Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-05-06

. nzn a. fortune could b rector of Ksf<ls-
well Cusequen<Iy, - eech vacancy ths
bishop vs. N dif1cu1ty Rich men be could
md, atls mn - codld md; but TO find ons
rich and able, TOO, wzs not % eng, and st ~
las< appointment, beinx unable 70 meet with
: Clergyman thus doably qualified hs had
chossn wealthy parson Of rather meaRr
abilities, who Was now our spiritual
chief. The Rev. Anthony Brent was .
cheerful man, undersizsd, with merry nose
Of ruby, and q countsnancs 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
Afect 70 live, one inch above the level Of
cheerful life. He told us from
his pulpit that human things are frail and
nothing worth, and that man L fnll Of misery;
but having folded mp his sermon, be scanned
10 have folded up his theology too, for when
you met him on week days be was fun Of
comfort and good cheer. Perhaps we are
fasfidious people; perhaps we are ignorant;
certain it is that we never could quite satisfy
ourselves that Mr.. Brent was altogether q
gentleman. His manners were no better than
q blithe lissom creature such as be might have
picked up IN ten years between twenty-dve
and thirty-flve. He had way Of alluding to
my gardener and my banker which
seemed to show, 30 Sparkling said--Mr. brent
employed the rival practttioner-that some
time In his life he had neither bank nor
garden. 1t Is very posszble that had be
not been 90 good. natured, his vul
garity might have been obvious, which It
never was; for, indeed, we could not be quite
,x,v-o tt.t he. xvao ,v,lrror A an Anofher thing
puzzled Us; where had his fortune come fromi
BE 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;
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 con-
science to preach sanity sermons, copied out
from standard divines, and at the same time
live an easy average life; q comfortable man,
with good Intentions, sound digestion, ful
purse and cellar, and one who never iet ms
kitchen chimney freeze
IL was the reverend w1dower Brent whom
we upon consideration had assigned 70 our
lively Mrs. Barbara Temple as third husband;
and events went rapidly 70 show That our
forecast was not mexact Mr. Brent was
about nifty; Mrs. barbara Temple was well
known to be about forty-hve; 50 that ON tne
score Of age there was nothing against the
match; and as 70 inciinafion, tne rector soon
made It evident tnat tnere was no onssacie on
bis side. EVERYBODY REMARKED tnat ne tooK
the Temples up with remarkable warmth.
He gave dainty little lunches and snug nttie
dinners for them; and ne was forever calling
IN his carriage to take one or other OK tne
girls drive, the little mother attending as
chaperon AT nrst we were IN doubt as 70
which ne was pursuing-motner or daughters;
and we even thought tnas grave copnia, witn
her heavenly face, had attracted him; but
we forgot that be was man OF some
common sense. Mrs. Temple was ms choice;
her vivacity, her polish, her knowledge OF the
world, her untlr1ng energy, were al aiter nls
own heart he soon began TO drop hints, e.
men do who have matrimony IN their neads.
Mrs. Temple was q remarkably nne woman"
sForty-fv was the exact age that the wife q
Q man OF hfty should Define exact age.
MRS. Temple did not look forty-nve" tne ad-
mitted that, Nbut"-and ne would crop nls
voice-he knew she was every day q II !"
The mtimation was that ne mad either seen
the register OF her baptism or she had told
h(m the fact direct, and he declared over and
over again, with amusing earnestness and pub
tcity, that forty -five was the age ne approved
Of; that for man OF bis standing enc year
younger would -bs one year TOO yoa-S, and and
one year older one year 700 oid- VI course,
% far ne had nos SAID tnat ne noped q Wisned