The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-01-28
ON PROBATION.

Mr.. Lindsay Was preaching g IN th'
I.ennox parish on probation; that Il
ne had been engaged for year
After that time, If he suited Miss
Rich, who bad the parish in charge
so 10 speak, who cauvassed ior uioIr
ey t. paint the church, 10, ksd ui
poor children for christening ant
sunday school, exhorted the loui ;
people lo jhu the confirmatiun class
mapped out work for the sewing so-
ciety, and made the parish Ter hob.
by-it he suited Miss Rich. if be VI
H;gh-Church enough for Mr.. Grimm.
aud Low enough for MIS- PhelI 8 and
If he believed with Dr.. Slow III the
doctrine of electlon-why then, the,
were sure 10 settle him.
What a capital wife Lucretia
Shaw would make Mr. Lindsay,
vouch>aied Miss Rich, shortly afteI
he adorned the LenEox pulpit
Shes jost the person for a parson :
wifr-bu-tling and
Pm afraid she'd take the parish
off YOUR hands, Miss Rich" answer
ed Mrs. Phelps, who having no dc.
sire TO do the hard work which her
ntighbor loved, yet grudgrd her the
credit of it.
We'll, there's work enough foi
txo of MS In the Darish. Mrs. PhflpS
wouldn't be a bit afraid but I'd
gst my share"
ITO be sure, pursued Mrs. Phelps
"Lucretias smart, aud | don't be-
lIeye in pastor with doll of wife
" no can't darn the children's clnthes
ana can't get on without help"
Yes" put in old Mrs. Smith
''she. d be no end OF a step mother to
Mr.. Lind-ay's boy, and if ever boy
needed step-mother. it's him. Lu
cretia's powerful smart, as you say,
and she'd make him walk Spanish.
Yes" was the reply of Miss Rich
"A widower somehow needs wife
more'n any body, in sympathIze with
him In his l,,ss. i shouldn't Won
der if Lucretia wouldn't bring the
boy up to the ministry if she bad
her way
Between me and YOU" said Mrs
Phelps. Il think that the parson
goes to the Shaws, rather more than
is necessary Tor the salvation of their
souls.n
You can't tell. Perhaps Lucre
Tia has doubts"
And perhaps" said Dr. Slow
-"pernnps it'< Miss Susan"
Ever, body laughed and cried
@MlSs Su-ani with fire irony il
thr tones.
~ ho ever heard Of Susan having
attention 2" asked Mrs. Phelps
I've engaged Lucrttia To snubr"id
.r anew altar cloth, " explained Miss
Rich; Il raised the money for II
last month-I tell you ili- ike pull
ing teeth TO get money out of thl-
parish-and | suppose the parson
has to advise her about the proper
designs aud things; Lucretia aiu'l
we'll drilled in symbols aud such.
YOU know.
In fact, every yhndv in Lennox had
decided that Mr.. Lindsay should
marry Lucretia, and perhaps Lucre-
TIA bad decided so too, for she was
an everlasting time over q at 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 time under the
Shaw roof. and watch the sacred
symbols growing under the white
and -hapely hand of Miss Lucretia
THAT hand of Lucreiias will he
cure to do the business. somebody
had said. "Mr. Lindsay's a man oi
taste, if be is a clergyman.-as if the
two were not always combined
"and l heard him say it was fit for
a duchess
Miss Lucretia's hand was. indeed,
her loyeliest feature, so to speak
white as snow. with the prettiesi
taper fingers. pink at the ends Once
when Mr. Lindsay had mentioned
them Haiteringly, Miss Susan, who
was doing the weeks mending neal
by, drew her own hands under bel
work, he noticed. Nobody ever took
the trouble to flatter Miss SusaL
Lucretia sang in the choir, although
her her voice was thin as muslin
and che had no ear; nobody dream
ed or cared If Susan sang Ike a ser
aph; she sat in Lucretia's shadow
and people almost forget she was
there, till they needed her help. Mr.
Lindsay had taught the choir him
self, and after the altar cloth could
no longer he made pretext to GOV.
er a multitude of calls. there were
the chants ard fugues to practice
One morning, as be drilled Lucretis
eHectuslly, be suddenly turned u