The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-07-11
SELECT STORY.
MIRIAM DOUGLAS,
by LAWRENCE BARRETT.

Jhe lock on your satchel is broken,
making the thugs unsafe, besides being
very shabby old bag, sir, begging
your pardon"
So quoth Eliza, reict of Josiah Minis,
the sexton, to her lodger, the Rev.
Julius Byron.
"What bore y exclaimed this gen.
tleman, "when | really haven't the
time to attend to anything but these
letters y
81 have an errand which takes me
past Piper &c Tipsons. could buy
you new satchel, if you would trust
me. Going among all those fine peo.
pie at the wedding with your lock tied
up with bit of string wouldn't do at
all, sir"
"Thank you, Mrs Minis l have
great trust in your judgment, and
should be obliged if you would attend
to this matter for me and save my going
into town"
AS the door closed after his landlady,
the Reverend Julius Byron resumed
his writing with sigh of relief. AS
he sat leaning his head on his disen-
gagged hand-a hand beautiful enough
to atone for plainness in all other feat
ures had nature willed him to be plain
Julius Byron was an ideal picture of
a student-brown eyes, with far
away dreamy look, hair long enough
to show a tendency to wave loosely
back from the forehead, and a pale.
clear complexion set off by golden
brown velveteen coat, which he wore
when in his study. Twenty-nine years
old, undeniably handsome, gifted with
winning manners, and shepherd of a
flock mcst willing to be guided, Julius
Byron, as if by miracle, had escaped
being spoiled and petted into effemi-
macy. His safeguard lay perhaps in a
pair of soft eyes which had held him
spell bound for few rapturous weeks,
and the witchery of which had lasted
over three years of almost total sepa-
ration.
Miriam Douglas, dispensing tea and
gingerbread to horde of charity chill
dren in the park at Mount Edgecombe,
was one of the prettiest and daintiest
of women, in muslin dress in color
matching forget-me nots and her eyes
equally well, and with roses at her
waist and throat which stole their deli
cate tint from her cheeks.
Miriam was II that day, and the
blue muslin was her first long dress; to
to this the little lassie paid far more
attention than to the admiring gaze of
two dreamy brown eyes. After the
feast there were offerings of flowers,
good wishes, and rather too many kiss
es and embraces from the charity chill
dren, and, among other trophies, Mir
lam Douglas carried away the heart of
the Reverend Julius Byron. Had she
known this, it would have affected her
less than the consciousness that the
Barclay girls, her former playmates,
were enviously admiring the grown up
womanish arrangements of her bright
silky hair.
There were few tennis parties and
5 o'clock teas after this, during which
Mr. Byron worshiped his divinity from
afar. She seemed little in awe of
him, and rarely spoke with him more
than five minutes at time. What a
delightful task it would be to chase
away the timidity from the soft fawn-
like eyes, and how pleasant to think
that the sea-shell pink stole to her
cheeks from joy at his approach!
Fate, however, cruelty interfered
with Mr.. Byron's dream of awakening
loving confidence in the bosom of this
bashful maiden of II. In three short
weeks, before ne bad made any percep,
tible headway, Miriam was summoned
to the bedside of dying relative, and
julius Byron was called to a parish in
commercial town.
Three long years this idyl had been
in the past, and through all this time
the memory of Miriam Douglas exclu-
ded any other love from the young
clergyman's heart, though many were
the godesses willing to be therein en-
shrined.
He wondered at himself she had
slipped completely out of his material
existence he knew not where she was
or if she were dead, or worse-married.
Still with all this uncertainty, he could
not forget her, and voice within him
seemed to whisper that they would
meet again.
The rapid skimming of his pen over
the white page was stayed for the sec,
ond time by heavy footstep at the
door outside, and Mrs. Minis, painting
and crimson from the ascent of the
steep stairs, exclaimed:
"There, sir; you could not have
found better or cheaper satchel your
self if you had searched the town from
end to end. Piper and Tipson say on
their oath that it is first-rate one, and
that you needn't fear exchanging with
any one by mistake, for they had only
one of the kind. This decided me to
take it, for, being rather an absent
minded gentleman, you might easily
pick up the wrong bag"
"Thank you, Mrs. Minis, thank you,
each time that you do anything for me
you give me fresh cause to admire
your clever management and fore.
thought"
In the wedding to take place on the
following day Mr.. Byron felt no par
ticular interest. The contracting par
ties were almost strangers to him, as
were also the guests, with the excep,
tion of Willis Howard, school chum
of days gone by, and friend ever
since OF the young clergymen,
Owing to the illness of the brides
mother, the ceremony was performed
al home. 1t was pretty wedding
the bride graceful, sweet, and pale as q
lily in her sheeny aeecy drapery and
among the guests was the subdued
merriment which prevails when the en-
tertainers exhibit unreservedly tn,
signs of joy and sorrow-the smile ant
tear both coming from the heart.
After the ceremony, Mr.. Byron be
took himself to dressing room tC
fold his surplice and replace it in thu
satchel chosen by Mrs. Minis. Will,
so engaged, a letter was handed hin
with the word "Immediate" writer
conspicuOusly on the enyelone Th,