Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-07-30


The letter is addressed in lady's hand
writing, graceful and refined.
Nothing remarkable in this, surely,
and yet IL startles Amos Dale little as
he looks at the letter lying in his hand.
lie bids Joel Bean good-evening, and
goes on his way up the hill to the par
sonage, thinking as he goes how long it
is since he has had letter from a
woman.
His thoughts fly back to q packet of
old letters, yellow Of paper now, and
faded Of ink, lying in a corner of pri-
vate drawer in his desk; letters written
TO him when he was q student, more
than fifteen years ago, full of maidenly
reserve and yet of woman's love. There
had come a day when the. number of
these letters was complete, never to be
added to. That other letters could be
written and another love won, it had
never entered into the heart of the Rev.
Amos Dale to conceive.
Then there had been his mothers let
ters, and his one sisters, but many
years ago the first had ceased, and it
was now two years since his sister had
left for that country from which no It'd
ings come back. Since then it had been
rare occurrence for him to see his
name written in feminine handwriting.
He wondered greatly who could have
written to him now; he quickened his
step unconsciously, though his thoughts
had taken an unwontedly pensive strain.
He soon reached his own gate, and a
few of his long strides took him through
the old-fashioned, ox-bordered garden
to the door of the parsonage between
the lilac bushes. He went into the sit
ting-room "a large, bare, orderly room,
A red and black table cover was on the
comfortable; firmly planted in the mid
die stood broad-shouldered lamp with
green paper shade. Beside the table,
darning stockings, sat Hannah Breeze,
distant relative and houskeeper, who
had come directly home from prayer
meeting.
Hannah, who was not of the fairest
among women, having general effect
of dull gray-hair, eyes, complexion,
alpaca dress and all-looked up when
the minister entered, but did not speak
it was not her way.
The Rev. Amos Dale, having hung
his hat on its proper nail, as every mem.
Der of a well-regulated household should,
proceeded to draw an armchair up to the
table, sat down, broke the seal of the
letter unostentatiously, and read.
1t was short letter, and he soon
dropped it on his knee, looking around
with an expression of CONSERVATION.
Hannah" he exclaimed, "here is ar
agent-a woman at that-bearing down
upon us. What is to be done?"
Head her off, if there's time" wa;
the concise reply.
"Let's see" and the Rev. Amos, tax.
ing up the letter again; "'I am coming
to Fairfield to canvass for the COnaplet,
Analutical Commentary there S resolu
ton for you, Hannah"
"Takes book agents for that"
"I shall hope to make my home il
your family, if perfectly convenient t.
Mrs. Dale Amos Dale read this will
an odd smile about his mouth.
Umph!" was all Hannah vouch
safed.
He read on in silence, but suddenl,
sprang to his feet, looked up at the clocl
on the wooden shelf, and said:
"No heading her off now. This let
ter has been detained on the way. See
the date is three days ago. She is com
ing on the $3.50 train this very evening
and | have only just time to meet her.
81 don't sees you've any partikele
call to meet her. Them book agent
isn't in the habit of being beaued aroun'
much, 1 guess. Say, Mr.. Dale" sh
called, for he had his hat on and was on
of the room already, "you'll take he
to the tavern, won't you, or to Deaco
Bush'sP"
"Mrs. Bush is sick. We shall hav
to keep her tonight, for all l see. &c
the east room ready, and you may a
we'll put the kettle over, Hannah, tn
poor woman will be tired and tn
Rev. Amos closed the door and strod
off toward the little station, half a mil
+ away, leaving Hannah to do his bid
ding faithfully, albeit with some gruu
bling.
"He'll take in every analytical tram
that comes along with a comminterry
!, don't make no difference whether il
man or woman" she said to herself,
little confused as to the new adjectiy
which had impressed her as valuable
vague.
Mr.. Dale walked rapidly along tn
shadowy, grassy path, thinking as b
walked of the sort of woman whom h
was probably going to meet-substal
tial of form, harsh of feature, profus
8 and emphatic of speech, trife dense
sensibility he knew the type wei
and did not fancy it over-much; all til
same, he must do for this woman, tn
Mrs. Emily Payne (for so she had toll
him to address her, in case there ws
anything in the way of her coming I
Fairfield) all that Christian courtesy d,
manded.
He reached the station Just in time [
see the train coming in sight around I'll
bend, tlinging showers of sparks, an
glancing colored lights into the quie
dewy fields. There was brief paus
then the train swept on again, and til
!. Rev. Amos Dale was peering about
the dark, with near sighted eyes, for tt
L