The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-06-09

leckeu courage IN uraWlng-rOom, tuoy
scarcely exchanged half a dozen words. Il
came about, though. as these things will,
that In the course of his parish work he
came upon Priscilla--Priscflla teaching .
class Of ragged boys their lessons, after
having taught the most stylish young ladies
branches Of polite education. Some way,
all the restraint they had felt in DR.: Sun
bury's dra rawing-room melted away In the
little bare school-room. There Priscilla
reigned supreme, calmly confident under
Mr.. Thorburn,s searching gaze; She had a
"Now. please boys, had the same effect as
Mr.. Thorburn's stern "See, you fellows.
behave yourselves" Mr.. Thorburn watched
with admiration the taci with which she
managed her somewhat unruly crowd. OF
ths unqualified appreciation Of the Misses
Mildmay. Priscilla showed a phenomenal
determination about it, and being upheld
by DIR. Sunbury, who in some way always
encouraged her vagaries, the Misses Mild
may, although they might look coldly on
1t did not take much to violently excite
West Harrowby; and therefore when the
Harrowby Union- Palladium published one
morning with big display head that Gov
cred half the first page Of the paper, the
. certain circumstance connected there
with gave West Harrowby something to
talk about for week. Five inmates of
the female ward were missing When the
roll was called among them, Mrs: Eleanor
Thorburn and FIVE bodies charred beyond
building. Some days after that notice ap-
peared in the obituary column Of the Onion.
Palladium: suddenly, on the 18th OF
February, Mrs. Eleanor Thorburn, wife OF
the Reverend Edmund Thorburn, Of East
Harrowby." That was all. Nobody-not
tho most "a n sOri iOuo-cOu1d aCcuSp Mr. Thor
burn Of not paying scrupulous respect to
his wife's memory. Yet IL made but little
outward difference in his life. For two or
three Sundays he was absent from his pull
pit, and when he reappeared he wore
band of Grape upon his hat.
So things went on until nearly two years
slipped past, One spring afternoon DR..
Sunbury. with his particular chum and
crony DR.. Forman, the great light of the
medical profession in and about Harrowby,
was enjoying quiet saunter through the
familiar shady street They had wrestled
in argument SO often and practiced in COM
pany so much that DR.. Sunbury had be-
come pretty good doctor OF medicine,
and DR.. Forman was no mean proficient in
theology. Right in the midst Of friendly
cal history DR.. Forman suddenly remarked: /:
That's going to be q match"
As DR.. Sunbury glanced up he saw Mr..
Thorburn, as he met Priscilla Mildmay,
stop, smile, speak few words, and lifting
his hat. go upon his way.
'Bless my soul" almost shouted Dr.
Sunburv. stopping short and gazing at Dr.
FOrman's immovable face.
'Why not." said the physician, testify.
81 see them together half dozen times
week"
DR.. Sunbury was at heart an inveterate
match maker, as all truly benevolent old
persons are apt to be, and as soon as he al
lowed his imagination to feast upon the
idea of a match between Thorburn and
Priscilla its manifest fitness pressed itself
out license, gone to them, and command
ed them to stand up and be married imme-
diately. He did, however, firmly resolve
to give Thorburn hint; but giving Thor
burn hints was always matter of more
or less difficulty with everybody. At last,
sumbury seized it coursgeousiy. He had
been spending the evening with Mr.. Thor
burn at his lodgings, and the other clergy
man happening to mention, as DIR. Sun
bury was taking his leave, that he thought
Of getting lodgings elsewhere Or. Sunbury
heard something regarding Mr.. Thorburn
and Miss Priscilla Mildmay which perhaps
accounted for the proposed change" They
were standing at Mr.. ThOrburn's door, and
by the bright moonlight DR.. Sunbury saw
the dark flush which overspread Mr.. Thor
81 assure you" he began; and then,
after pause II am too old"
Nonsense replied DR.. Sunbury. "Pris-
ella is nearly twenty -four" (ah! doctor,
you know she was only twenty three month
before last "and you are-let me SEQ
thirty seven"
''Thirty -nine," conscientiously said Mr..
Thorburn.
'Well, thirty-nine You are enough man
Of the world to see that age interposes no
obstacle in the case. However, shall say
no more. Good night
tIf hadn't been going just then. don't
think could have said it," contidentially
remarked DIR. Sunbury to DR.. Forman.
The little seed that DR.. Sunbury had
planted in Mr.. Thorburn's mind grew, and
waxed to be great tree. But all the time
he looked upon it as impossible. Priscilla
old in sorrow, in suffering, and labor No,
it could never be. And having come to the
conclusion that he was in no danger what
ever, Mr.. Thorburn Jared just as such pre-
sumptuous Samsons always do-met Pris-
ella under the most adverse Circumstances,
manner the most unexpected to himself
proposed to her just as they came in front
Of the West Harrowby savings bank, which
was also the post-office and the principal
apothecary's shop Priscilla's behavior
was Of piece with bis own. The idea had
and 1t was q matter that required the
utmost circumspection in deciding, and yet
by the time she reached her own door she
had accepted Mr.. Thorburn, the rain mean
while from his umbrella trickling in little
time nor opportunity for iove-making in
tue midst of . pouring shower upon the
pavement in front of the Mildmay man
sion. SO Mr. Thorburn could only. take her
little cold hand and say: "God bless you,
God bless you, my Priscilla"
In due course of time the weddings
Thorburn were settled in a modest rectory
in East Harrowby. The Misses Mildmay
had suggested indeed urged--that Mr..
Thorburn should establish his rectory in
tho more fashionable precinct of West
Harrowby, but Mr.. Thorburn demurred, on
to i've in his parish. They We're as happy
as the day was long. Priscilla, under the
new influence Of happiness and good roast
beef and daily pint of porter, grew rosy,
and blossomed out into Q regular beauty,
and Mr.. Thorburn's face lost that painful
he strode through the streets on his parish
work. And time went by SO fast-so fast;
they had been married nearly three years,
when they felt as il their honey was
just beginning. 1t was getting toward
dusk one misty November afternoon when
house, which stood on the opposite side of
the street. The moisture from the over
hanging branches of the eln trees was
dripping upon her, and her boot, were
quite soaked through. Across the way the
doctor was just stepping out of his buggy,
and she stopped and debated whether she
should not 60 over and ask him to drive
her quarter of a mile further down the
road to st. Philips rectOry. As she stood
hesitating, q woman approached her out of