The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1886-06-03
DOCTOR HOYT.

DR.. Phillip Hoyt was annoyed when
he saw Alice Bayard's name upon the
We lding cards which he received one
day from Boston. To be sure, he had
never definitely asked her to be his
wife, but he had never expected her to
definitely marry anybody else; not, at
least, while he remained an indefinite
bachelor.
He wa, one OF Dako,a's "rising
young physicians, aud when he con-
sid>rcd that he had not visited his
home Tor three years, that his letters,
from the first intermittent, had latter six
months, become altogether remittent,
he had to acknowledge that circum-
stances dill not warrant even annoy
ance.
Her image had been constantly cngag-
ed in pouring imaginary tea for his i'm
agiaary family, until the coming of
these cards; but it was one of the at
tributes OF DR.. Hoyt's beautiful, sunny
Disposition, ;kst his future plans were
always 100 vague TO admit Of severe
disappointment.
Half az Lchr ont of office hours is
not much for even rising physician
tn devote TO amatory ohstqu:es, aud
Dr.. :ioyt WAS s:;jl engaged upon line
Of memories, which: began With ''see-
ings kt NE. w;a':n they were both in
their t.: Is and ended witt, that last
letter, w!.;c! lie remembered! is vap-
id affair, not worth the answer it bad
neye: received, when the Jingle of the
Office Ecl! reused him to reality and
the entrance of farmer frcm neigh
boring Town.
"Wcll, now, DOCTOR said the indi-
vilual. II calculate you're wanted con-
siderable smart up Ilclersvi!!c way.
Oae OF the Roosians is nigh about
done for. He fell OF 3 hay wagon
fust, then the hay wagon fell on t.
h;m, AID, as near as can make out,
the horses and wagon took turns finish
ing him up by rubbing him il tho
ground till the remains wan IF much
count. l made out about that from
their hcathcni>A jibber. / WAS riding
By. and the girl that does ti:eir talking
for them ran ont and asked me to send
you over. It's tia: four;cen-ycar-old
that brings il: the hay often, rccko:, :
the one.'
DR.. Hoyt had keen professional in
stincts, and his preparations for de-
parture were completed with the old
man story, and a few moments later he
was driving rapidly toward the Rms
ians.' as the colon of Mennonite set.
tiers was commonly called. These
are a peculiar people, who unite the
prirci pies of the modern Quaker with
the practise Of the ancient lsh,nHlitc.
Exiled from Russia. because of rcligi-
Gus scruples against military service,
they are still :: bit of old world, old
time barbarianisn,, planted in the new
est new world civilization, because cf
its ncwIcss equally savage. They are
tiercely content with their own man
ncrs and customs; away from their
own people, fierce enemies and reluc-
tant friends. Their long uncomprom-
ising coats and their long, uncut boards
(for the Mennonite is Nazarene in
that matter) give fit expression to their
characters. So far rs the payment of
taxes and tho cultivation of the soil
goes, they arc good citizens; but So
cially they are Asiatics and Mennonitcs
still. and with America and the world
unacquaintc1.
Among all nations are born-morc
often, too, than is supposed-women
who are best described by the word &c.
voted. They are the Jephthas, the
Iphigenias. the Joans Of Arc history
denied individual life and destined to
be objective, they arc more frequently
if less gloriously, found in old maids
who care for other peoples children
the leavtn Of others Jumps, who, i'll
liHg out the measure of lives not their
own, arc themselves destitute. They
are beautiful or ugly as it happens; they
Wear no mark on their forcheads, un
less it be the sigu of a high and holy
purpose; nothing distinguishing, unless
it be an expression of the eye which
seems always to sec outward, never tt
look within.
Or such was Marie Won Sulevitch
also trial and puzzle to the orthodo,
members of the simple community
Without excuse, she had refused tt
marry Ivan in Russia, when her fathe
foolishly INDUCED her, and woult
again have permitted her to marry
this time in America, Alexis. who wa
rich in land and cattle, she refused a.
before; some quality in the girl, which
the rest found it difficult to appreciate
enabled her again to have her ow,
way.
That had been years before when sh
was marriageablc; now she was TWEEN
ty-three, and no longer counted anon.
the girls. She had never really beef
counted among the girls; to dane
with her had never been so much ful
as those who had laughed more. Onl,
Ivan and Alexis had wished to wor
ship her as saint. It was, therefore
fortunate, perhaps, that neither ha,
married her. If they had continued t.
worship, the other women Nigh
have become exacting, and forgotten
that it is honor enough to work an,
rear children for good man, and re
ward enough to receive bread in re
turn.
But the Mennonites. like othc
Professionals. have not solved tn
problem OF unmarried womanhood
and they looked with suspicion upo
Marie Won Sulevitch. who was twenty
three, and had never cared for a lover
not. at least, unless he had fever; TO
her delight and occupation was sick
ness of all kinds. AS thu, colony in