed the pulpit, and Immediately, from
one end of the village to the other, every
gOssip's tongue was set in motion.
Never tea-drinking for the next three
months at which his appearance, his
manners, and his sayings were not dis
cussed, as If they, and they alone, form
ed the only topic of consideration. And
when it came to be positively asserted,
by those who it was supposed ought to
know, that he wasn't even engaged"
such setting of caps as was insti-
tuted!
Sheltered in the quiet, chililess house
hold of good Deacon Thompson. Mr.. Grey
had, happily, not even the faintest idea
of the controversies extant. And when
he met any of the village girls, as he
very frequently did, he little suspected
that the defferential pOliteness with
which he greeted them, SO unaccustOm-
ed to them and so habitual to him, could
have the least power to thrill them and
set them dreaming, in the way it GER
tainly did,
Like every other place in the wide
world, Ryefield had its "aristOcracy;'
and aristOcracy that prided itself on the
blue blood that flowed through its veins.
And it met the talented, eloquent young
minister with enthusiastic welcomes,
thereby acknowledging his possession
of that unmistakable, indefinable quality
denOminated, good breeding"
At the head of this circle stood Es-
quire Willard, who was also one of the
sometimes so far forgot himself as to
UtCOilc Ouc VI tilc 6tccpCfo.
Naturally enough, young Grey fire.
quently had business consultations with
the squire; sometimes calling at his
house, and holding long conversations
relative to church interests. And one
evening he started to go there, leaving
Mrs. Thompson. perceptibly uneasy in
mind.
That's the third time he's called there
within month"; she said to the deacon.
Il do hope he isn't paying attentions to
FlOy." s5
Her husband looked up in astOnish-
ment. "And pray, why not, wife," said
he.
why notY' she echoed. "Why what
kind of wife would FlOy Willard make
She doesn't know the very first thing
about housekeeping, though 1 can't say
it's altogether her fault; she seems clev-
er enough, but her mother always will
take the whole charge of everything,
50 that there is no chance for her to
learn even if she wanted to. But as it
is, she's just the LATEST girl in town. Nc
kind of faculty. Like every other
New-Englander, Mrs. Thompson had
great respect for this last.)
Just here the deacon mildly suggested
that there was really no necessity for la
Dor in this case, and looked as if he
would like to suggest that his wife was
meddling with what did not concern hel
in the least. r.
But Mrs Thompson was not thus to b,
appeased. mo more necessity than il
everybOdy's case, / admit" she rejOined
but think everybody should know hoy
to manage, and a ministers wife, abOv
all, with house always full of com
pany, and visiting and charity work be
sides. Oh, no! she'll never dOp' An
she inwardly resolved straightway.
open Mr.. Grey's eyes to the atrOcity 0
Floy Wizards ''laziness," and thus, a
she said to herslf, crush the germs Q
any passion, or rather motion,
as she termed it, which she feared NIGH
be growing in his breast. "FOr," sh
added, "when a body takes an interes
in another, they do like to see them d
WELL"
Most worthy womanl She might hav
spared herself so much uneasiness ha
she known that, in all his calls at VII
lard Place, Mr.. Grey had never, Oddl
enough, been favored with even
glimpse of the young lady in question
In, her ignorance of this fact, next morn
ing at the breakfast table, she very in
geniOusly led the conversation to a dis
cussiOn of the Willards in general. an
Miss FlOy in particular; which CONVEX
satiOn had the sole effect of inspirin
Greys mind with strong interest il
her behalf, and causing him to wonde
what had become of Mrs. Thompson
w0nted charity.
Peeplng In at the Willard Place nc
many weeks after this, you would hav
found the house almost deserted. Tn
door OF the wide hall stood open, and til
low windows that opened from the pal
lOr directly upon the shady yerand
were guarded only by the long lace cul
talns that waved and pulled in the idl
summer wind.
Half hidden behind the snowy fold
In a huge armchair, and curled u
among its cushions, behold, at the m,
ment whereof we write, Miss FlOranl
Willard
A childish little figure, slender an
round; dainty head, crowned with
rare glory of soft, waving, shinin
brown hair; a complexion like a wi
rose; great, wistful, hazel eyes, and flu
red lips, with something almost so
rowful in their soft curves. And mo
than all these a certain potent char
and grace of daintinesS from the so
lace about the the throat to the glitte
ing buckles on the little slippered fee
L =.