The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1883-02-10
IN THE GLASS.

lin lie OLHSS.
The village of Slapton was ms quiet
village as can be. There are few houses
in it and the congregation that gath
cred every Sunday at the parish church
came chiefly from tie fnrms that were
scattered broadcast over the country.
The vicar was the. Rev. Herbert Gard
ner, and he was the happy father OF
some half a dozen children, the eldest
Of whom, Matte, was a charming giil of
twenty. There was little society in the
village, and Matties chief ideas of the
world at large were drawn from the oc-
casional visits she made to relative
who lived in the neiGhboripg' country
town. Still, though she was homely
and unsophisticated, there WAS none of
that afft c.td siml licity you SO often see
in girls.
! q. She was frank, fearless, oatspoken
girl, full o. life and spirits, and never so
happy as when rambling about the old
vicarage garleu, picking basketfuls of
ro es for some sick boy or girl and carry
ing them with sunshine into some Clark
ened home.
And in such works of real love and
! charity the last few years of her life had
bsen mainly spent. Her father called
her his "'curate;' aud, as the living was
a small one, she was the only curate he
uad.
Matte had been free as yet from heart
disease though negLOoring 'kquire's
son had made several awkward attempts
At atloYelnaking, and, though Matte qnite
recognized the compliment he paid her,
she never for momeNt regarded him in
any other light than asa friend, and re-
mained herself perfectly heart-wholo.
This had happened when she was eigh-
teen, and time had gone on smoothly
enough, and at twenty she was still hap
| py in her uueyentiul lot.
But the smooth run oflife's wheels was
interrupted at last, and the wheels were
jJlted out of their usual racks; for about
this time there came to the village n
yoIng surgeon who was looking ont for
good opening for practice, aud had de-
ternined to settle down here. As mat
ter of course he and Matte often met in
the houses Of the poor, and although not
a word of love had passed between them,
people began 10 associate their names to-
gether, and to speak of what might hap
pen as certainty,
Ole day when Matte WAS as usual,
among her roses, servant came 10 say
that DR.. Robertson had asked for hol
father, and as he was from home, { her
When she entered the room with her bas.
ket of roses on her arm, the doctor might
we'll be excused il he wondered which
were the fairer---ihe roses in the basket
or the rose with the basket. II sucl
thoughts passed through his mind h,
quickly put them aside, for he said:
II came to ask Mr.. Gardner if he
would step down to old Silas Jones's, who
is vary i'll with fever. They are ,ry pool
and any help you could give them woul,
be of more uss than medicine.
"Papa is from home,' she said, ''aud
will not return till tomorrow. But
will take them some beef.tea and port, i
you think that would be good for Linn. "
Nothing could be better, replied tn,
doctor. "But you must not go ther,
yourself, for fear Of infection. l am GO
iIg past the house. and will take then
myself, if You will give tbtm to me-
"No, thank You, doctor" said Mis-
M.t-Ie. Il never shhk my duty nu
delegate it to others, 50 I Will take then
IN s, L."
"Anywsy, let me walk with you, If yor
are going now, and We can talk about tb,
case as We Co."
In a few minutes the beef-tea and Il,
wine were ready, aud NJ title sailed fortl
with the d, etor, And Til, was tie Wa!
they talked about the case:
'Its 4 beautiful day, isn't ~"
"Gloriou g. i'd Matte.
What has b-eoms OF you il the eve
nings lately? used to see you frequent
ly but nov you are neytr to be seen"
"Mlnuie has not been we'll lately. s.
l have stayed at home on her acooun'
IL ia pleasant to know that some on
misses me, she said, laughing.
Il mss you a great deal, Miss Matti
almost as much, if not quite as nluc
as your own people do. This is Jones
cottage; SO now let me take the thing
in"
"No, indeed; I shall 60 in myself,
said Matte.
"No, decidedly no." said the ,etoi
Il eau never be yoaf da;y 10 ru b int
une-lled iog dalgel I gns oIsv. I