Democratic messenger., 1881-09-10
The CURATE'S COAT.
BY W. F. r..

When the Reverend Arthur Leslie en-.
tered on the curacy of Bransley, that
prettiest of villages was much exercised
i'll its mind as to which extreme his
"views might tend.
Bransley was charming little place,
embowered in great beechwoods, where
no ak had been allowed to work its
wicked will for a generation, and
through its irregular street of little
gabled houses, standing in gardens
ablaze with old-fashioned flowers,
sparkled a rapid stream, falling further
on into a stately river. The old church,
gray and wreathed, had stood a
landmark for centuries, overlooking the
quiet village life. The air was bracing
and healthy in the extreme, the scenery
around lovely in its wild beauty, and
Mr.. Leslie, over-worked aud ont of
health from lncessant toll in a great
town found haven of rest in this tran
quill spot.
The parish was large and scattered
one, the living was n small one, and the
rector an old man absent from ill-health.
The curate, therefore, had all matters in
his hands, and the population, chiefly
farmers and laborers, contained few peo-
pie of education beyond the squire,
Just returned from abroad, the doctor,
two or three people of independent
means, who lived there for the sake of
the natural beauty and healthiness of
the place, and one or two superior
farmers.
But, limited as was the society of
Bransley, it had known, in its tiny way,
a reflex of the aeitations which had
stirred larger spheres-and differences
of opinion were not uncommon even in
this still microcosm And it had had
experience of various curates. So
Bransley was anxious to see in what di-
rection the new curate's views rendered.
And it found Mr.. Leslie had no views
Mt all beyond those of doing his APP
pointed work in a most simple, earnest
and quiet fashion, as of man who
could never work hard enough.
Socially, the curate was not, at first,
generally popular. He had manner
almost shy and repellant, and seemed to
have little to say. Some detractors,
holding his abilities in low estimation,
said as much, and thereby proved how
little they knew of the man. He was
not a graduate of either Oxford or
Cambridge, having, from narrowness of
means taken his degree at one of the
humber universities, but none of the
dwellers by Isis or Cam were better
read, or possessed a more vigorous or
well stored mind. He was shy from that
humility often found in fine natures,
and not to be understood by inferior
ones loving self-display. Moreover, the
curate had had much domestic sorrow +;
and his mother, whom he tenderly
loved, had very small income TO live
on, had not her son given her the
greater part of his stipend. So it
naturally followed that, being one of the
kindest men to the poor (who never
found him shy, and swore by him and
his advice), he had little to spend on
himself. Thus it came about that he
had very rusty clothes, and one superior
coat carefully preserved. And from
this coat came the village romance of
real life herein faithfully recorded.
The great man of Bransley was the
Squire-Mr. Meldon, of the Grange.
His estate was a moderate one in size,
but rich in soil and splendid timber, and
lay in a ring fence comprising three
fourths of the village. His family three
in number, wife, son and daughter. The
two former have nothing to do with this
history, and may be dismissed with the
remark that Mrs. Meldon was lang1id
ex-beauty of fashion, much given tC
novel reading and sleeping and Horace
Meldon was a handsome, good-natured,
not very clever sub. in a cavalry regi
ment. Mr.. Meldon was a quiet, unas.
suming man, who had travelled much
| and was skilled botanist and arch@ol
ogist, but at the same time a good rldel
10 hounds, wherein his daughter Flors
the apple of his eye, and for whose
judgment he had the greatest respect
was his constant companion.
| Miss Meldon was a handsome girl
with violet eyes, luxuriant golden hair
! a tall, 1.-the figure, sunny temper ant
charming laugh, and passionate fond
ness for hunting and other outdoor ex
ercises. She was, however, neither
fast nor Amazonian, albeit she had {
good-natured souOcon of contempt fol
many of the little pursuits and fancieI
! of young ladies who disliked anything
savoring of muscularity or open air pas
times. She certainly had dislike fo
those of her sex who clustered roun,
curates, and she was too candid to pre-
tend an interest in many of the scheme
propounded under their auspices. Blu
she had seen but one side of the curate
nature, the mild and aesthetic one. How
ever. she came to BransleY. after year