Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-11-10


and talk to your mother"
"Ah,you sly old gentleman" answered
Gus, taking his arm as he did so.
"What mischief are you thinking of that
you want to be quit of mep have just
had very long talk with mother, and
now am coming to have a long talk
with you.''
The old gentleman was inwardly de-
lighted. He was immensely proud of
this tall, fine, handsome, happy son,
such fine scholar and such fine gen.
tleman, and yet so companionable.
His pride Notwithstanding, the old
man said:
"Eh, lad, TIL urt pleasant to me as
harvest to a hay-suck" Ga hedge-spar-
row. !; shut don't zee go for to vex your
mother. Her'1 be like dry brock"
(water course) 'swi'outen thee yet"
"What self-willed old boy it is,
said Gus, smiling. "No; I am COM
ing with you, and with nobody else, for
l have something very particular to say
to YOU
Well, lad, well. 1t makes bright day
to me to have thee; but thee muslin It
vex thee MOTHER -
"That's just what I'm afraid I shall
have to do,'' replied Gus, gravely,
"and that is what wanted to tell YOU
You know mother has. always intended
me to be rector of ElmholtP''
s" Yes, Zartin.''
Swell, never shall be. am not go
ing into the Church, Us E@E
The old man stopped abruptly and
looked with awe-struck disnray in his
sons face as he calculated, "Scissors!"
There was whole world of wonderment
and horror in the exclamation.
"No," said the young man, 81 can
not do it. | have never thought seri-
ously about the matter till quite lately,
but, as the time came near when
should have to take orders, l was obliged
to look it in the face, and I ana sure
am not fitted for such position. I
could not take up that work as a trade,
or mere profession. I don't feel called
upon to censure those who do; but such
course would be utterly hateful to me.
could never respect myself, nor could
I look for respect from others. l shall
be very sorry to vex mother. If it were
matter of inclination only, knowing
how her heart is set on it, l think-but
one never knows-I think should have
given way and said nothing about my
feelings; but, as a clergyman, should
be conscious humbug and a hypOcrite,
and won't be that for anybody. I
wouldn't try to be it even for YOU"
| "What you say is right good, lad, :"
said the old man, with unwonted decis-
ion. ssIt's crubbin' (food) to me to hear
thee say it. But it'll vex your mother
more'n anything sin I've known she.
Her'n be wild about it. Don't thee tell
| it right out, but break it to she bit by bit
like"
The conversation was earnest and
prolonged, but it travelled, as is the wont
of familiar talk, very much in a circle,
and did not 90 beyond what has been
indicated, though father and son varied
the form of expression from time to time.
Meanwhile Mrs. Penny had been en-
| gagged in most interesting tete-a-tete.
An old schoolfellow of hers-now a
widow in comfortable circumstances,
with a married son and two unmarried
daughters had made a call at Elmholt
Farm, and Mrs. Penny, who had lately
meditated much on her sons settlement
in life, with characteristic frankness and
directness had proposed a match be-
tween him and Mrs. Burrowes' daugh-
ter. The proposal met with gracious
eligible young man. The living of Elm
holt was more than comfortable, and
Mrs. Penny, though not stingy, was fru-
gal, and had always lived below her in
come; so that he would inherit from
her no inconsiderable property. He was
healthy, good-looking, almost hand
some young fellow, frank, and modest,
| high-spirited, and without a particle of
x,snn thnr iuhf no NIL
to find such son-in-law, and Mrs.
Burrowes, who could almost answer for
her daughter, saw no obstacle in the
way of the match, unless it lay in the
young mans inclinations.
are quite safe. Augustus" (she never
condescended to the abbreviation) "has
really seen no one and he has no foolish,
romantic notions. A more charming
girl than Marion know he could not
| find, and l know we have only to bring
the young folks together, as you and L
tied happily-and soon."
Mrs. Penny and Mrs. Burrowes went
to work with gusto, and when Farmer
Penny and his son returned from their
walk they were still at it.
But there was an obstacle to the full
fillment of the scheme even more seri-
Gus than the anti-clerical determination
of the young man; and of this even
| Farmer Penny knew nothing.
There had lately come to the farm. as
| sort of upper servant, a niece of the
good farmer, a bright-eyed, neat-hand-
ed, and really bewitching young woman.
If Mrs. Penny had made a love-match
with her steward she might have sus-
pected mischief here. But hers had
been merely matter of convenience of
the most prosaic kind; the possibility of
Gus falling in love with his fathers
niece Alice had never flashed upon her,
even as remote contingency. Nor, in
truth, had it upon the honest old farmer,
though h, living much in the kitchen re-
gions, he had seen them together far
more often than the autocrat had done,
and had listened to, and laughed at,
their bright wit-combats, which she had
never heard.
And the denouement was destined to