Connecticut western news., 1884-12-24
WHY HE WASN'T SETTLED.
BY MARY N. PRESCOTT.

BY MARY N. PRESCOTT.
 MT. Lindsay was preaching in the Lennox parish on probation; that is, he had been engaged for the year. After that time, if he suited Miss Rich, who had the parish in charge, so to speak, who canvassed for money to paint the church, looked up poor children for christening and Sunday-school, exhorted the young people to join the confrma- tion class, mapped out work for the sew ing society, planted the church Christ mas tree, and made the parish her hobby If he suited Miss Rich, if he was High Church enough for Mir. Grimm and Low enough for Mrs. Phelps, if he believed with Dr. Slow in the doctrine of cleo tion-why, then they were sure to settle him.
 ''What capital wife Lucretia Shaw would make Mir. Lindsay" vouchsafed Miss Rich, shortly after he adorned the Lennox pulpit. "She's just the person for parsons wife--bustling and"
 'I'm afraid she'd take the parish off your hands, Miss R;ch," answered Mrs. Phelps, who, having no desire to do the hard work which her neighbor loved, yet grudged her the credit of it.
 Well, there's work enough for two of us in the parish, Mrs. Phelps. would not be bit afraid but I'd get my share. !" ''To be sure,' pursued Mrs. Phelps, 'Lucretia's smart, and don't believe in apastor with doll of wife who can't darn the children's clothes, and is too feeble to get along without help"
 "Yes, put in old Mrs. Smith; ''she'd be no end of step-mother to MT. Lind says boy, and if ever a boy needed a step mother, it's him. Lucretia's pow erful smart, as you say, and she'd make him walk Spanish"
 ''Yes," added Miss Rich; 'a widower somehow needs wife more'n anybody, to sympatbize with him in his loss. shouldn't wonder if Lucretia would bring the boy up to the ministry if she had her way"
 Between you and me-" said Mrs. Phelps, Il think that the parson goes to the Shaws' rather more than is neces. sary for the salvation of their souls"
 'Yon can't tell. Perhaps Lucretia has doubts"
 ''And perhaps" said Dr. Slow ''perhaps it's Miss Susan."
 Everybody laughed, and cried "Miss Susan l" with fine irony in their tones.
 "Who ever heard of Susan having at- tention ?'' askel Mrs. Phelps.
 "Pve engaged Lucretia to embroider new ,altar-clotb, :" explained Mrs. Rich ''I raised the money last month--I tell you it's like pulling teeth to get money out of this parish-and I suppose the parson has to advise her about the proper designs and things. Lucretis ain't well drilled in symbols and such you know"
 In fact everybody in Lennox had de- cided that Mir. Lindsay should marry 1, Lucretia, and perhaps Lucretia had de cided so too. for she was an everlasting time over the altar. cloth, and needed nc end of advice and instruction; her ig. norance and interest were quite touch ing. And Mr. Lindsay seemed quite willing to spend his leisure under the Shaws' roof, and watch the sacred sym bols growing under the white hands o Miss Lucretia
 "That hand of Lucretia's will be sur, to do the business" " somebody had said ''Mr. Lindsay's man of taste. if he Ii clergyman"-as if the two were no usually found combined-''and I heari him say it was fit for duchess"
 Miss Lucretia's hand was, indeed, he lovliest feature, so to speak-white a' snow, with the prettiest taper fingers pink at the ends. Once when MT. Lind say had mentioned them hatteringly Miss Susan, who was doing the week. mending near by, drew her own hand under her work, he noticed. Nobod, ever took the trouble to flatter Mis- Susan. Lucretia sang in the choir, al though her voice was thin as muslin and she had no ear; nobody dreamed ol cared if Susan sang like seraph; sht sat in Lucretia's shadow, and people al most forgot she was there, till the, needed her help. MT. Lindsay hat taught the choir himself, and after tn altar.cloth could no longer be made pretext to cover 8 multitude of calls there were the chants and fugues t practice. One morning, as he drilled Lucretia for half an hour Intellectually he suddenly turned to Susan.
 Come" he said, "try this chant witl us, Miss Susan;" and Susan opened he mouth and chanted as nobody in tn choir had ever chanted before.
 Bravo p he cried. "When did 70, learn it? ?" ....-.
 "Why, I have heard it all my life why shouldn't I know it2 I couldn' help it."
 "We must have you in the choir, h said:
 'sSusan Shaw in the choir P gaspe, everybody on their way out of church "Mr. Lindsay is bringing her out"