The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-10-25
lEw BLooMF1ELD, PA. TUESDAY, OCTOBER a5, 1881

| To Amos Dale ana Hannah the adven-
lures Of the day, in quaint merry way
of her own, which gave charm to the
simplest thing she told. On the whole
she was succeeding In selling her book
beyond her expectations and the Rev.
Amos bethought him OF many road
and district which she must not fail to
visit, even II 1t did lengthen her stay In
Fairfield beyond her plan. He was sure
that the pure air and the quiet of the
place were good for her; he thought
little color was coming In her cheeks
He even proposed that she stay with
them month do her work lelsurely and
rest between times. To this she would
In no wise consent. She must leave
Tuesday morning at the very latest.
Sunday came, and Mrs. Payne sat
with Hannah in the minister's pew,
down In front. When the Rev. Amos
Dale stood up in the pulpit to open ser
vice, and caught sight of her sweet, quiet
face turned reverently towards him, IL
startled him with sensation strange
and agltatlng. There was no other face
with just that look in all his congrega-
ton. What help 1t might be to a man
but hush, what thoughts were these 2"
1.-THE Lord is in his holy temple; let
all the earth keep silence before him.
That evening there was aprayer-meet-
ing. Mrs. Payne went again with Han
nah and "gave in her testimony" in a
few words, taking up the thought of the
morning sermon, and applying 1t with
delicate spiritual insight in another di-
rection.
Truly" thought the Rev. Amos
Dale, and he sighed, "sister Payne has
old George Herbert's famous stone
which turneth all to gold.'"
Monday morning was hot and sultry,
the sun burning with fierceness like
July, the air full of suffocating DUST
Amos Dale watched his guest as she
started off on her last long walk in Fair
field with a dumb heartache. 1t hurt
him to have her subjected to such weari-
ness and toll.
That afternoon he gave up to making
pastoral calls. 1t seemed to afford him
little comfort to place himself in the
same conditions with that frail little
woman. So with his long strides he
measured good portion of his parish,
and returned at tea time, heated and
covered with dust.
Mrs. Payne had reached home before
him, and was standing in the doorway
in cool, light dress, with no sign of
heat or dust about her.
She greeted him pleasantly.
Hannah has been called up to Mr..
Green's believe it is--they have very
sick child. She could not tell how long
she might be gone. Tea is ready when
ever you are.'
A few minutes later the Rev. Amos
Dale found himself seated at the tea
table, opposite Mrs. Payne, who was
pouring his tea, and bearing herself
with that unassuming dignity which
made embarrassment to either impossi-
BILE.
Some way the table had q different
air tonight; the cloth was laid smooth
er, the dishes placed with greater care.
In the centre of the table, in the one
vase belonging to the parsonage was a
spray of sweet-brier,a handful of daisies
and some graceful grass. What won
der that little touch wrought 1t pleas
ed the Rev. Amos Dale greatly. He had
never had flowers on his tea table be-
fore.
You gathered them on your way
home this afternoon, did you not ~
Yes sir, wanted more, but 1 could
not carry them very WE'LL"
. saw great many of those wild
roses, and / thought myself they looked
pretty, but it did not occur to me to
bring them home. Hannah and are
not quite up to that kind of thing, L
guess. We are very matter-of-fact'-
and he smiled little wistfnlly.-
He was beginning to feel in many ways
how much had been left out of his life.
That tea-time was wonderful one to
Amos Dale. The simplest act and word
of IL seemed beautiful and full of mean
ing to him. Afterward he watched Mrs.
Payne as she moved about in housewife
ly fashion clearing the table and when
sshe went away into the kitchen to wash
the dishes, for this she would do, ht
would have followed her, but he did moi
quite dare.
Hannah came home at eight o'clock
bringing good report of the sick child