Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-04-25

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 40.
owe the level of commonplace cheerful life
BE told Us from his pulpit that human be-
ings are frsil and nothing worth. and that
man is full of misery; but having folded up
his sermon, he seemed to have folded up his
thsology too, for when you meet him on
week days he was full of comfort and good
cheer. Perhaps We are fastidious people,
perhaps We are ignorant; certain il is that
We never could quite satisfy ourselves that
Mr.. Brent was altogether a gentleman
His manners. were no better than blithe
lssom creature such ss he might have
picked up in ten years between twenty-five
and thirty FIVE. He had way of abiding
to my gerduer" and my banker" which
seemed to show, 30 Sparkling said-Mr
Brent employed The rival prscticioner-that
sometime in his lie he had neither bank or
garden. 1t is very possible that he had
not been 80 good nsture3, his ,vulgarity
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 fromH he was very wealthy and q
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; man liked, but not greatly
respected, and yet man whom none 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 conscience to preach
sanity sermons, copied out from standard
divines, and at the ssre time live an easy
average life; comfortable man, with good
intentions, sound digestion, full purse
and cellar, and one who never let his kitch.
en- chimney freeze.
1t was the reverend widower Brent
whom we upon consideration bad assign
ed to run lively Mrs. Barbara Temple as
third husband; and events went rapidly to
show that our forecast. was not inexsct
Mr.. Brent was about fifty; Mrs Barbara
Temple was we'll known to be about forty
FIVE; 80 that On the score Of age there was
nothing against the match; and as to in
clination, the rector soon made II evident
that there was no obstacle on his side
Everybody remarked that he took the
TEN pies up with remarkable warmth. BE
gave dainty little lunches and snug little
dinners for them; and he was forever call
ing in his csrrirge to take one or the other
OF the the girls drive, the little mother
attending az chsperop. At first we we're
in doubt as to which he wes pursUing-moth
er or daughters; and we even thought tina
grave Sophia, with her heavenly face, had
attracted him; but We forgot that he was g
man Of some common sense. Mrs Tenn
pie was his choice her vivscity, her polish
her knowledge of the world, her untirina
energy were all after his own heart. He
soon began to drop hints, as men dc who
have matrimony in their heads. Mrs
Temple was remarkably fine woman,
"Forty FIVE was the exact age that the wife
of man Of fifty should be-the exact age
Mrs. Temple did not look forty five" (hf
admitted that, "but'-snd he would drop
his veice-"he knew she was every day o.
it." The intimstion was that he had
either seen the register Of her baptism or
she mad told him the fact direct, and hi
declared and over again, with amusing
esruestness und publicity that forty five
Sss tho age he approved OF; that for
man OF his CtsRdihg one year younger
would be year too young, and one year
older one year too old. OF course, so fol
he had not he hoped or wished to MARI!
Mrs Temple, but the drift of his CONVEX
sa.ion and conduct wers unmistakable.
la the meantime it was evident that the
lively widow did not dislike the attentions
which had now become 80 marked tina
even those saw them who could SCI
nothing. She exchanged compliment
Freely With the rec or, invited hir TO lei
house. praised his semous, and she was &C
tually found one evening at missionary
meeting over which he presided. She liz
tened TO bis speech with the utmost stteu
ton, sitting erect, and keeping her eye:
fixed upon him, although it wonId be haze
to say whether she knew or cared less a
bout the subject. She could not have tod
in which continent the district spoken o
lag, nor whether the people were white
brown or black; bat abe listened as atten
lively as if she had been hearing Of dsa,
relations in far Of land In short, will
garden parties end lunches and dinner:
and drives, things went so far that W.
considered the m alter settled; and wher
We heard that no proposals bad vet beer
made we ali agreed that there must 'be q
tscit engagement. which, for some private
reasons was not Just yet to be svowed. Ii
all intents and purposes, we regarded Mrs
Temple and Mrs Brent as affisnced; and
on the whole, we approved of our rector
choice. Certainly We should like1 lads
more interes ed Ia religious sffairs; hu
then, we argued, it was much better thar
t. he had married young woman. So
balancing matters, We accepted the event
with satisfaction.
The rector was in ecstascies. He wa:
element, dancing attendance on those foul
Or liant women; and really careless OBJ
server might have been puzzled to tel
which Of the four he was pursuing. In The
most polished OF hats, the newest OF suits
and the most faultless lavender gloves
and looking all over comfortable ecclesi
astic, he would fit about them, glowing
and beamiDg With satisfaction. The girls
for their part, accepted his civilities with
Charming fresdom; and their mother
shrswd women-nsver manifested the
smallest jealousy. In this, besides prove,
ing her own good sense, she paid her ad
mirer compliment which he fully deserv-
ed for he looked upon the three girls as
daughters already, rnd he was fond
OF them in the most parental fashion.
"Ah, Mrs. Temple" he said one day,
when he Was getting hot, as the Children
soy 10 their bids-snd.gams, Il have bRt
one chiid-s Sob, dear fellow, away in
Australis. l always longed for dsugh
tiers
Whereupon Mrs. Barbara Temple turned
upon him ous of her keen looks. which
said: Il understsd," but good hemored
look all The time; and then she broke into
a little bland laugh aud made herself more
comfortable in her seat, for they were drivl
ing. The rector was just going to propose
then and there; but it happened that the
carriage speeding down the dusty road.
met the curste who was footing it home
from some remote part of the parish,