Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-05-07
CHAPTER Nv.
FIFTY AND %FoRTY-FIvE.

was the ecclesiastical center of the town..
Like many another such noble structure, it
was but poorly endowed, and the rewards
which it offered to its minister were chiefly
the contemplation of venerable architecture,
and a social position of considerable import
ance.' The saying always was that none but
a man Of fortune could be rector of Kettle
well. Consequently, at each vacancy the
bishop was in a difficulty. Rich men he could
find, able men he could find; but to find one
rich n able, too, was not so easy, and at the
last appointment, being unable to meet with
a clergyman thus doubly qualified he had
chosen a wealthy parson of rather meager
abilities, who was now our spiritual
chief. The Rev. Anthony Brent was a
cheerful man, understood, with a merry nose
Of ruby, and a countenance denoting neither
deep learning nor that isolation of character
which is natural in men who live above the
world. Indeed, Mr.. Brent did not live, nor
affect to live, one inch above the level of
commonplace cheerful life. He told us from
his pulpit that human things are frail and
nothing worth, and that man is full of misery;
but having folded up his sermon, he seemed
to have folded up his theology too, for when
you met him on week days he was full of
comfort and good cheer. Perhaps we are
fastidious people; perhaps we are ignorant;
certain it is that we never could quite satisfy
ourselves that Mr., Brent was altogether a
gentleman. His manners were no better than
a blithe hssom creature such as he might have
picked up in ten years between twenty-five
and thirty-tlve. He had a way of abiding to
tiny gardener and my banker'' which
seemed to show, so Sparkling said-Mr. Brent
employed the rival practitioner-that I'M
time i'll his life he had neither bank nor
garden. 1t is very possible that had he
not been so good natured, his vul-
garity might have been obvious, which it
never was; for, indeed, we could not be quite
sure that he was vulgar at all. Another thing
puzzled us; where had his fortune come froml
He was very wealthy and a widower, and our
idea was that Mrs. Brent had brought the
money. This, too, was guess, and nothing
but guess. Such, then, was our rector; a
man liked, but not greatly respected, and yet
a man whom none could condemn or fairly
despise; a shallow man, equal to reading his
newspaper, and no more; on good terms with
the world, able without any strain of con-
science to preach sanity sermons, copied out
LloHi oUaiuaIu ulNHleS, anu az Ghe Sdme CuHe
i've an easy average Ire; a comfortable man,
WIN good intentions, SOUND digestion, a full
purse and cellar, and one who never let his
kitchen chimney freeze.
IL was the reverend wldower Brent whom
we upon consideration had assigned to our
lively Mrs. Barbara Temple as third husband;
and events went rapidly to show that our
forecast was hot lnexact. MI. Brent was
aDout hlCy' MIS- barbara temple was well
kho"h 10 Il" ABOUT lorty-nVe' so that on the
score Oh age there was nothing against the
match; and as to inclination, the rector soon
made IL evident mat there was no obstacle on
MS SIDE. Everybody remarked that he took
the temples up with remarkable warmth.
he gave dainty little lunches and snug little
dinners 1or theln; and he was forever calling
III MS carriage 10 cake one or other OF the
girls a drive, tne httle mother attending as
cnaperoh' At nrSI we were Ill doubt as to
"nlch III was pursulng-mother or daughters;
anu we even unouShC Uhat grave SOPHIA, with
ner heavenly lace had aCVracCed nm; but
we lorsoU UnaO ne was d man OF some
common seii'e' nrS' Tempe was nlS cholco'
her Vi'acl1y' hei PolSh' her Rho"ledge OF the
"orlu' her ulIrlh3 energy, were al alter his
own nearC; Ie sooh De8ah 10 dToP hlnUS, as
men w VIM nave hlaVrnliony Ill Iheif heauS.
WIS, Temple was d reIharkaply me woman.
rorCSTnVe was uhe e1acI a9e Ina1 Ihe "lle Oh
a ma Vi my Snoulu De.Vne eAacC age,
~ leilple aiu 1oC look lorUy-nVe me al
mlVOeu Chat' "ouO-ahu he you'd drop his
Toioe.he hle" she was every Gay OF IL"
n0 lllUriiaVion was VhaC he hau elCner seen
III IeeisCeI ol her paPCiSm or she mad told
mn III !"cU uiecV' aiu he ueclared over ana
49, Y 'eaii' WIN ailuSlls earneSCneSSa ana pup
neiCp, en Ivy " " a V"e age ne approved
~ S-nU ~ L" Vi IL sU"nllhs one year
20 80 w ono y'ai ~ 9Oulls' anu
W To- LII oiu ~ u"l = oIu y course,
. d nc "a y Said CLaC ne nopeu OF Wlshed
llalIy liz AenlPie' DuV Une uTil1 OIL MS
'ol'ei9"'ron al!u conuuc was u~hhlstakaple'
~ Une ,iicai,.inpe IL was evident Uhat tne
nVeiy "iuo" ulo hoU ulSllke attentlohs winch
n"l NV" OoOVIi ~ Iialheu UhaI even UnoSe
oa" nsi WIZ couiu STE hoCnlhg. one ex-
changed compliments freely with the rector,
I'm w noi nouSe' PraiSeu HIS ser-
iloiS, ant she was actually FOUND one even
Ing az d niiss'onaIy neeUlng over whlch ne
pIeSiueu' one listened 10 MS speech with the
uUlpoS aVCenC,on' SlUtng erect, keeping
ner eyes nIeu o MN, altnough 1t would
nave Deen marc 10 say whether she knew or
I"leu lesS aoouU Cne suoJec1' one could not
nave Uolu III "nlcn comment the district
SPOKEN VI iay' nor whether the people
were "hlte' brown or black; but
sne lSueneu as atCentlVely as II she
nAn DGpn nHH11nO Of Hnp1s Is0Ioti01NC ~, "a I