The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-11-12
A MINISTER'S FILTRATION.

- N1lINlO LIN - LIN ~ l1o1N.
| was engaged TO Angelina Melville, and
thought myself the luckiesl man living An
gellna was so handsome that no stranger eve
SAW her without expressing admiration, ant
one did not weary OF the face after years o.
familiarity with it. She was well'bred, accom-
plished and great heiress. | had reason Il
believe THAI she was very fond OF me. NJ
man could be more entirely content than was
as | leaned back in the firstcass carriage
which took me from Glasgow INTO the country
10 the vale OF Cruix, where | was to preach /
few Sabbaths.
The pulpit was vacant, and | WAS going t
try my wings. With my pecunlary prospect;
scarcely thought should care To accept q
call to the vale of Cruix but had no object
ion to filling its pulpit for few weeks espec
tally as Angelina had gone to the West coast
and Glasgow was warm and stutfy and stupid
Casual remembrances Of elegant parsonages
built in Queen Anne's style; OF study where
the footballs were softened by Persian rugs
and the doors draped with portieres of velvet
chairs and desk carved richly as some old
confessional, fitted through my mind. And
thought also of o table, spread with silver and
rare china, with lady at its head who resem
bled O queen And breathed luxurious
sigh as awakened from my day dream to a
knowledge that the words "Vale of Cruix
were being shouted on the platform, and that
the tram was coming to standstill
seized my travellngbag from the rack
overhead ana hurried out Of tie carriage. The
porters had just pulled four o. five trunks on
the platform. Two wagons stood IN the road,
one driven by an old woman in a sun-bonnet
the other by a redhaird boy, with bare feet
"A Il, atta hal m a
queerer old gig, was standing at little dis
lance. a young man in a light summer suit,
and II city family, bent on rural happiness,
were my companions on the platform.
The former put his trunk into the first wag'
on, kissed the old woman In the sun-bonnet,
took the relns and drove away. lie was evl'
IDENTIFY the son Of the family come home To
spend his vacation. The rest of the trunks
and the city family, mother, father, little boy,
nurse maid and baby, were put into the wagon
driven by the boy. When the train moved
away / was left alone on the platform-alone
but for the station master who sat upon q
bench smoking a clay pipe.
In moment more the official, without look
ing at me, made the remark:
Deacon Stevenson has come over for the
new minister. He's over in the hotel, and
will be back in minute"
I "Thank you" SAID j.
The station master took no notice OF me, but
having climbed upon stool and made some
changes In a time register on the wall OF the
station, locked the door, put the key IN his
pocket and sauntereu away down the railroad
: i took his place upon the bench and waited
In a few moments prim little old gentleman
upon the top of the hill, carrying IN
one hand a tin can, III the other tin pail and
under either arm brown-paper parcel. knew
at glance that it was Stevenson.
Are you Mr.. Mactaggert?" he inquired
mildly, as he approached. 81 want to know
1 hadn't any expectation Of being kept 80
long, but you see 1t saves the women tolks
trouble to fetch things over when l drive
down. I'll jest hang this can OF parafine lie
on behind. Some folks dislike the smell
maybe you do The sugarloaf tea and coffee
can 90 under the seat just as well as not. How
is your health. sir, and how do you like Vale
of CruIxT'3
answered that my health was good, and
that had not, as yet, seen much OF Vale OF
Cruix.
"No, you haven't" said the old gentleman
"Well, you'll drive through it now" And he
shook the relns, and the old horse began to
stumble along. And on we drove past certain
rows of brick houses, very much like each
other, and with the same flowers In their front
gardens until, having passed the church, we
came to one happily set about by old oak
trees, before the gate of which he drew up.
A girl stood at the gate-a fair girl IN blue
muslin dress and apron.
"Take the sugar, Mary, before it gets upset, "
said the deacon. "Tnis Is Mr.. Mactaggert
that's to preach for US. Mr.. Mactaggert, this
is my daughter Mary"
We bowed and she vanished with the parcels
into the house.
what a lovely little creature" SAID l to
myself. Nothing like Angelina, but 80 pref
tyl" And found myself thinking OF her as
washed my hands and my hair IN the blue.
walled bedroom on the second floor, with
counterpanes and curtains, and
two black silhouettes over the mantle-piece, on
either side of the china vases of roses.
There were only four of US at the table-the
deacon, his wife, stout lady who never said
more than she could help, and Mary. She
had spent the last winter IN Glasgow, aud we
talked about all she had seen. She WAS self
without being forward, and oh, 80
pretty! Now, Angelina was splendid and
queenly, so this was mild praise that she could
not have objected to, only said 1t very often.
| preached on the next Sunday. 1t WAS settled
that should spend the summer there. wrote
this to Angelina:
"Since you cannot be with me it does no,
matter where | am-this stupid place rs well
as any other. Address to the care OF Deacon
Stevenson. | shall remain with HIM while
preach here"
1t was pleasant summer, despite the dull
ness of the place. How good the quaint old
deacon was when one really knew him. How
was Mrs. Stevenson. AS for Mary
she grew sweeter every day. often wondered
what Angelina would have said could she
have seen me helping hert pick black berries
to find the runaway COW, to carry home the
milk pail, driving her over to the country
grocery and returning with freight of gro
who knew nothing OF do
nestle details, and whose monogrammed and
perfumed notes were often brought to me from
the office in company with the paratilnc can
l wrote my sermons at one end of the round
table while Mary sat at the other, sewing
Now and then a big bug would fly into the
window and go humming about our heads, or
4 IL