Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-02-03
WHAT MAS 1T !!

expressing admiration, and one aid
moi weary with the face after years OF
familiarity with it, She was well bred,
accomplished and a great heIress. l
had treason 10 believe she was very
fond of me. No man could be more
entirely content thar ] was, as leaned
back III the first class carriage which
took me from Glasgow into the country,
ID the Vale Of Cruix, where was TO
preach few Sabbaths.
The pnlpit was vacant, and | was GO
ING Ia try my wings. With my pecu-
MARY prospects | scarcely thought l
should care to accept call to the Vale
OF Cruix, but had no objection to hill
ing lis pulpit for a few weeks, espe-
cially ~ Angelina had gone to the west
coast, and Glasgow was warm and
stuiiy and stupid.
Casual remembranccso III elegant par
sonages built ii Queen Anne's style; Of
Il study where the footballs were soften
"a by Persian rugs, and the doors
drapel IN portierers Of velvet; chairs
and i desk. carved richly AS some old
confessional, fitted through my mind
And | thought also of table spread
with silver and rare china, with lady
1T its head, who resembled queen.
And | breathed luxurious sigh rs
awakened from my day dream To a
knowledge that the words Vale OF
Cruix 7 we're being shouted On the plat
form. and that the train was coming to
Il standHtIil
| seized my trayeling-ba 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 n sun-bon-
net, the other by red-haired boy with
bare feet and II queer, ck-kneed
horse attached To Il qucerer old gig,
was standing 1T little distance. A
young man III il light summer SUIT. and
city family bent on rural happiness,
we're my companions ON the plat
form.
The former put his trunk III the first
wagon, kissed the old woman in the
sln-bonnet, took the reins and drove
away. lie 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,
IluThiHitllu sttlNl biby htlt INiA III lb1
wagon and driven by the boy.
When the tram moved away was
left alone oil the platform alone. but
for tile station master who sat upon i
bench smoking Il clay pipe.
III moment more the official, with
ont looking 1T me, made the remark !:
Deacon Stevenson has come for the
new minister He's over III the hotel,
and will be back in minute"
THANK you, SAID |.
The stationmaster took no notice of
me, but, having climbed upon a 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. lii i few minutes 4 prim little
Old gentleman appeared upon the top
of the hill, carrying i'll one hand tin
can, III the other Il tin pail, and under
either arm hrown-paper parcel. |
knew mt a glance it was Stevenson.
!" Are yen Mr.. Mactaggert p he IN
CURED mildly, rs he approached. /
want to know | hadn't any cxpecta-
ton If being kept 50 long, but. you see,
it saves the women folks trouble to
fetch things when | drive down. Step
ill, won't ynus Iii Jest hang this can
III narailine lie on behind Some dis
like The smell maybe you do. The
sugar. loaf. lea and coffee can go under
the seat Us 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 Ind not, as yet, seen much OF
Vale Of Cruix
/" No, YOU haven't said the old gem
tleman. well. you'll drive through il
now. And he shook the reins, and the
Sid horse hogan u stumble along. And
ON We drove past certain rows of brick
houses very much like each other, aad
with the same flowers III their front
gardens, until. having passed the church,
we came 70 one happy set about by old
oak trees. before the gate of which we
drew up
A girl stood at the gatc-a fair girlin
il blue muslin dress and white apron.
take the sugar. Mary, before il
gets upset, said the Deacon. This i
Mr.. Maetaggerl. that's III preach for IL.
Mr. Mactaggert, this il my daughter
Mary.
We bowed, and she vanished with the
parcels.
What lovely little creature !" said
to myself. Nothing ike Angelina.
but So pretty = And | found myself
thinking of her rs washed my hands
and brushed my hair in the hlue-walled
bedroom on the second floor with white
fringod eounterpanes and curtains, and
two black silhonettes over the mantel-
piece on either silc 81 the china vases
of roses
There were only four III Ii 40 the
table the Deacon, his wife, stout
lady. who never said more than she
could help, and Mary She had spent
the last winter NJ Glasgow. and We
talked about al she had seen. She
was self-posseSsed 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 70, only / said it very
often preached on the next Sunday.
Ii was settled that | should spend the
summer there. wrote this 10 An
gelina:
Since yon cannot be with me it
does not matter where am-this stu
pid place as well rs any other. Adj
dress to the care Of Deacon Stevenson.
shall remain with him while preach
here"
Il was pleasant summer, despite
the dullness 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 day! have often
wondered what Angelina would have
said could she have seen me helping
her 10 pick blackherries, 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 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. |
wrote my sermons at one end OF the
round table, while Mary sat at the other
sewing. Between us was lamp with
green paper shade. Now and then .
big bug would fly into the window and
90 humming abont our heads, or 4