Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-08-09
VOLUME 40.
A SIN NOT TO BE FORGIVEN
by LIZZIE W. cHAMPNEY.


presume to any deep knowledge of the man
ners and customs of the Orientals,n and then
as he had recently read Bayard Taylor's
'Land of the Saracenn and Warmers in the
Levant," he proceeded to give interesting de
scriptions of imaginary adventures among
the Arabs. The superintendent bell sounded
as he was describing a bazar at Damascus,
and to his confusion he found that he had not
touched upon the lesson or given any ethno-
logical information concerning the Jebusites
and the Girgashites Nevertheless, the fact
remained that the class had been vastly Ell.
tertained. He had ascertained, too, by q
roundabout questioning of which he was
heartily ashamed, that however conversant
the doctors niece might be with other cities,
she had never been in New York, except to
pass from the Grand Central to the Jersey
City depot, and had never heard any of the
New York ministers.
In the afternoon Halsey walked ovcI
to the parsonage, hoping to have chat
with Orient. Instead of this the doctor re.
ceived him in his study and talked divinity
until Halsey was in a cold perspiration II
was only by the sharpest exercise Of his fac.
ulties and by constant difference to his
seniors opinions upon all points Of dogma
that he escaped suspicion.
After an hour of this ordeal Halsey issued
from the study, feeling that he had under
gone the horrors of the inquisition All sport
had vanished from the situation; he was
guilty criminal who had baliied his detec
tives momentarily, but who would be surely
dragged down sooner or later, ana that with
out mercy He caught glimpse Of his face
in the mirror in the hall hatruck and was
startled by its haggard expression, He had
taken his walking stick, when burst of song
floated out from the drawing ROOM Ii was
''Jesus, Lover of My Soul,n sung to Abts
sweetest of melodies. The Doctor laid a de
tanning hand upon his arm.
1T is our family custom to spend the Sab
bath afternoon in a service Of song; win you
not join u.s.
II do not sing" Halsey replied, 'bnt it
would be privilege TO listen.n He took a
seat near the door; his entrance was so noise
less that the young girl seated at the piano
did not heed it. She sang on, hymn after
hymn, and a great healing balm swept over
his tortured nerves "Flee like bird to the
mountain brought the sharp tears to his
eyes, for was he not WEARY OF SIM weary Of
this miserable subterfuge and refuge of his!
Had they been alone, he could have risen and
throwing himself upon her mercy, have con
fessed everything; but the good doctor sat
there beneficent and unsuspecting; and when
his niece rose ut the close Of the hymn and re-
garded him for the first time, he could only
thank her in a choked voice.
i am a wretch, he said to himself, as he
strobe along the country road a little later,
striking vindictively at the tall mullen
stalks with his cane "No punishment is too
bad for me, and have brought upon myself
the sharpest retrbution that man can suffer
that of turning away from the woman
he loves, without making an effort to win
herr
The deacon met him at little distance
from his own gate. He had evidently walked
out to meet him. "You have made ire
mendous hit" he said, rubbing his hands
gleefully; ''there'll be an outpouring tonight,
such as Ramoth Gilead has never known
The people are beginning to gather already
The shed is cen almost full of vehicles Che
pronounced the word ''ve-hic-leS'1 and moth
er, she's anxious as can be for fear you won't
get good cup of tea before preaching time.
Brother Slocumbe and have decided to call
a business meeting of the parish for to-mor-
row morning, so that you can have our de
cision before you go. There's train that
leaves in the afternoon, and you must stay
over for that"
II don't think cam Halsey replied. II
had planned to leave by the early morning
onen
THAT won't do at all, replied the deacon
Folks are set on coming tomorrow and
bringing their lunches, and having a real fel-
lowship meeting, and hearing you once again.
and you mustn't disappoint them There's
that limb of Job johnson ringing that bell
for service, and it lacks a minute and a half
of the time, and you haven't cit but one
wafflen
Halsey rose from the table, hurried to his
room, and turned over his notebook Here
was Rev Joseph Cooks conversion of Ger
man metaphysics into Christian apologetics
No one would understand this but the Misses
Pearce who had been to Concord They
would expect him to wait upon them Mt their
home after service, and discuss philosophy
with them, and if there was one thing which
he was more determined upon to escape than
another it was this knight errantry of the
smoky lantern. He turned over the leaves
of his note books rapidly Here were SER
mons by Chancellor Crosby and Bishop Coke
by the incumbent of the "l4ittle Church
round the Corner and by Andrew Jackson
Davis Here was one preached by Evangelist
Moody il Madison Square Garden, and
others by young Mr. Sturgeon at the.Acad-
envy Of Music and Rabbi Gotthcil at the
synagogue. II cannot bear to please them
any further he said to himself ''This
farce must end at once, and / will end it
with my own handn He deliberately
selected a sermon by the Rev. r. Heber
Newton, which had drawn upon that gentle
man the anathemas Of his brother clergy
men.
There he thought, II shall now be de-
nounced as heretical both by the doctor and
his niece l have had the grace TO cut my
own throat 1t was characteristic of the
troubled state Of his mind that he had come
to consider his own interests at stake and had
quite forgotten how those Of his friend Steele
would be affected by his action. The deacon
and his wife had left. The bell had ceased
tolling, and aware that he was late, Halsey
hurried along the now deserted road He
had nearly reached the church when he over
took Orient, who was walking rapidly alone,
without a hat, but with a shawl of China
crepe thrown over her head and shoulders in
a way that reminded him of the graceful
draperies of the Greeks or the.veils of east
ern women. They were both surprised, but
she recovered first. s'Uncle felt i'll after sup
Il am glad | overlook you he replied !;
''you must let me see you home after ser
vice.
1T is not far, and am not afraid, but I'm
glad that happened to meet yen, Tor l have
not had an opportunity to tell YOU how much
have enjoyed your sermon. When | think
that you were a blacksmiths apprentice, and
then consider what you have made Of your
self, cannot help admiring your genius
Yes, You must let me call it so. That de-
scription which you gave us last night Of the
Jericho road was nothing less. Uncle said 50
as we rode home He said it was fully equal
to some things of Mr.. Beecher's, ard | am
sure that it is a great compliment for q
young man. Then what opportunities YOU
have had | was born in Smyrna, while my
parents were spending a year abroad but
they brought me home a baby with only my
name as a souvenir of my Old World birth.
But have always been wild to return tc
live in some one Of those Eastern countries
which you have visited. hope you will tel
us more about them tonight
Orient said Halsey, in his despera.
ton, for the first time venturing to use
her name, II am a wretch. unworthy
to speak to you, and too cowarily tc
confess the whole truth, for if l did you
would spurn me, and l could not bear that. >
They had reached the church door Orient
could not reply, but she gave him her hand
with look which said, II believe in you, in
spite of yourself"
Halsey hardly knew what he read: he
smoke yehcmenfly crushing his own heart