River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-01-01
THE CURATE'S SWEETHEART.

That YVES the description given to the
Rev. Charles Grosvenor, ofthe new occu-
pant of the little cottage which lay SO
close TO his vicarage that he could see
the smoke from the chimney over the
tops of the trees that skirted mis- lawn.
The Rev. Charles GrOsvenor had been
away from the scene of his labors at
Chumlelgh for a month. Chumleigh
was countrifed enough and healthy
enough, but he had been ordered sea
air and had taken the trip, leaving his
by no means extensive flock to the care
Of temporary shepherd.
The Rev. Charles Grosvenor was a
young and Chumleigh was his first
living. He was quite new enough to
his work to take interest in if, and he
was on intimate terms with all his
parishiOners.
Directly he heard of the new arrivals
in the village, he, of course. determined
to call upon them, but he thought he
would just inquire what sort of people
they were.
The result was the above description
"a description vague enough in all
conscience, and yet sufficient at once
to invest the Aeroines of it with slight
halo of romance.
The Rev. Charles Grosvenor had not
50 long left college life to bury himself
among the pumpkins but that he could
duly appreciate the piquancy which a
little mystery lends TO our ordinary
hum-drum existence.
Knowing that the young lady shun-
ned observation, his curiosity was at
once aroused, and he looked forward to
his first meeting with her with more
than ordinary eagerness. AS TO the old
lady-well, he was a young bachelor,
remember, and however deeply old la
dies may veil themselves, or however
mysterious they may be, they cannot
expect to command much attention
when there is young lady in the case.
The curate called at Laburnam cot
tage the day after the return from the
seaside. He found the Smiths very
quiet and unassuming people. Mrs.
Smith said very little and Sighed a good
deal, and Miss Smith. though fluent
and agreeable speaker, as hecould Judge
from the little she said, spoke only in
answer to his questions, and kept her
eyes fixed on the ground the whole time
he was talking to her.
Something queer about these peo-
ple," said Rev. Charles Grosvenor to
himself. wonder what it is. l must
draw them out"
His notion of drawing them out was
to engage their services in parish work.
The old lady sighed and consented.
The young one colored, cast down her
eyes, and said that she was not fit for
such work. Not religious enough she
meant.
Rev. Charles GrosvenUr was much
distressed to hear that Miss Smith was
not religious. Here, at last, was task
congeniaI to his soul. He was quite
willing to convert farm laborers and to
reform market gardeners, but when a
demure looking lady, with an agreeable
manner, offered herself, he could not
refrain from looking forward to the
prospect of higher and nobler work.
He talked seriously to Miss Smith,
and Miss Smith listened seriously-so
seriously that the curate was taken by
surprise. He was almost alarmed at
the terrible earnestness with which the
girl spoke of religious questions, asked
for spiritual consolation, and argued
with him on the dread subject of the
sinners fate hereafter. The earnestness
and the vehemence of his Pensioners,
however, only increased his interest in
her.
Now when Miss Smith called herself
miserable sinner, the Rev. Charles
was one. He accepted her confession
in the same sense that he would have
accepted it from the patron of his living,
Of his l., n !,
oners. We are all miserable sinners,
and being eDjoined to say so, a clergy
man cannotsfor the sake of being COM
plimentary, refuse to believe young
lady when she affirms that she is no ex-
ception to the rule.
But as to attaching any really serious
import to the confession of Miss Smith,
that never occurred TO him for mo-
ment. He soothed her, offered her
such consolation as he could, thought
she was a most pious and interesting
girl, and fell madly in ,ove with her.
From the moment he made the dis
covery his conduct to her altered. He
terapted her to talk less about herself
and to be cheerful. He didn't wan the
girl he was in love with to be too per-
sistCntiy a miserable sinner. She was
so charming and so nice that he felt
she might very well keep that in the
background little.
A white tie and clerical coat do not
90 alter mans nature; and when IA man
falls madly in love with woman, he
likes to imagine her as near perfection
as possible.
Miss Smiths manner changed also.
She discovered the parsons secret be-
fore it was many days old. She was
still pleased to see him, but she avoided
all reference to her sins.
Once he questioned her about her
past life. For moment she went dead
IL pale, then the color rushed to her
cheeks, and she stammered out a re-
mark which turned the conversation.
Miss Smith saw that, the Rev. Charles
Grosvenor was ut her mercy. 1t was
only question of time when he would
make the avowal. Should she encour-
age him, or discourage his secret, and
stop it while there was yet time?
In her difficulty she laid the c.lse be-
fore her mother and asked her advice.
The old lady was frightened out OF
her wits. She dare not think about
such a thing, she said. Of course it
WOulu OS TIE IlsthtiiS ti uCI Il sue SOttlti
marry clergyman; but how could it
be done? He would have to know the
history of her life first, and then
"And then he wouldn't have me, "
answered the girl, passionately.
''Of course not, my dear" said Mrs.
Smith, lat least | should think not"
"Shall l tell him? Shall l confess all
the next time he comes?'
Again Mrs. Smith is frightened. She
does not like to think what the result
Of that confession will be. They've
managed ut last to find spot where
they can live quietely and unknown.
Why must all the miserable story be
brought up again?
Miss Smith. failing to get any praci-
cal advice from ner mother, thinks the
matter over quietly by herself, and by
the time she sees her admirer again
she has settled on her course of action
She meets him in the fields that lead
to the church.
1t is bright Summer morning, and
they pause by stiie TO look at the vel
low and red of the far-stretehins
fields.
The Rev. Charles Grosvenor common.
ces by talking about nature, and gradu-
=,