The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-09-22
POLLY'S RELIGION.

Life 10 the Demmings was ike long
summer day until Joe brought his wife
home None of the family had ever seen
her They knew she was one of the An.
struthers of Kentucky.
There are Anstruthers in the United
Presbyterian church, said Grace.
hope Mary belongs 10 our membership. .
-0h, yes, certainly" said Joe, eagerly
He was just starting TO be married and
( he was anxious they should all love Pol
ly in advance.
Does she sing in the choir?" asked
Isabella
Il think not But she has one of the
sweetest voices-a low contralto, And
you ought to hear her laugh, Bella The
merriest ringing-oh, she'll bring new
life into this house
The girls smiled They were fond OF
Joe and ready TO welcome his wife.
But hope she is ready TO take lead
ing place in the church, said Grace, after
he had gone Joe will some day fill
fathers place, and his description of her
does not give me the idea of an energet-
ically religions woman
Well hope for the best, - said Isabel
la. She was very busy making an imita-
ton stained glass window for the sunday
schooLroom and was anxious to finish it
before Mary arrived.
Uncle Ben must be kept in his own
room when she comes, and Tom can be
sent to the country for months visit, "
Grace said, her cheek flushing painfully.
For there were two skeletons in the
Deiaming household. The squire's
brother Ben, who was a paralytic old sol
dier and most cross grained, profane
old fellow, occupied one wing of the
mansion.
He had a man TO nurse and read TO him
for his oaths were intolerable TO his
nieces Tom was their brother younger
than joe Tom Deinming had disappear
ed for three years after he had left col
lege and came back haggar,i, dissipated
loafer
Nobody in Balls Ferry knew what he
had done in that gay time, but was GER
tain that he was under a ban--a marked
man. The family treated him with
gloomy patience They had taken up
their cross and borne it, but it was heavy.
Tom was never seen by visitors at the Ia
ble or in the parlor. At dusk he would
skulk out to join some of his comrades at
the village crop shops, and occasionally
but not often, was brought home brutality
intoxicated
Joe's wife disappointed them all She
was a plump, merry little girl, nothing
more. \ very pleasant little heathen "
sighed Grace, after tSvo days had passed.
named some of the best books on
religious fiction. but she never heard of
our foreign missions"
Good Mrs. Demming was uneasy at this
and that very evening turned the conver-
sation on doctrinal subjects Polly grew
red
I am afraid she said, 81 am not
clear in my ideas concerning these diff
cult points The truth is, after mothers
death had charge of my four brothers,
and had 80 little time"
You viii have more time now" said
Isabella / will mark out a course of
doctrinal reading for you"
But Mary made slow progress with her
course of reading As time passed and
she settled down into her place in the
household she proved to be very busy
little woman. She had a positive talent
for finding work took her part in the
family mending, tossed up dainty little
deserts. and helped Joe with his ac-
counts When Joe had gone to his office
she took tremendous walks. advised
Mother Demming about her family work
or copied the 'squire's papers for him.
What a clerky band you write. Z" said
Grace one day g | often wish mine were
not - delicate when father worries 50
over these papers. But as for mothers
embroidery, women Of her age ought to
give up that useless work when their
eyes are falling
+" II doesn't seem useless to me-" said
Polly gently '-She thinks you all value
it.
Where can Mary 90 ON these inter
minable walks said Isabella one morn
ing 10 her father You should warn
her about Black Lane. See might wan
der into it and bring home typhoid fever
:. You ought to report that lane as
nuisance father said his wife. 1T is a
perpetual sink of filth and vice"
1T is disgrace TO Balls Ferry that
such wretches can find harbor in it,"
added isabella They ought to be
driven beyond the borough limits,T
well, well. my dear! it doesn't do to
be too energetic said the Squire
They never had chance
He was reused, however, to mention
Black Lane at a meeting of the town bur-
gesses that day.
Something ought to be done or we
will have typhus among US" he said
Something has been done. y said Judge
Paule- Il came through the lane this
morn. .r,p and hardly knew IL Their, has
been general draining and cleaning, the