The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-08-05

old George Herbert's famous stone
which turneth all to gold.'"
Monday morning was hot and sultry,
the sun burning with q fierceness like
July, the air full of sudocating dust.
Amos Dale watched his guest as she
started off on her last long walk in Fair
field with q dumb heart-ache. 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
q 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, l 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 Rev. Amos Dale
found himself seated at the tea-table,
opposite Mrs. Payne, who was pouring
his tea, and bearing himself with that
unassuming dignity which made embar-
rassment to either impossible.
Some way the table had a different air
tonight; the cloth was laid smoother,
the dishes were placed with greater
care.
In the centre of the table, in the one
vase belonging to the parsonage, was q
spray of sweet-brier, handful of dali
sizes and some graceful grass. What
wonder that little touch wrought! 1t
pleased the Rev. Amos Dale greatly.
He had never had flowers on his tea-ta-
BILE before.
"You gathered them on your way
home this afternoon, did you not?''
Yes, sir, 1 wanted more, but I could
not carry them very WELL"
81 saw great many of these wild
roses, and thong hit 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 wistfully. 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 it seemed beautiful and full of
meaning to him. Afterward he watched
Mrs. Payne as she moved about in house
wifely fashion clearing the table; and
when she went away into the kitchen to
wash the dishes, for this she would do,
he would have followed her, but he did
not quite dare.
Hannah came home at eight O'Clock,
bringing good report of the sick child,
and soon after they all babe each other
goodnight.
1t was the custom at the parsonage,
at morning prayers, for each one pres
ent to repeat text of Scripture. Tues
day morning the Rev. Amos Dale re-
peated-and his voice was trife husky:
"Be not forgetful to entertain stran-
gers, for thereby some have entertained
angels unawares."
Hannah followed with "COmmit thy
way unto the Lord; trust also in Him,
and He shall bring it to pass.'
Then Mrs. Payne said, "The grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you
ALL"
There followed a moment in which
none of them cared to speak, and then
Mrs. Payne left the room without
word and went upstairs. When she
came down she was equipped for her
journey, and it was time to start for the
station.
When the Rev. Amos Dale, having
put Mrs. Payne on board the train, with
many little cares for her comfort, stood
watching it speeding out of sight, all the
will within him rose and said, "She
shall come back"
And as for Emily Payne, all day her
thoughts travelled back to Fairfield, and
she Kept wondering if there were ever a
man so pure in heart, so single in pur-
pose, as the lonely man whom she never
expected to meet again.
It was a wet afternoon in August that
Hannah Breeze, having been of an er-
rand to Deacon Bush's, stopped at the
post-office for pound of green tea.
Joel Bean weighed it out to her, and
as he made up the parcel he said, glanc.
ing shrewdly at Hannah through his
glasses, "It takes the Elder mighty
sight of letter writin' to finish up that
there Comminterry business, don't it ?''
"Spose likely, "said Hannah, shortly.
eyes," said Joel, slowly, the Irvine
between his teeth, ssabout two letters
more or less week, on an everidge, al
lowin' me to be the judge"
SWELL" returned Hannah, who would
not for worlds have betrayed that this
was news to her, 81 shouldn't wonder if
the Elder was capable of tending up to
it without any of my help nor your'n,
Mr.. Bean;" and the discreet Hannah
took up her green tea, raised her UNI
gathered up her calico skirt,
and went on her way.
One day in October the Rev. Amos
Dale informed Hannah that it was nee
essary for him to 60 that week to Bur.
lington, the city forty miles distant, to
see about the new hymn-books.
"Umph!" said Hannah to herself,
''there'll be somethin' seen about be-
sides new hymn-books, I guess"