The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-01-21
ON PROBATION.

ON PROBATION.
Mr.. Lindsay was preaching in tn
Lennox parish on probation; that is, b
had been engaged for a year. Ate
that time, if he suited Miss Rich, VIII
had the parish in charge, so to speak
who canvassed for money to paint tn
church, looked up poor children TO
christening and Sunday school, eNhortc|
the young people to join the contirma
ton class, mapped out work for the sew
ing society, and made the parish he
hobby-if he suited Miss Rich, if he wa
High-C Church enough for Mr.. Grimm an(
Low enough for Mrs. Phelps, if he be
lievcd with DR.. Slow in the doctrine o
election-why. then, they were sure t.
settle him.
''What a capital wife Lucretia Shaw
would make Mr.. Lindsay" v~ouchsafet
Miss Rich, shortly after he adorned thu
Lennox pulpit. shes just the person
for a parsons wife-bustling and"
I'm afraid she'd take the parish of
Your hands, Miss Rich," 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.
wouldn't be a bit afraid but Id git my
share"
ITO be sure" pursued Mrs. Phelps,
s'Lucretia's smart, and | don't believe
in a pastor with a doll of q 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 a stepmother to Mr.. Lind.
says boy and if ever a boy needed q
stepmulher, it's him. Lucretia's pow
erful smart, as you say, and she'd make
him walk Spanish" .
"Yes." was the reply of Miss Rich
ga widower somehow needs
wife more'n anybody, to sym.
pathize with him in his loss. I shouldn't
wonder if Lucret;a would bring the boy
up to the ministry if she had her way"
Between you and me-" said Mrs.
Phelps, - think that the parson goes
to the Shaws' rather more than is neccs-
sary for the salvation of their souls"
"Ycu can't tell. Perhaps Lucretia
has doubts"
land perhaps" said DR.. Slow-"per-
haps it's Miss Susan"
Everybody laughed, and cried "Miss
Susan" with fine irony in their tones.
"Who ever heard of Susan having at
tention?" asked Mrs. Phelps.
"I've engaged Lucretia to embroider
d new altar. cloth" explained Miss Rich
81 raised the money for it last month";
tell you it's like pulling teeth to get
money out of this parish-and l suppose
the parson has to advise her about the
proper designs and things; Lucretia
amt well drilled in symbols and such,
you know
In fact, everybody in Lennox had de-
cided that Mr.. Lindsay should marry
Lucretia, and perhaps Lucretia had de-
cided so too, for she was an everlasting
time ovcr that altar. cloth, and needed no
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 and
shapeiv hands Of Miss Lucretia.
That hand of Lucretia's will be sure
to do the business" somebody had said.
"Mr. Lindsay's q man of taste, if he is a
clergyman"-as if the two were not usu-
ally found combined-'and heard him
say it wa fit tor a duchess"
Miss Lucretia's hand was, indeed, heI
loveliest feature. so to speak--whitc as
snow, with the prettiest taper fingers,
pink at the ends. Once when Mr.. Lind.
say had mentioned them flatteringly,
Miss Susan, who was doing the weeks
mending near by. drew her own hands
under her work, he noticed. Nobody
ever took the trouble to tiattcr Miss Su.
san. Lucretia sangin the choir, although
her voice was thin as muslin. and she
had no ear; nobody dreamed o. cared
if Susan sang like a seraph; She sat in
Lucretia's shadow, and people almost
forgot she was there, till they needed
her help. Mr.. Lindsay had taught the
choir himself, and after the altar cloth
could no longer be made o prcteXt tc
cover 4 multitude of calls, there were
the chants and fugucs to practice. One
morning. as he drilled Lucretia for hall
an hour Intellectually he suddenly turned
to Susan.
Come" he said. ''try this chant with
us, Miss Susan and Susan opened her
mouth and chanted as nobody in the
choir had evcr chanted before.
"Bravo!" he cried. "When did you
learn it?'
why, I have heard it all my life
why shouldn't l know it2 l couldn't
help it."
9 We must have you in the choir he
said.
Susan Shaw in the choir!" gaspcd
everybody on the way out out of church.
MIR. Lindsay is bringing her out"
"She's Lucretia's sister, you KNOW
explained Miss Rich.
land her voice rather browns Lucre
tia's," said DR.. Slow.
Nj. Lindsay was giving great satisfac'
ton. The parishioners talked of remod'
cling the old rectory, adding a wing
and a bay-window, and even spoke OF
taking in an adjoining field, so that
"Lucretia might have a flower garden"
They even mcditated ar increase Of
salary as soon as he should be settled in
the parish, and Mr.. Grimm thought he
should add q codicil to his will, in favor
of the new pastor and Lucretia's hus-
band.
"When they'remarried, "reckoned Miss
Rich, with unchristian thrift. eve shall
have all our church trappings embroid-
cred for nothing, I suppose"
"Do YOU think Susan will live with
'em?" asked Mrs. Phelps. "P'r'aps he
won't care about marrying the whole
family"
"Hc's powerful kind to Susan, though"
she takes a sight of notice of her"
"You kinder forget she's Lucretia's
sister," put in Miss Rich, ''an' all she's
got"
1t was surely plain that Mr.. Lindsay
took pleasure in the society at the Shaw
homestead. At picnic, at prayer meet
ings or choir meetings, he was always at
hand to take Lucretia and Susan home
he lent them his books, and directed
their reading; he brought them flowers
from town when he happened to 60 up.
81 shall be so glad to give up the
presidency OF the Bethel society and
the Dakota League to Lucretia," said
Miss Rich. "It's only proper for the
clergyman's wife to be at the head OF
them"
ssYou'll feel sorter lost without 'emf'
asked Mrs. Phelps.
The parish is a large field. think
I can snare them to Lucretia. Do you
know, the other night as was going to
watch with Miss Hart when she had in
formation of the lungs, l came across
Lucre1ia and Susan and Mr. Lindsay.
must say | should think Susan woulo
have more taste than to follow EN- any
It-l,.. lo,.t oho Goan hnrcelf Ir