Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1885-01-15
ON PROBATION.

Lennox parish on probation that is,
he had been engaged for n year. After
that time, Il 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 fol
christening and Sunday school, exhort-
ed the young people TO join the CON
firmation class, mapped out work for
the sewing society. and made the par
ish 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 on him.
"What capital wife Lucretia Shaw
would make Mr. Linsay." vouchsafe d
Miss Rich, shortly after he adorned the
Lennox pulpit. "She's just the person
fol- a parsons wife-bustling and"
"I'm afraid she'd take the parish off
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. l
wouldn't be bit afraid but I'd git my
share"
ITO be sure,' pursued Mrs. Phelps,
"Lucretia's smart, and I don't believe
in a pastor 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, shed
be no end of stepmother to Mr.. Lind
says boy and if ever a boy needed a
stepmother, it's him. Eucretla's pow
erful smart, as you say,and she'd make
him walk Spanish"
YES" was the reply of Miss Rich /;
"a wldower somehow needs a wife
more'n anybody, to sympathize 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, 81 think that the parson goes
to the Shaws' rather more than is ne
cessary for the salvation of their
souls"
"You can't tell. Perhaps Lucretia
has doubts"
And Perhaps" said DIR. Slow
''perhaps it's Miss Susan"
Everybody laughed, and cried "Miss
Susan !" with fine irony in their
tones.
"Who ever heard of Susan having
attention ?" ash ed Mrs. Phelps.
"I've engaged Lucretia to embroider
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 "a
bout the proper design and things
Lucretia amt well drilled in symbols
and such you know"
In fact everybody in Lennox had de-
cided that Mr.. Linsay should marry
Lucretia, and perhaps Lucretia had de-
cded so too, for she was an everlasting
time over that altar cloth, and needed no
END of advice and instruction her ig-
norance and interest were quite touch
ing. And Mr.. Linsay seemed quite
willing to spend his leisure under the
Shaws' 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. Linsay's man Of
taste. if lie is clergyman"-as if the
two were not usually found combined
-''and l heard him say it was fit for
duchess.'',
Miss Lucretia's hand was, indeed,
her loveliest feature, 50 to speak
white as snow, with the prettiest taper
fingers, pink at the ends. Once when
Mr.. Linsay had mentioned them fiat
teringly, 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 flatter
Miss Susan. Lucretla sang in the
choir, although her voice was thin as
muslin, and she had no ear nobody
dreamed or 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
a pretext to cover multitude Of calls,
there were the chants and fugues to
practice. One morning, as he drilled
Lucretia for half an hour ineffect ually,
he suddenly turned to Susan.
Come" he said, "try this chant
with us, Miss Susan - and Susan
pened her mouth aud clanted as no.
body in the choir had ever chanted be-
fore.
''BraYo - he cried. "When did you
loorp n S:3