Democratic messenger., 1882-04-08


Der to. Nobody would have him either.
He's as bald as door knob, and he asks
blessin' anywhere along between the
meat and the puddin'. Aud Joe and
me would fix her, any how"
'Wouldn't you like to have him
marry nice, kind lady like Miss Cor
dilly Brewster? She would teach you
how to behave"
Know how good enough now, and
I'd wiring her old parrots neck I don't
believe it, anyhow, but I'm goin' to find
out"
And off went Sammy, regardless of
his kite, and burst, breathless, into his
fathers study.
"You amt goin' to marry Miss Brew
ster and her old green parrot that
swears, and have her always clearin' up
and dustin and losin' your papers, are
yer?" demanded Sammy.
The minister turned from his sermon
writing, and regarded Sammy with
mild amazement. Gradually his ex-
preston changed to one of perplexity.
He removed his spectacles from his
eyes to the top of hi head, and then he
tapped his forehead with the tips of his
fingers, as if to summon forth some
straying recollection.
That must be the very thing that /
was trying to remember Wait mo-
ment. l must have set it down some
! where"
And Parson Greeley drew from one Of
the pigeon holes of his desk some loose
sheets of foolscap paper which had
evidently been used as diary. Several
/ - !
these the minister read aloud:
a. Mem.-To conlute the infidel
peddler's argument by st. Paul, and
=" "Ncnl.-T To tell Deborah, mildly
but firmly. that so much saleratus is
not conducive to health.
"' Mem. To punish Joseph and
Samuel for unseemly conduct at prayer
time.
Mena.-To admonish Brother
Bates gently that he is becoming un-
sound IN doctrine.
MEM. To endeavor so far as lies
in me to restore peace to the singing
seats.
80 Mem. To endeavor to exercise
such a measure of wholesome restraint
over Moses and Samuel that they may
not become a cause of scandal to the
neighborhood.
Mem.-To devote greater
measure Of attention to worldly matters,
such as applying backing to my boots,
and brushing my raiment.
"' Mem. To consider prayerfully
whether the use of hair dye is incom-
patible with the principles of the
Christian religion or the duties of the
Christian ministry.
80 Mem.-That the singing seats are
in the hands of God, and that He causes
even the wrath of man to praise Him.
"' Vem.-To consider prayerfully
the subject of contracting matrimonial
alliance with Miss Cordelia Brewster.
That's it / knew l was not mis-
taken; and l felt that | had headings
from the Lord in that direction; and
vet, in the midst of manifold cares and
distractions, it wholly slipped my mind,
weak and erIing mortal that | am. But
it may not yet be too late And the
minister seized his hat, giving it a hasty
brush with his sleeve, and hurried to
! the door, turning, however, to lay his
hand with unwonted tenderness upon
his sons head, saying, solemnly,
"Samuel, / thank You for this sug-
gestiop, and / would that / could per-
ceive III You as lively signs of the work.
ings of grace as | do of wisdom and
discernment beyond your years.
Samuel, left alone, looked after his
father with most lugubrious face.
For feller to go and do it himself,
that's the worst of 1t l hadn't better
let on to Nose and the rest that did
it. No more fun if she comes here;
shell want fcller not to tear his clothes
and have his hair brushed every minute.
ana no pie or cake between meals. Well
make 1t lively for her, thoUgh-Mose
and Hose and 10 and |.
All unconscious Of what was in store
for her, Miss Cordelia Brewster was en-
gagged in inspecting and admiring her
green silk dress, which had Just been
sent home from the dressmaker's.
Miss Cordelia was plump little woman,
with plnkish bloom still lingering up
on her cheeks, and no trace of Times
frosting upon her chestnut locks. Why
she never married was a mystery. For
ten years after her father, the village
doctor, had died, leaving her a 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 Cor
della, people gradually ceased to specu-
late 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 in
definitely hung round" her for years,
"kind o. dropped off,; he 10 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 he was seldom seen to
walk home with her from the weekly
prayer-meeting his old sorrel mare was
very rarely seen fastened to the hitch
ing post before Miss Cordelia's house of
a Sunday night, and only once or twice
had he been seen shyIy to offer her
nosegay of southernwood and cinnamon
pinks, which grew to great perfection In
his garden, and of which, in her girl
hood, Miss Cordelia had been very
fond
Many other admirers had Miss Cor
della, but she had turned a cold shout
der upon all, ana 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
in of ha xuinInnc xxyikh hot-