The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-11-09

she had been sitting being beneath
some pollard willows at the side of
large pond, and she stood for mo-
ment hesitating before advancing to
meet them.
AS she came nearer the vicar could |
see that she had long, loosely arranged,
fair hair, very sweet expression of
countenance, that she was graceful aud |
ladylike, that she was apparently !
about two or three aud twenty, and |
perfectly calm and self-possessed
"lIow are you, my darling" said
the doctor, kissing her affectionately.
"Don't sit out there in the sun. Here,
I've brought you visitor-our par
son, the Rev. John Layton. | want
him to talk to you, and see if he can't
do you some good"
"Oh, uncle, why p cried the girl,
looking her astonishment, after return
ing the Wears salute.
"Oh, I'm serious, my dear, and it's
for your own good. She's just out of
that wicked London, Layton--come
down to stay with my sister here.
want her ways mended."
"Why, uncle, what have / been
doing?" she said laughing so merrily
that, as the young vicar gazed in her
sweet ingenious face, with its bright
ening eyes and pleasant dimples, he
wished she would laugh again.
"What have you been doing, miss ?
Why, getting along with that wicked
artistic lot. Parson, she uses the most
terrible slang, and utters bad words.
My wall paper diln't please her, and
she called it dado, and actually said
my picture that bought at Manor
House sale was hot and foxy"
"Oh, hush, uacle "
"No, miss, / won't hush. Then she
says chiaroseure, nasty foreign word,
and all sorts of other things. You
must lecture her, Layton, you must
indeed. There, stop and have chat
with her. told my sister Id bring
you over, and there'll be bit of din
ner in about an hours time. I'll ride
over and see mother Baker and old
Tim Rodgers. Back in time"
"Then this was air planned said
the vicar quickly.
'To be sure it was my dear boy l
saw you were out of sorts, and you
were grumbling last time | saw you
about wanting society, so | thought
I'd arrange this. There, ta-ta for the
present"
"This is like surprise, Miss Brown"
said the vicar.
"My name is Anderson-Frances
Anderson" said the pleasant, bright
little vision that had, as it were, sud-
denly made its appearance in the
wears rustic world. 81 have not been
very well, and uncle said l must come
down for change, so l am staying
with Aunt Frances. Will you come
in? All, here she is
| A pleasant, comely little widow
body, wonderfully like the doctor re.
fined down, came toddling slowly out
of the cottage just then, and the vical
recognized her as lady who had once
been over to the church.
81 am very glad to see you, Mr.
Layton she said warmly. II dom
come over to see very often, for yor
see | belong to Mr.. Morris parrish
though your church is nearer. Viii
you come in and sit down 2"
"lf you will allow me-" said tn,
vicar, II should like to stay in tn,
open air. Everything is so beautiful
at this time of the year, and perhap
Miss Anderson will go on with he
drawing. | take great interest il
art
"Do you? Then will go at once,
said the girl eagerly. "When uncl
comes back I will see about a littl
e fruit"
THE vicar had felt angry at first
7 not liking to be made the victim o
, what was rather like practical joke
but before he had been ten minutes i
, Fanny Anderson's company all tina
was forgotten, and he was delighte
1 with sweetness and the utter absenc
of modern society young -ladyism. ii
was, in fact, chatting freely with
: highly cultivated girl, ardently in low
: with the art she practiced.
| How the time passed under tho:
v shady willows neither of them knew
T for the vicar had proved himself to /
v no mean artist, and :hey were in tf
r midst of discussion on perspectiv
e when they were startled by the doctor
voice.
+ 'Been two hours instead of on
J Very sorry, but Mother Baker real
is i'll now. Fanny, my dear, get yol
aunt to make up basket of odds an
5 ends, and go and see the poor O
RI soul.
y "Oh, yes, uncle, will" said Fam
~ and the vicar felt suspicious twins
as TO whether this was got up; but n
t. it was all perfectly natural, and to b
great satisfaction there was nothing
3r the pleasant dinner that Jared II
H. H. doctor was quiet and gentlcmanly, al
- never once approached a banteril
rs tone; so that when the hour for pa
'e ing came the vicar felt that he had pa
-, y, ed one of the pleasan,est days of |
er life
" A week passed. fortuight-a
80 the doctor did not come near, so
,ot last the Rev. John Layton found
~ way across to the little farm to
warmly greeted, but still in a W
ny that never once touched upon his S
er capabilities Mrs. Baker was not
his parish, but he heard of her
ne meuts and how many times Fanny /
'iy been over to see the poor old la
ny what she had said, and how CRATE
she was for book being read to
NV for an hour or two, anl so on.
~ The Wears next visit was at the
of week, and that day there "
some sketching- done
"' Next day old Doctor Brown cal
upon the vicar and stopped chatt
~, for an hour, but he never once m
W toned Fanny Andersons name.
however, invited the vicar to come
IN spend au evening with him; and t
played chess, and went down the
den, for the doctor was proud of
No patch, as he called it-a very ex
" sive garden, by the way, But, to
oro Wears disappointment, no men