Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-05-27
VOL, LIV, NEW SERIES, VOL. XVII.

Harry, with certain provisos and circnm-
locutions, the amount of which WIS that
he had loved Miss Grant and hoped 10
make her his wife, but the amazing want
of courage she displayed i'll beng alarm
ed at SO minute and harmless an animal
as a mouse, and the silly cowardlce of her
behavior, had proved to him that she was
altogether unfit TO be the partn + OF n
missionary's bosom, and OF c"Ilr'e he
must give it up, though 1t rent his heart
of flesh and tore his carnal atfrcil Dns To
pieces.
Nonsense. man T. exclaimed Harry.
'sWomen are all afraid of mice; 1t pecu-
liar to the sex. | dare say Mis- Lou
would face band Of Arab robbers, or a
dozen Zulus, great deal more cnlmly
than you could. Don't give her up for
that little thing.
"Your reasoning is not good, cousin
Hen-c-ry; woman who is certified Mt n
small rodent could never face the dan
gers of heathenism, the beasts Of the
forest and the fury of the savage. 1t Is
an absurd, illogical proposition. No, l
can leave her for the sake of my calling,
but must leave her at once, st my
weakness get the better of my duty.
Harrv's perslasions and arguments all
failed; by dim dawn Peletiah left III the
stage for Ludlow, leaving Bliss behind
him in more than one sense. His glasses
showed misty, and his lip qnivered ms he
wrung Harry's hand at the door, and
murmured in solemn whisper, Fare
well, cousin, farewell. H'rrrt taf'1
kfhukjS drUttiO!'
"Fiddlesticks :" shouted the n,',tter-of
fact Harry. He was irreverent of this
stately and deliberate grief, vt in his
soul he believed in it, for he knew Pele-
tiah was honest, as far rs he went but to
give up Lou Grant because she was
scared at mouse Harry could not
fathom 1t.
So Peletiah went his way, reas oning III
himself, and mt last came to the concl clu-
sion that he had been self-seekinS IN the
matter of wife he was truly conscien-
tious, and having made up his mind on
cause and effect, he lost no time III apply
ing TO constituted authorities for a rec
commended partner, and was speedily IN
troduced and engaged to an upright,
bony, excellent female, as eager as he to
labor for the heather, and quite willing
to marry anybody sent to her Tor that
purpose.
He was succeeding well, and his mar
riace was near at hand, when he got n
note from his Uncle Marsh, telling him
that Harry WAS very ill, and would not he
able to come to his wedding.
Peletiah felt that he could not leave
America without saving gool-by to his
friends i'll Bliss. ~ he took a couple of
davs from his brief time in this country
to run up and see them.
He charged Eliza Jane TO write If any
thing should delay him over one day and
set Off
But what WIS his grief to find Harry
not only dangerously ill, but ill with
small poX.
Now Mr.. Merit WAS no coward in any
sense he saw that his uncle WAS aaras-
sed and worn, and found it hard to OBJ
tain proper nurse, SO lie wrote Driel
note to Eliza Jane. and manfully walked
up stairs into the sick-room.
lie could have groaned at the vision
that met him by the bedside stood Lou
Grant. pale, but more lovely than ever IN
her nurses cap and apron, coaxlng some
thing i'll n spoon down the delirious
patients throat She looked up, half
smiled, and said simply;
You see. | am going to marry hun
when he gets we'll.
Peletiah dropped into the nearest char.
This girl who shricked and trembled nj Il
mouse, voluntarily exposed herself to II
loathsome and dangerous disease . AMI
beside which wild beasts and savages took
flight
Peletiah was Inundated now into the
dust But what We're i'll his further sen
timents when two days after he received
n brief note from Eliza Jane commandin"
him to send her no more letters, lest she
should catch small pox, and intlmating
in good set terms that he had no business
TO expose his life thus. when he was en-
gagged Ia marry her.
Peletiah was disgusted.
This, indeed, was cowardice but hls
carnal heart gave a little jump of relief
at the prospect III store.
He nurscd Harry, with Lou Grants
aid, through long weeks OF danger and
recovery: neither of them took the dis
ease, and when about Christmas time he
figured as officiating clergyman at Lou
Grants and Harry's wedding, his smiles
were not decreased by the knowledge
that Eliza Jane had already married
another man.
In due time Peletiah found his better
half, and went happily to Africa. where
he lives and labors yet, and is both loved
and respected.
And his wife finds him sinSularly pa
tient with the little whims and weakness
rs common TO her, rs to all women for
he has found out once for all that "A wom-
an is not necessarily n coward or fool
because she is afraid of Il mouse.