St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1880-07-24
THE PARSONS LEAP-YEAR.

THE PARSONS LEAP-YEAR.
"It's very pleasant parish" sale
the Rev. Mr.. Racquet, "and very pleas
ant people. The elder ladies are steady
consistent workers; the younger, active
and enthusiastic. don't think, if 1 hat
possessed the privilege of selecting fol
myself, could have found more de-
1ightful position
Mr.. Roderic Racquet was six-and
twenty, with straight nose, pleasant
blue eyes and a general talent for being
satisfied with everything and every
body. He was located in his first par.
ish, picturesque little knot of houses,
overhanging a brisk cataract, which
made work for mills and factories and
filled all the adjacent woods with its
noisy melody; and so far he was one OF
those exceptions in life, perfectly sat
isied man.
"Ah," said his friend, Mr.. Alton,
who was misanthrope. ''The ladies,
ehp"
Eyes," said Mr.. Racquet, quietly;
"for, of course, you know that much OF
the prosperity of country parish de.
pends upon its female members"
EYES," observed Mr.. Alton, dryly.
You are an unmarried man, l be.
lieveP''
Il am an unmarried man-yes, GER
tainly."
"And this is-Leap-Year."
Nonsense cried the parson briskly.
II hope you may find it nonsense, ="
said Mr.. Alton, pursuing up his lips; but
l am told that there are good many
single ladies this year who are driven
desperate by the prospect of spinster-
hood"
'Nonsense!" again exclaimed Mr..
Racquet. "My dear Alton, this is a
little too much of burlesque. You
don't seriously believe in this-this abb
surdity?'
Mr.. Alton only shook his head, as he
rose and reached for his hat.
"Tll get my book, Racquet" said he,
as he looked lugubriously around the
room, land go out for stroll in these
delicious pine-scented woods. My doc
tor says that pine sap is very healing
for lungs that are consumptively in
clined'f
Every WE'LL" said the Rev. Mr..
Racquet, with a glance at the scattered
sheets of the half completed sermon
that lay on his desk, "and I will join
you after little period of time.''
He took up his pen, dipped it deter.
minedly in the inkstand and went reso-
lutely to writing; but, in spite of all his
industry, the words of his iconoclastic
friend rang persistently in his ears.
eff there should be any foundation
for Atoms absurd idear' he pondered,
with his pen suspended above the par
tially-written sheet. "But, of course,
there can't be; but if such possibility
did exist-and married man is really
better member of society than sim
gle one. never did adhere to the rigid
doctrine that clergymen should be Gel
ebatesp'
And all the while Rose Appleton's
cherry cheeks and tangled yellow hair
were dancing human will-o' -the-wisp,
before the horizon of his minds eye.
'She's young" he said to himself,
"but perhaps trife inclined to be gid
dy, but she's certainly very charming.
And, since the Appletons have failed,
and the mother has opened a boarding.
house, and Lucilla has gone to teaching,
| don't think I could do better than to
marry"
"Rosa Appleton, sir; if you please"
1t was a timid little voice that broke
in upon the thread of his reflections,
and Rosa herself stood before him, col
oring all over like pink carnation, with
a basket of late peaches in her hand,
and white, futtering ribbons in her hat
1--we called on business, SIR" said
Rosa.
The Rev. Roderic moved forward
chair.
Pray, be seated, Miss Appleton,
said he, not without some confusion on
his own part.
If they had been living in the Palace
of Truth now, and Rosa could have seen
into the deeps of his heart!
And Miss Appleton sat down, pulling
nervously at the fingers of her brown
thread gloves.
It's about our Lucilla," said she.
Indeedp" said Mr.. Racquet.
We want to get her well settled in
life, = said Rosa, appealingly.
: But / thought she was teachingr'
cried Mr.. Racquet
"She doesn't like teaching" con-
fessed Rosa: or rather to be candid |
with You. the trustees don't like her.
She isn't very young, you know; and
has some odd, formal little ways and
only one eye; and the children make
fun OF her, and the trustees say she has
no dignity"
Very unfortunate, said Mr.. Rac.
quet, bending transparent pearl pa
per-cutter back and forth, with the
sublime indifference which we are all |