Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-01-14
WAS 1T LIRTING1
What Particularly Simple Man this
simple Young Man Must Be-sO Ask
the Question

what n Particularly Simple Man this
simple Young Man Must Be-s0 Ask
the Question
was engaged to Angelina Melville, and l
thought myself the luckiest man living. Ange-
INA was 80 handsome that no stranger ever saw
her without expressing admiration and one did
not weary with the face after years OF familiar
ity with it. She was well-bred, accomplished
and great heiress. l had reason to believe she
was very fond Of me. No man could be more
entirely content than l was as leaned back in
the first-class carriage which took me from Glas-
gov into the country to the Vale Of Cruly,
where was TO preach a few Sabbaths The
pulpit was vacant and was going to try my
wings With my pecuniary prospects scarcely
thought should care to accept a cali to the
Vale of Crulx, bat had no objection to filing
its pulpit for few weeks. especially as Angelina
had gone to the west coast and Glasgow was
warm and stutfy and stupid.
Casual renen brances OF elegant parsonages
built in Queen Anne's style; of study where
the FOOTBALLS were softened by Persian rugs and
the doors draped in pOrtieres Of velvets; chairs
and desk, carved richly as some old confess
sional, fitted through my mind. And thought
also OF table spread with silver and rare china
with lady at its head. who resembled queen.
And br2athed Il luxurious sigh as | awakened
from my day dream TO knowledge that the
words Vale of Cruix" were being shouted on
the platform and that the train was coming to q
standstill.
] seized my travelling bag from the rack over
head and hurried out of the carriage. The por-
ters had just pulled four or five trunks on the
platform. Two old wagons stood in the road
one driven by an old woman in a sun bonnet
the other by a red-hared boy with bare feet
and queer. knOck-kneeded horse attached to a
queeTer old gig, was standing at little dis
lance young man in a light summer suit
and city family bent on rural happiness, were
my companions on the platform. The former
put his trunk in the first wagon, kissed the old
woman in the sun bonnet. took the rens and
drove away. He was evidently the son of the
family, come home to spend his vacation. The
rest of the trunks and city fany-mother
father, little boy, nurse maid and baby-were
put in the wagon and driven by the boy.
When the train moved away was left alone
on the platforIn-alOne. but for the station-mas-
ter. who sat upon a bench smoking clay pipe
In moment more the official without looking
at me. made the remark: deacon Stevenson
has come for the new minister. He's over in the
hotel and vii! be back In a minute
Thank you" said |.
The StatiOn-Inaster took no notice of me- but
having climbed up on a stool and made some
changes in a time register on the wall of the
station, locked the door, put the key in his
pocket, and sauntcFed away down the railroad
took his place upon the bench and waited. In
few minutes prim little Old gentleman ap-
reared upon the top of the hill. carrying in one
hand tin can, in the other tin pail and under
either arm brown paper parcel. l knew at q
glance that it was Stevenson.
Are YOU Mr.. Macta@gert?" he inquired mildly
as he approached 4" / want to know? hadn't
any expectation Of being kept so long but. YOU
see, II saves the women folks trouble to fetch
things when drive down. Step in won't you?
I'll jest hang this can OF parafiine lie on behind
Some dislike the smeli-may be You do. The
su@aT-loat, tea and coffee can go under the seat
Is nnf How cir. a h,
do you like Vale of Cruix?"
answered that my health was good and that
had not, as yet seen much of Vale of Cruix.
mo. you haven't" said the old gentleman
well, you'll drive through it now" And he
shook the reinS and the old horse BEGAN to
stumbld0lOng. And on we drove past certain
rows of brick houses very much like each other
ana with the same flowers In their front gar
dens, until having passed the church, we came
10 one happily set about by old oak trees, be-
fore the gate of which we drew up
girl stood at the gate-a fair Girl in O blue
muslin dress and white apron.
rake the sugar, Mary, before it gets upset"
SAID the deacon. This is Mr. Mactaggert,
tila5 TO preach for u.s. Mr. Mactaggcrt, this is
my dau~hter Mary
We bowed. and she vanished with the par
cells fN
What lovely little creaturel" said to nv
self Nothing like Angelina, but SO pretty"
Ana found myself thinking of her as washed
my hands AMI brushed my hair in the blue
walled bedroom on the second floor with white
flD@ed c0untcrpancS and curtains and two
back si!houettes over the maDtel-piece Oh
either side of tae china vases of roses.
Ihere were only four OF Us at the table-the
deacon, MS Vile stout lady, who never said
more than she could help, and Mary She had
spent the last winter at Glasgow and we talked
about all she had seen. She was self-p0ssessed
without being forward, and oh so pretty, Now
Angelina vas splendid and queenIy, so this mild
praise That she could not have objected to- only
! sdd IL very often. | preached on the ne yt
Sunday. II was settled that should spend the
summer there i wrote this to Angelina:
nee you ca1nUt be with me it does not mat
ter where am-this stupid place as well as any
Other. Address to the care OF Deacon Steven
here"
1t was pleasant summer. despite the dgIl-
ness OF the place. How good the quaint old
deacon was when one really knew him. How
m0therly was Mrs Stevenson. AS for Mary. she
crew SWeetcr every day: | often wondered what
Ah"eiiha would have said could sac have seen
me helping her to pick biackberres, to find the
runaway COW, to carry home the milk pail.
driving hef over to the country grocery and
returning with a freight of grOceres-Angelina
Who knew nothing of domestic details. and
whose nonOTTamcd and perfumed letters were
often brought oyer from the office i'm corpDany
with the pdrdftine can. | wrote my sermons at
one end OF the round table, while Mary sat at
the other sewing. Between us was a lamp with
green paper shade. Now and then a bio bug
would fly into the window and 90 hummina
about our heads, or a moth would try to SINCE
It's wings over the chimney and | would drive it
out. The old people would go to bed after n
while, and then Mary and would find ourselves
hungry, and she would go into the kitchen to
ind something good" | always held the light
Tor her. And when something good was found
we ate it in the back porch. sitting side by side
on the step like two children.
She was SO like a child, that little Mary. that
lt seemed no harm to ask her to kiss me good
nIght. or to hold her hand in NINE as it rested
on my arm, in our long walks home from church
on Sunday evening
The summer passed; October came. Angelina
returned 10 the city and wrote to me- It was
While we were eating peaches and cream in the
back porch that evening that said to Mary: Il
VIII tell you secret if YOU Will keep 1t for q
while Mary"
"Oh. OF course viii, Mr.. Mactar9 ert"
81 an going TO be married this autumn
Mary. / said. "Those pretty letters YOU al
ways thought came from my sister are from the
I3uy VINO Is to marry me. She is very beauti-
fui, very rich, very stylish. but very kind You
must come and see Us, Mary, when we are
married. l shall tell Angelina hOw good YOU
have been to me-wnat a sweet little sister
found out here in the Vale of Cru.x. Why.
Mary"
For, as spoke felt the little hand held