Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1882-04-26

sound in doctrine.
'Mem.-To endeavor so far as les
in me to restore peace to the singing
seats.
"'HemTo endeavor to exercise
such measure of wholesome restraint
over Moses and Samuel that they may
not become a cause Of scandal to the
neighborhood.
'Nem.--To devote a gre later meas
ure of attention to worldly matters,
such as applying blacking TO my boots,
and brushing my raiment.
'Nem-To consider prayerfully
whether the use of bair-dye is incom-
patible with the principles of the
| Christian religion or the duties of the
Christian ministry.
"Mem.-That the singing seats are
in the hand of God, ard that He causes
even the wrath of man to praise Him.
"Mem-To consider prayerfully
the subject of contracting matrimon-
ial alliance with Miss Cordelia Brews-
! ter
That's It / knew | was not mis-
taken; and felt that | had leadings
from the Lord in that direction and
vet, in the midst of manifold cares and
distractions, it wholly slipped my
mind, weak and erring mortal that |
am. But it may not yet be too late. ,
And the minister seized his hat, giving
it hasty brush with his sleeve, and
hurried to the door, turning. however,
to lay his hand with unwonted tender
ness upon his sons head, saying,
solemnly, Samuel l thank you for
this suggestion, and | would that |
could perceive in you as lively signs
of the workings of grace as l do OF
wisdom and discernment beyond your
years.
Samuel, left alone, looked after his
father with a most lugubrious face.
For feller to go and do it himself,
that's the worst of it hadn't better
let on to Nose and the rest that | did
it. No more fun if she comes here; !;
she'll want feller not to tear his
clothes, and have his hair brushed
every minute, and no pie or cake be-
tween meals. Well make it lively
for her, though-Mose and Hose and
Joe and L.
All unconscious of what was in
store for her, Miss Cordelia Brewster
was engaged in inspecting and admir-
ing her green silk dress, which had
Just been sent home from the dress
makers. Miss Cordelia was a plump
little woman, with pinkish bloom
still lingering upon her checks, and no
trace of Times frosting upon her chest
nut locks. Why she had never married
was a mystery. For ten years after
her father, the village doctor, had
died, leaving her modest competence,
the gossips had been on the lookout
for signs of matrimonial intentions on
her part When she had passed thirty,
and was still Miss Cordelia, people
gradually ceased to speculate about
her. For some inscrutable reason,
they decided that Miss Cordelia meant
to be an old maid to the end of the
chapter 1t was observed that even
John Parmenter, who had somewhat
indefinitely hung round her for years,
kind O. dropped off, he no longer sat
in the singing seats, where Miss Cor
della still serenely kept her place, de-
spite the rivalry Of younger choristers;
so they were not so frequently thrown
together, and be was seldom seen to
walk home with her from the weekly
prayer-meeting his old sorrel mare
was very rarely seen fastened to the
hitching-post before Miss Cordelia's
door of a Sunday night and only once
or twice had he been seen shyly to
offer her a nozegay of southernwood
and cinnamon pinks, which grew to
great perfection in his garden, and OF
which, in her girlhood, Miss Cordelia
had been very fond.
Many other admirers had Miss Cor
della, but she had turned cold shoul-
der upon all, and seemed perfectly con-
tented to live on in her comfortable
old house, with trim box-bordered
flower beds in the front yard, and lilac
bushes crowding in at the windows
with her handmaiden Tryphosa, who
was not, as her name suggested,
blooming and romantic young maiden
but an ancient spinster, who believed
n signs and omens, and ALWAYS felt
coming events in her bones Try
phosa was now gazing at the green
silk with melancholy expression of
countenance.
Green means forsaken; there amt
no denyin' it. And Seliny Wilson,
that was married in green, was laid
out q corpse in it before the end OF the
year; and Mertildy Lyman, that was
merried in white muslin sprigged
with green, and green bunnit strings.
she had drunken husband that fell off
the haymow, and dislocated his spinal
column, and everybody knew her twins
want bright, and
But | am not going to be married
in it, you know, Tryphosa, said Miss
Cordella, turning merry face up to
Miss Tryphosa's doleful one. Per
haps it is only unlucky as wedding
dress. AS for being forsaken, there
doesn't seem to be anybody left to for
sake me but you, and | am not afraid
that all the green dresses in the world
could make you do that
There amt no luck about green,
nohow, said Tryposa. IF twas lay
lock, now, or handsome brown"
4 suppose | really ought to have
had black said Miss Cordelia, medita-
lively; but some way the spring on,
with everything so fresh and bright,
made me feel as | used to long ago,
and I've made believe to myself
wouldn't own it to anybody but you,
Trypnosa-but Pve made believe l
was girl again And that's why l
had this green silk
And that's why you have been put
ting posies in your hair. Well it beats
all, what difference there is in folks.
Lo..c.o