The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-12-18
A MOUSE.

A MOUSE.
MIR. PELETIAH MERRITT was young
IMAM, emphatically. Some men are
born young. and some have youth thrust
upon them. He was of the latter sort.
Though he certainly was born. ac-
tprding to the best authorities, at a
Very recent period. he never vet had
been young in spirit. His solemn face,
his whity-yellow hair, his pouted lips,
all indicated long frocks and a cradle,
up to his fifteenth year. He was con-
scientious and sincere, but he took such
large views of life, and was so precise
and methodical in all he planned and
did. that his good intentions often fell
under the suspicion of conceit, and that
not without the appearance Of evil
At the time we introduce him to our
readers he was f,,ll-fedged from col
iege and his course Of theological
studies.
OF life, character. human nature, he
was entirely ignorant. A theological
erSlning does not include these branches,
and this guileless creature was sent
forth to preach the Gospel without one
particle of serpentine wisdom. Harm
less he might be, but as useless as a
physician who, deriving his knowledge
from books alone, should undertake to
practice on that knowledge.
So it was well for him and for Christ
endom that he decided to go on mis-
sion. Peletiah was so honestly good,
so pure in mind, so gentle and earnest
IN character, that a flock not critical
about intellect, and aspect, and man.
ners, and "go," could not fail to be
won by his works and words,
But to be missionary, one must
have a wife. Our hero's instincts re-
volted from the idea of going to a
seminary and selecting wife to order,
or taking somebody on recommends
ticn of the Board, He had certain old
Fashioned and delicate ideas about mar
riage. and did not desire to select a
wife as he would a horse, simply for
her good qualities, pluck, endurance,
temper and health. So he waited, and
kept his field waiting, till he should
genuinely fall in love, proposing, if he
were luckless enough to adore an unfit
person, to sacrifice his own feelings to
uuu ~ Oul dlOuc WITH an 0rTOW
III his heart.
In the meantime, he went to Bliss
not the state of bliss, but town of
that name in New England, so called
after its pioneer settler-to visit his
cousin, Harry Marsh, young doctor
who lived there, and had recently gone
lntc practice with his father: and it
happened that the day after Peletiah
arrived at his uncle's, there came into
town, also on visit, a very nice young
girl. g
Harry and Peletiah met her at pic
mic and admired her nightly, as young
men always did admire Louise Grant.
She was pretty, not beautiful, with the
most charming manners, gentle, cor
dial, sparkling; eyes like robins, and
the sweetest voice; and having a truly
feminine gift at hero-worship. On
finding that Rev. Mr.. Merit was going
on mission, she treated him with a
Difference and respect that put Pele-
tiah very high in his own esteem.
Yes. he fell in love with Miss Grant
with his own full consent and knowl-
edge. If she had been made to order
she could not have suited his ideas OF
wife better. She was intelligent,
sweet-tempered, cheerful, well-edu-
Gated, sound in mind and body, as her
orthodox opinions and rosy cheeks
testified; and she was earnestly relig-
ious. Surely, with all these other
gifts, she must be courageous
only quality he had not yet seen tested
and to crown all her virtues, she evil
IDENTITY looked up to and admired him
as woman should properly and script
urally look up to and admire her pro-
tector.
In the meantime, unobserved by
Peletiah, who was absorbed in himself
and Miss Grant, Harry Marsh also had
fallen over head and ears in love, as
the phrase is, too, and with the same
fair lady; but his style of the tender
passion was not like his cousins.
He loved Lou Grant because he could
not help it. He made no ANALYSIS OF
her character or his own needs. He
loved her just as a man commonly
loves. forgetting himself and his mer.
its, and considering her above all
other things. He, too, had a great re.
spect for Peletiah, and, seeing that the
studious youth was also captivated by
Louise, he resolved not to plead his
own cause till Peletiah had decided his
future.
Perhaps his virtue would have beer
rewarded, as virtue sometimes is in
this world, by sad disappointment
but for the Intervention of one of the
weak things of creation; for Louise
Grant was an imaginative little woman
and had thrown halo of self-sacrifice,
devotion and lofty heroism about Pele.
tiah, greater than he deserved, and il
would have been easy for her honest
soul, capable of all a woman's devotion
to good, to persuade herself into mar
rying this man simply because he was 8
missionary.
But it happened one evening both thu
cousins called at Mr.. Barnes house
where Miss Grant was staying. Pele
tiah had resolved to offer himself tina
very night, and settled calmly into tn,
most comfortable chair, in order t,
outstay Harry; and conversation wa
proceeding in both fluent and brill
liant manner, while Mr.. Merit, as tn,
others tossed the ball of words to an(
fro, arranged in his own mind the head
OF his discourse to Miss Grant, and thu
affecting application thereof.
Suddenly loud shrek aroused him
he looked up and there was Louise
balancing herself on the piano-stool. on
to which she had leaped, her clothe,
gathered tightly about her, her eve,
wild, and incOherent words issuins
from her red lips.
"Oh, my goodness! o-o-oh! there i
is! OH! it's coming this wayr' an
other loud shrek here, and still an
other, as Harry seized the poker ant
made frantic dabs at something in tn,
corner.
"What is it?'' sternly asked Pele
tiah, who thought of nothing less thai
rattlesnake. quite regardless of tn,
improbabllity that such beast woul,
intrude into parlor.