River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-02-09
WHAT WAS 1T ?

WHAT WAS IT?
/ was engaged to Angelina Melville,
and | thought myself the luckiest man
living. Angelina was so handsome
that no stranger ever saw her without
expressing admiration, and one did
not weary with the face after years of
familiarity with it. She was we'll bred,
accomplished and a great heiress. L
had reason to believe she was very
fond of me. No man could be more
entirely content than l was, as l leaned
back in the first class carriage which
took me from Glasgow into the country,
to the Vale of Cruix, where l was to
preach few Sabbaths.
The pulpit was vacant, and was go
ing to try my wings. With my pecu-
MARY prospects | scarcely thought |
should care to accept call to the Vale
of Cruix, but l had no objection to I'LL
ing It's pulpit for few weeks, espe-
cially as Angelina had gone TO the west
coast, and Glasgow was warm and
stuAy and stupid.
Casual membranes of elegant par
sonages built in Queen Anne's style; OF
a study where the footballs were soften
ed by Persian rugs, and the doors
draped in portierers of velvet; chairs
and desk. carved richly as some old
confessional, fitted through my mind.
And l thought also of table spread
with silver and rare china, with lady
at its head, who resembled queen.
And I breathed q luxurious sigh as
awakened from my day dream to a
knowledge that the words ." Vale OF
Cruix" were being shouted on the plat
form, and that the train was coming to
a standstill.
L seized my traveling-bag from the
rack overhead and hurried out of the
carriage. The porters had just pulled
four or five trunks on the platform.
Two old wagons stood in the road, one
driven by an old woman in sun-bon-
net, the other by red-haired boy with
bare feet and queer, knock-kneed
horse attached to a queerer old gig,
was standing at little distance. A
young man in light summer suit. and
q city family bent on rural happiness,
were my companions on the plat
form.
The former put his trunk in the first
wagon, kissed the old woman in the
sun-bonnet, took the reins and drove
away. He was evidently the son of
the family, come home to spend his
vacation. The rest of the trunks and
city family-mother, father, little boy,
nursemaid and baby-were put in the
wagon and driven by the boy.
When the train moved away l was
left alone on the platform-alone. but
for the station master, who sat upon
bench smoking clay pipe.
In a moment more the official, with
out looking at me, made the remark
deacon Stevenson has come for the
new minister. He's over in the hotel,
and will be back in a minute"
THANK you" said l.
The stationmaster took no notice of
me, but, having climbed upon stool
and made some changes in time reg
ister on the wall of the station, locked
the door. put the key in his pocket. and
sauntered away down the railroad.
| took his place upon the bench and
waited. In few minutes prlm little
old gentleman appeared upon the top
of the hill, carrying in one hand TN
can, In the other a tin pail, and under
either arm brown-paper parcel. L
knew at a glance it was Stevenson.
care you Mr.. Mactaggert ?" he IN
quired mildly, as he approached. L
want to know l hadn't any expecta-
ton Of being kept so long, but. you see,
it saves the women folks trouble to
fetch things when l drive down. Step
in, won't you? I'll jest hang this can
of paraffine lie on behind. Some dis
like The smell-maybe you do. The
sugar loaf, lea and coffee can go under
the seat as well as not. How is your
health, sir, and how do you like the
Vale of Cruix?"
answered that my health was good
and that had not, as yet, seen much OF
Vale of Cruix.
"No, you haven't" said the old gen.
tleman. "Well, you'll drive through it
now" And he shook the reins, and the
old horse began to stumble along. And
on we drove past certain rows of brick
houses very much like each other, and
with the same flowers in their front
gardens, until, having passed the church,
we came to one happy set about by old
oak-trees, before the gate of which we
drew up.
A girl stood at the gate-a fair girl in
blue muslin dress and white apron.
"Take the sugar, Mary, before 1t
gets upset." said the Deacon. "This Is
Mr.. Mactaggert, that's to preach for us.
Mr. Mactaggert, this is my daughter
Mary"
We bowed, and she vanished with the
parcels.
"What a lovely little creature ~ said
to myself. Nothing like Angelina,
but so pretty |" And / found myself
thinking of her as washed my hands
and brushed my hair in the blue-walled
bedroom on the second floor with white
fringed counterpanes and curtains, and
two black silhouettes over the mantel-
piece on either side of the china vases
of roses.
There were only four of us at the
table-the Deacon, his wife, stout
lady, who never sa more than she
could help, and Mary. She had spent
tine last winter at Glasgow, and we
talked about all she had seen. She
was selfpossessed without being for
ward. and oh, so pretty! Now, An
gelina was splendid and queenly, so
this was mild praise that she could not
have objected to, only | said 1t very
often. l preached on the next Sunday.
1t was settled that l should spend the
summer there. l wrote this to An
gelina:
"Since you cannot be with me it
does not matter where l am-this stu
Did place as well as any other. Ad-
dress to the care of Deacon Stevenson.
/ shall remain with him while | preach
here"
1t was a pleasant summer, despite
the dizziness of the place. How good
the quaint old Deacon was when one
really knew himl How motherly was
Mrs. Stevenson? As for Mary, she
grew sweeter every davl have often
wondered what Angelina would have
said could she have seen me helping
her to pick blaekberries, to find the
runaway cow, TO carry home the milk
pail. driving her over to the country
grocery, and returning with a freight
of groceries-Angelina. who knew
nothing of domestic details, and whose
monogramed and perfumed letters
were often brought over from the office
in company with the paraffine can. l
wrote my sermons at one end OF the
round table, while Mary sat at the other
We uaS q ilnn with