Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1883-05-18

age"
"I never suspected you of any want
of courage said Mr.. Ericsson.
." I am dreadful coward. I don't
think fully realized il when 1 began.
II l had been sent anywhere but to
Scragg End, don't know what / should
have done. Here they are humble
minded people, without strong preju-
dices, and do seem to have found the
way TO their hearts. But / am afraid 1
should never dare to enter another pull
pit-certainly not yours at Ponkapaw-
You would soon conquer there ms
you have conquered here" said Mr..
Ericsson.
"I couldn't endure their unfriendly
gaze. / should display all my woman
ishness. l should blush. I should
tremble, l might faint. should be u
stumbling block to the women who are
following in the same pathway. l
don't mean to be that. My work in
Scragg End suflices me, and am so
thankful for it,"
AZ am sorry you fesl so about Pouk-
apawket, because / have PROPOSE
tion in my mind much more audacious
than the one that / made" said Mr..
Ericsson.
Miss Barton raised her eyes inquiring-
ly, and dropped them again instantly
under the minister's gaze.
81 thought we might unite the
churches" Mr.. Ericson's voice trcm-
bled little, as if he were afraid.
II don't see how it could be DONE"
said Miss Barton, frigidly.
"Of course, there is but one way"
said Mr.. Ericsson, quietly. 81 dared not
ask you to be my wife without suggest
ing to you the fact that your work need
not be given up"
The girl rose to her feet. Lysandcr's
stocking fell from her hand and was
blown away by the wind unheoded. al
don't know what have done to deserve
this-this insult. / thought that at
least you respected me, and thought
my calling made me sacred from such
such attacks altogether"
81 am sorry that you should think it
an insult. 1 can hardly see how man
could give you better proof of his re-
wife. And as for your calling making
celibacy of the clergy, you know" In
|
distress, there was sly twinkle in Mr..
Ericson's eye as he said that.
''But II am woman" said Miss
Barton sitting down again, and cover
ing her face with her hands.
1.-The more reason why you should be
married." said Mr.. Ericsson, calmly.
"You need protector.
~ am perfectly sufficient for my
self. And 1 shall never care for any
body y-anything-but my work"
Mr.. Ericsson arose. II am sorry to
have troubled you" he said. gently. 81
love you, and have never known what
it was to love woman before; that is
my excuse"
Miss Barton watched him as he went
down the road, with the yellow leaves
falling upon him. She observed, as she
had never done before, how finely his
head was set upon his broad shoulders,
what n manly grace there was about his
strong, well-knit figure.
"But he has no business to love me, y
she said, drawing her brows into tight
frown.
Then suddenly she remembered Ly,
sanders stocking, and went down in the
grass to look for it. 1t had blown oyel
the fence into the field. She stretched
her arm between the stats and drew il
back. AS she did so she caught sight ol
Lysander. He was gathering squashes
and pumpkins on the little south hill
she saw his figure in silhouette against
the sky. He started to come toward the
house, and she waited for him-waited
until sudden thought sent flame Of
color over her face.
at can't be" she said, half aloud
inquiringly. 81 wiH keep that Out
won't bel" And she rushed up to her
room and locked herself in.
She came down as calm and grave as
ever when the tea-bell rang, and aftel
tea she and Lysander read their daily
quantity of Greek, for Lysander was
pursuing his studies with renewed avid.
ity since he had companion to help
him, and had not yet given up his long
cherished hope of studying for the min.
istry, though there seemed no prospect
of his being able to leave the farm.
After that Miss Barton devoted her.
self more zealously than ever to her
work. She darned no more stockings
When she was not writing her sermons
she was visiting the sick and the poor
and making, or suggesting and inducing
others to make, improvements, sanitary
and moral as well as religious.
She was as practical and efficient as
if she was not n woman" many people
said; and old Jeremy Grimes, who had
wished to tell her when she came that
they didn't want woman preacher
said: "They couldn't have had such
women in st. Paul's time, or he never
would have written what he did,
But Mrs. Hewitt had grievance.
Miss Barton didn't seem to make her.
self one of the family as she used to.
She was shut up in her own room al
most all the time now, and she and Ly-
sander didn't seem to get along togeth-
er as they used to. She never came
into the kitchen and wanted to help
make cake now, or sat with them
around the fire in the evening while
Lysander read aloud. She "didnt
seem to have anything against them,
bnt she wasn't free and sociable any
more"
Lysander was teaching school this
winter, and attending to the farm work
in his leisure time. His habit of study
ing with Miss Barton had gradually died
out. To his mothers persistent ques-
tionings Lysander replied that neither
of them had any time for it now.
Mrs. Hewitt could not make it out.
"Pa," who prided himself upon being
long-headed, limited that he could, but
he would not say outright what he
thought, and his wife regarded his hints
with lofty scorn.
One afternoon, after school-hours,
Lysander went down to the woods back
of the house to superintend the opera
tions of some men who were cutting
timber. just at dusk Miss Barton, COM
ing home from visit to sick parish
ioner, encountered four men carrying
on an improvised stretcher Lysander's
apparently lifeless body. He was lying
white and rigid, and then there were
scarlet spots upon the snow all the way
that he had come. Down on her knees in