The Osceola times., 1883-04-21
IN THE GLASS.

gathered every Sunday at the parish
church came chiefly from the farms that
were scattered broadcast over the sur
rounding country.
The vicar was the Rev. Herbert Gard
ner, and he was the happy father of half
dozen children, the eldest of whom,
Matte, was charming girl of twenty.
There was little society in the village,
and Mattie's chief ideas of the world at
large were drawn from the occasional
visits she made to relative who lived in
the neighboring county town. Still, tho
she was homcly and unsophisticated,
there was none of that affected simplicity
you often sec in girls.
She was frank, fearless, outspoken
girl, full of life and spirits, and never so
: happy as when rambling about the old
vicarage garden, picking baskctfuls of
roses for some sick boy or girl, and car
rying them with sunshine, into some
darkcncd home.
In such works of real love and charity
the last few years of her life had been
mainly spent. Her father called her his
"curate," and, as the living was small
one, she was his only curatc.
Matte had been free, as yet, from
"heart disease though neighboring
'Squirc's son had made several awkward
attempts at love making, and, though
Matte quite recognized the compliment
he paid her, she never for moment re-
garded him in any other light than as a
friend, and remained herself perfectly
heart whole. This had happened when
she was eighteen, and time had gone on
smoothly enough, and at twenty she was
still happy in her uneventful lot.
But the smooth run of life's wheels
was interrupted at last, and they were
jolted out of their usual track; for about
this time there came TO the village a
young surgeon who was looking for a
good opening for practice, and had de-
termined to settle down here.
As matter of course he and Matte Of
ten met in the house of the poor, and al
though not a word of love passed between
them, people began to associate their
names together, and to speak of what
might happen, as certainty.
> One day when Matte was among her
roses, a servant came to say that DIR. Rob
ertson had asked for her father, and as
he was away from home, for her
When she entered the room with the
basket of roses on her arm, the Doctor
might well be excused if he wondered
which were the fairer-the roses in the
basket or the rose with the basket. If
such thoughts passed through his mind,
however, he put them aside, and politely
said:
"I came to ask Mr.. Gardner if he
would step down to Silas Jones's, who is
very i'll with the fever. The family are
very poor, and any help you could give
them would do the old man more good
than medicine"
"Yes, papa is from home," she said,
"and will not return till tomorrow. But
will take them some beef-tea and port,
YOU think that would be good for him."
Nothing could be better" said the
Doctor; but you must not go there for
fear of infection. | am going past the
house. and will take them myself If you
will give them to me-"
"No, thank you, Doctor" said Miss
4. 4. 4 IL
cgate it to others; so will take them"
"But let me walk with you if you are
going now, and we can talk about the
case as we &c"
in a few minutes the beef tea and the
wine were ready, and Matte sailed forth
with the Doctor. And this was the way
they talked about the case:
ats beautiful day, isn't it?"
|. "Gloriousw said Matte.
"What has become of you in the even
ings lately? used to see you frequently
but now you are never seem"
"Minnie has not been well lately, SO ]
have stayed at home on her account. 1t
is pleasant to know that some one misses
me-. she said, laughingly.
II miss you great deal, Miss Matte
almost, if not quite as much, as your own
people do. This is Jones's cottage; so let
me take the things in"
"No, indeed; l shall go in myself" said
Matte.
"No-decidedly no." said the Doctor.
at can never be your duty to rush into
uncalled for danger. / am Obliged to see
these people, so let me take the basket
in"
From that day began to dawn upon
Mattie's mind that there was one man
who had missed her when she was alb
sent, and who tried to keep her out of
danger.
Little by little this thought grew upon
her and took root, until there came sort
of an echo to it, which said II miss him
too. wish he had not to risk his life
by going to see fever cases."
And from that day there was less cor
dial friendship, and there was more shy
reserve in her intercourse with the Doc
tor; and sometimes he did not know
what to make of it, and one evening he
said
What have I done to vex you, Miss
Matte ?'
"Vex me?' she said, "why, nothing,
of course: what made you think that you
had ?"
"My own stupidity, suppose" replied
he; II should be very sorry TO vex you,
Miss Matte"
"Then don't talk about it, else you will,
surely" she said.
what lovely rose that is! Would
you mind giving it TO me TO show that
you are not vexed p' asked the Doctor.
There are plenty on that bush," she
answered. "vou can taEe as MANY az WON