Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-05-28
CHAPTER ".
FIFTY AND FoRTY-FIvE.

what at that date were called district
churches, and the great ancient parish church
was the ecclesiastical center of the town.
Like many another such noble structure, it
but poorly endowed, and the rewards
which it offered to its minister were chiefly
the contemplation of venerable architecture,
and 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 difficulty. Rich mon he could
find able men he could find but to find one
rich and able, too was not 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 now our spiritual
chief. The Rev. Anthony Brent was a
cheerful man, undersized, with merry nose
of ruby, and 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 are
fastidous people; perhaps we are ignorant;
certain it is that we never could quite satisfy
ourselves that Mr. Brent was altogether
gentleman. His manners were no better than
a blithe lissom creature such as he might have
picked up in ten years between twenty-five
and thirty-fve. He had way of abiding to
"my gardener" and my banker" which
seemed to show, SO Sparkling said-Mr. Brent
employed the rival practitoner-that some
time in 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 FRONT
He was very wealthy and 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 mono could condemn or fairly
despise; 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
from standard divines, and at the same time
live an easy average life; II comfortable man,
with good intentions, sound digestion, full
purse and cellar and one who never let his
kitchen chimney freeze.
II u,e tho rovorand ,y;do,-o, pro,,+ r,bor,
we upon consideration had assigned to our
lively Mrs, Barbara Temple as third husband;
and events went rapidly to show that our
forecast was not inexact Mr.. Brent was
about fifty; Mrs. Barbara Temple was well
known to be about forty-five; so that On the
score Of age there was nothing against the
match; and as to inclination, the rector soon
his sida Evarvhodv ron,arl,ed that ha tool
tho To,,r,os ~, Nth ra,,,o.l,ol,, ,,,or,,th
He c,,ys DAINTY I+tla b,ncbes ord su,,o littla
dir,,ar for tban,. o,,d ba ,,,, fo,.a,,,, oollircr
in bi oor,io,r, 70 tol,o ora ~. a.hor of tlo
o,i,.ls , drivs tho littla ,,o+ber ottordir,, os
cbonaro, Al first ,va ,,ora II, doubt aS ia
which be was rrrcuin,,- -,notbor or d.uabters.
and IVA ~.,er thought That crave Sonbia With
her aavanlv face had attracted him but
wa forgot that ba was man of soma
common sense Mrs Temnle was his cboice.
ber ,,i,.acitv ber ,oIisb bor kro1yIolo. Of tba
world her untiring energy were oil after his
own heart Ho soon BEGAN to dron hints. as
men do who have matrimonv in their heads
"Mrs. Temple was A remarkably fine womann
aFortv-ava was the eract ACE that the wife Of
n man of fifty should beotbe exact agen
"Mrs Temnle did not Look fortv-fven (be ad
mitt.,d that "butr-ond he would drop hia
voica-Ube knex sba was every dav of II y
Tho intimation was that ba had either seen
tho register of her hantism or She had told
him the fact direct md be declared over and
over AGAIN with amusing eornestness and nub-
licitv that fortv-five was the aoe he approved
of. that for a man of his standing one wear
voun,er would he ora vea,. too voung and
one YEAR Older one wear roo old OF course
co far ba had NOT said that no bonad or wished
IN marry Mrs Temnle Int the drift Of his
conversation and conduct WINS nmiststahle
Tn the meantime il was evident that tbe
lively widow did not dislike attentions which
nod now hocope ca ,norLad +bat AVIAN tbosa
COW tber, who could coo notbiro Sbe av-
cbarged comnliments freely with tbe rector
;rv;ted hin, 70 bar bonse nraisad his car
mons and sbo WA act,,olIv found one even
;nU at a n,iss;orarv n,set;n, ovar yhich ha
nres;dad She Iistcrad 10 his Snaecb With tho
,,t,,'ost attention sitt;ra eroct and Loon;n1
bar a,os f,od nr.or hin altborc,h i, I'LL