Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-12-16
ertheless, was to work a startling and import
ant change in her life.


day (she was much older woman than tn
other, and sometimes addressed her in thi
way) "my dear, why don't you 60 to church
Don't you know it is everybody's duty to G.
to church %
"Do you think so?' rather languidly re
Joined Miriam. II have never thought mucl
about it,
"Why, of course. Weren't you brough
up with religious views2'
II used to 60 to church when [ was {
child; but do not know that it did me any
particular good"
"But it's proper to 60, if only for appear
ance' sake. It's not respectable to absen
yourself from a place of public worship, i
there is one within reach. All respectable
people, therefore, should 60"
A flush crossed Lady Hepburn's pale face
"Outward appearances matter very little te
me-" she replied. 81 care so little for public
opinion that I should never Inconvenience
myself for the sake of it"
"But where's the Inconvenience? (By the
way, never saw you with color before
how very becoming it isD The church is
within easy distance; not more than two
miles, should say, from your place. Oh
course you own pew there; the old family
pew, mean.'
"Yes, suppose there must be one."
"In the old peoples time-your husbands
parents, l allude tot was never empty. 1t
is not right that it should be 80 now. Come,
my dear, promise me to break through your
bad habits at once. Prompt action is always
the best Won't you 60 next Sunday"
"And sit all alone in a great empty pew, to
be stared at?"
II thought you didn't mind anything.
But if that's an objection, it is easily obvia'
ted. Sit with me instead. There will be
nothing conspicuous in that"
Miriam demurred, hesitated, and finally
consented After all, she reflected, it would
be as we'll to do what was considered com.
mon duty-above all, what was criterion Of
respectability. So the following Sunday she
made her appearance in church for the first
time. Many were the curious glances direct
ed towards her, but if she felt them, she be-
trayed no consciousness of being their target.
With her usual naughty air and erect car
riage, she swept up the long aisle in her trail
ing black robes. her step as stately and delib'
crate as though she were wont to tread the
stone floor on every Sabbath day, and felt
quite at home beneath the arched roof that
echoed the organs sweetly pealing notes. Did
those full deep tones cause no thrill to her
heart, bringing back the memories and asso.
Citations of childhood's dsys-the happy days
of innocence and truth If they did, she
showed no sign of inward emotion. Motionless
as statue, she sat beside her friend, in the
elegantly appointed Hungerford pew, with its
velvet hangings and baronial crest, apparent
ly perfectly tranquil and at ease. Her dark
blue eyes, fixed on the clergymans face, new
er wavered in their steadfast gaze, though his
intonation was fatiguing and his discourse
was dry. Lady HungerforS happy in the
victory she had gained, leaned contentedly
back on the cushions, and could not forbear
casting satisfied glances around. She had
come to regard Miriam as her lawful prize,
and exulted in her own influence, which
could bring about such happy results.
After the service, she detained her protegse
in order to present her to the clergyman. Old
DR.. Rexford had called once or twice upon
Lady Hepburn, but she had not chosen to
receive him. He had heard rumors concern.
ing her-rumors that were not pleasant ones
and the meeting was to him full of embarrass.
ment. Still, he could not take exception at
what so distinguished a member of his flock
as Lady Hungerford was pleased to do; so
he bowed profoundly, offered his hand to the
new conner, and murmured something, rather
incoherently, about his great pleasure at see
ing her at church, and hope that she would
come again. As to Miriam, she took the in
PRODUCTION, like everything else, with absolute
calmness and selfpossession. When fairly out
of church, however, and in her own carriage
she leaned back with weary gesture, and a
heavy, impatient sigh. 1t had seemed q
mockery to- her; wretched miserable meckery
and an insupportable bore-the whole beau
tiful service, with its prayers that she found
so tedious and so long the grand old anthems
that we're fraught with no meaning to her soul
the preachers discourse. to which she would
fain have stopped her ears if she could. AL
this she had endured against her will al
this she would endure-for respectability
sake-again.
So she went the next Sunday, and the next
and the next; and each one was more of {
trial to her than the last. On the fourth, DR.
Rexford was absent, and his place, in desl
and pulpit, was supplied by stranger
young clergyman with a low, quiet voice, ane
a manner singularly impressive, though calm
He read the opening words of the servic
with solemnity and power that cast husl
over the congregation. With new meanin!
those familiar sentences fell upon every ear
"The Lord is in His holy temple; let al
the earth keep silence before Him!
And the awful Presence, unseen, yet felt
shed its influence among his hearers, stealing