Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-11-11

me more alternatives than she was aware
OF, when she presently added, which
decided me at once on accompanying her.
" that | should then have the privilege of
listening 10 that most eloquent OF theolo.
giahs, Mr.. Theodore PyX
Why, good gracious, ! konw himw
cried |.
81 am truly glad TO hear it," returned
She grayelY, for it shows that your &C.
quaiutances have been well chosen"
There was reproof in her voice which
| al once understood to have teen evoked
by my having sllu lei TO her iavorite
divine in atoO ioCuIar and even somewhat
disparaging tone, and | fastened 10 re
move this unfortunate impression.
| said that he had been most admira-
bic speak at the Union, and she replied,
to my surprise, "that he was so now
whenever opportunity offered" | subse.
quently discovered that she meant that
respectable assembly of High Churchmen
called the Church Union, and she was
much pleased TO find, or rather to infer,
that even in my undergraduate career |
had been a constant attendant at It.
| confess looked forward to the ensu.
ing Sunday with even more than the
wonted enthusiasm that the prospect OF
hearing fashionable preacher always
awakens within me, for in the meantime
| had gathered many interesting particu-
lars OF my old college friend From the
rich widow, Lady Gergoyle, who had
erected and endowed the church, down TO
my auut's ancient handmaiden, Betty, his
congregation it seemed adored the Rev
Theodore PyX. He might have had a
pair of slippers worked by fair hands for
every day of the year il he could have
brought himself to wear them: but his
habits were asceic. He wore tight boots,
not to show off his feet - though they GER
tainly, as ! afterwards observed, looked
smaller in them - but for the sake of the
discomfort Under his butt )nlcss silk
waiStCoat it was understood that he had
horsehair shirt and there were whispers
abroad that in the cupboard of his private
oratOry hung a scOurge that had drunk
deep of poor Theodore PyX's blood,
What was so charming about him, how
ever, said my aunt, was that you would
never guess those things to look at him
to the outward eye, he appeared comfort
able enough; there was nothing 10 speak
OF HASTINGS and watchingS in his appear.
ancC, nor did he ever allude to them him
self, except in such CONFIDENTIAL commu-
niCations with certain members Of his
congregation as were almost - though
rot quite -- under the seal of the confes-
sional.
When, indeed, had the opportunity -
or privilege" as ii was the custom, |
found, 70 term it of seeing the Rev.
Theodore PyX in his pulpit he appeared
to me to be in particular good ease, and
to have suffered little or nothing from
those notifications of the flesh to which
it was his habit to submit himself
lie had, indeed, certainly made flesh,
whether it was mortified or not: his
hands were considerably plumper, and
one of them wore a ring perhaps
pastoral ring 49, with a fine diamond in it,
which | am quite sure he had never pos
sessed as layman He was said to be
very earnest worker, and il is cetain that
he worked with his hands, and that in a
very attractive and graceful manner;
when he raised them in supplicatiun, my
aunt said that they reminded her of
dove with folded wings, which n the act
bcnediction became pair of ditto. His
voice was really good one; only when
it dropped to a sweet murmur, or solemn
co., | could not for the life of me help
the hampers under the drag upon that
Derby day. II was very illogical as well
as uncEaritabe in me to revert To such
matter, for the widest undergraduate may
become the best of men and eli rgymen in
time and Theodore PyX had not been so
very wild. Only somehow, as | watched
him, these lines about the "suowy banded,
delicate handed diletante priest" would
i,,t,, / p,,rll ct
believe in that hair shirt, nor yet in the
scourge in his cupboard.
! called upon him the next day and
sent in my card, but he was compelled to
decline to sec me; it was the eve Of St
Bungay the Elder, who it seemed, was
ais patron saint, on the anniversary of
whose martyrdom lie was bound to be in
retreat" for twenty four hours. He
accepted, however, the invitation | carried
10 BIN from my aunt to dine with rs on
Wednesday AID renew his acquaintance
with his old college triena and at the
hour appointed he arrived.
His hostess received him as though he
had been a Prince Of the Blood Royal
who had taken Holy Orders from con.
sci,ntious convictions, and set before him,
! must need confess, much better dinner
than she had hitherto thought it worth
while to provide for her nephew.
Perhaps | was piqued at this, but his
mode OF receiving my welcome when we
first met had not pleased me; it had not
been frank and had suggested apprehen-
sion, as though il was just possible that
might have told some stories of his career
before the blessed 81 Bungay the Elder
had taken him under his immediate pro-