The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-09-06


Not religions enough she meant.
The Rev. Charles Grosvenor was
much distressed to hear that Miss Smith
was not religious. Here, at last, was a
task congenial to his soul. He was
quite willing to convert farm laborers
and to reform market gardeners, but
when demure-looking young lady,
with an agreeable manner, offered her
self 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 and asked
for spiritual consolation, and argued
with him on the dread subject of the
sinners fate hereafter. The earnestness
and the vehemence of the parishoner,
however, only increased hk interest in
her.
Now, when Miss Smith called herself
a miserable sinner, the Rev. Charles
Grosvenor thoroughly believed that she
was one. He accepted her confession in
the same sense that he would have ac-
cepted it from the patron of his living
or his mother, or any of his lady par
ishoners, and being enjoined TO say 50, a
clergyman cannot, for the sake of being
mplimentary, refuse to believe a
young lady when she affirms that she
is no exception to the rule.
But as to attaching any really serious
import to the confession of Miss Smith,
that never occurred to him for moment.
He soothed her, offered her such conso-
lation as he could, thought she was a
most pious and interesting girl, and fell
madly in love with her.
From the moment he made the dis
covery his conduct to her altered. He
tempted her to talk less about herself
and to be more cheerful. He didn't
want the girl he was in love with to be
too persistently 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 a clerical coat do not
alter mans nature; and when a man
falls madly in love with a woman, he
likes to imagine her as near perfection
as possible.
Miss Smiths manner changed also.-
She discovered the parson 's secret before
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 a moment she was deadly
pale, then the color rushed to her cheeks
and she stammered out remark which
turned the conversation.
Miss Smith saw that the Rev. Charles
Grosvenor was at her mercy. 1t was
only question of time when he would
age him or discourage his secret, and
stop it while there was yet time?
In her difficulty she laid her case be-
fore her mother, and asked for advice.
The old lady was frightened out of her
wits. She dare not think about such
thing, she said. OF course it would be
the making of her if she could marry
clergyman but how could it be done
He would have to know the history of
her life, and then
And then he wouldn't have me-"
answered the girl, passionately.
"Of course not, my DEAR" said Mrs.
Smith ''at least should think not"
"Shall tell him ? Shall confess all
the next time he comes 2"
Again Mrs. Smith is frightened. She
does not like to think what the result of
that confession will be. They've man.
aged at last to find a spot where they
can live unknown. Why must all the
miserable story be brought up again?
Miss Smith falling to get any practi-
cal advice from her 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 led
to the church.
1t was bright summer morning, and
they paused by stile to look at the
yellow and red of the far-stretching
fields
The Rev. Charles Grosvenor COM
mences by talking about nature, and
gradually comes down to talking about
himself-his aims and prospects in life.