Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1885-01-16

Lennox parish on probation; that is, he
had been engaged for year. After
that time, II he suited Miss Rich, who
had the parish in charge, so to speak,
who cnnvassed for money to paint the
church, looked up poor children for
christening and Sunday school, exhort-
ed the young people to join the con-
tirmation class, mapped out work for
the sewing society, and made the parish
her hobby--if he suited Miss Rich, If he
was High-Church enough for Mr.
Grimm and Low enough for Mrs.
Phelps, if he believed with DR.. Slow in
the doctrine OF election-why, then,
they were sure to settle him.
"What capital wife Lucretia Shaw
would make Mr.. Lindsay" vOuchsafed
Miss Rich, shortly after he adorned the
Leunox pulpit. "She's just the person
for parsons wife-bustling and"
"Im afraid she'd take the parish off
your hands, Miss Rich," answered Mrs.
Phelps, who having no desire 10 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 bit afraid but I'd git my
share"
"To be sure" pursued Mrs. Phelps,
| 'Lucretia's smart, and L don't believe
in pastor with Il doll OF wife who
! can't darn the children's clothes, and is
too feeble to get along without help 4"
Yes" put in old Mrs. Smith, "she d
be no end of stepmother to Mr.. Lind
says boy, and if ever a boy needed a
stepmother, it's him. Lucretia's pow
erful smart, as you say, and she'd make
him walk Spanish"
eyes" was the reply Of Miss Rich {;
ga widower somehow needs a wife
moIe'n anybody, to sympathize with
him in his loss. shouldn't wonder if
Lucre.ia would bring the boy up to the
ministry if she had her way"
Between you and me-" sale Mrs.
Phelps, 81 think that the parson goes
| to the Shaws' rather more than Is neces-
sary for the salvation of their souls"
"You can't tell. Perhaps Lucretia
has doubts
"And 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
new altar-cloth," explained Miss
Rich 81 raised the money for 1t last
month"; tell you it's like pulling teeth
to get money out Of this parish-and /
suppose the parsou has to advise about
the proper designs and things; Lucretia
amt well drilled IN symbols and such,
You know"
In fact, everybody in Lennox had de-
eided that Mr.. Lindsay should marry
Lucretia, and perhaps Lucretia had de-
cided so too, for she was an everlasting
time over that altar-cloth, and needed
no end of advice and instruction; her
ignorance and interest were quite
touching. And Mr.. Lindsay seemed
quite willing to spend his leisure under
the Shass' roof, and watch the sacred
symbols growing under the white and
shapely hands Of Miss Lucretia.
"That hand OF Lucretia's will be sure
to do the business" somebody had said.
"Mr. Lindsay's man Of taste, if he Is
a clergymsp"-as If the two were not
usually found combined-"and | heard
him say it was fit for duchess"
Miss Lucretia's hand was, indeed, her
loveliest feature, so TO speak-white as
snow, with the prettiest taper fingers,
pink at the ends. Once when Mr.. Lind
say had mentioned them fatteringly,
Al lsS Wuo was WCCh %
mending near by, drew her own hands
under her work, re noticed. Nobody
ever took the trouble to hatter Miss
Susan. Lucretia sang in the choir, al
though her voice was thin as muslin,
and she had no ear; nobody dreamed or
cared il Susan sang like serzph; she
sat in Lucretia's shadow, and people al
most forgot she was there, till they
needed her help. Mr.. Lindsay had
taught the choir himself, and after the
altar-clvth could no longer be made a
pretext to cover a multitude Of calls,
there were the chants and fugues to
practice. One morning, as he drilled
Lucretia for half an hour Intellectually,
he suddenly turned to Susan.
"Come," he said, "try this chant
with US, Miss Susan :" and Susan open
ed her mouth and chanted as nobody in
the choir had ever cbanted before.
"Bravo!" he cried. when did you
learn it?"
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