Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-01-05
Like a Greer Bay-Tree.
BY joins STRANGE WINTER.

lHcy NcIc o'iig, ITCH, VI poou Po-
sition. birth. appearances; they lived in
lovely old house. the grounds OF
which were "ad oul ~ ruins, " as Mrs.
Hunter was so anxious to have hers;
they were clever, undeniablv SO; they
were both rcd-ho, Rad Gals, though
husband and wife had alike come of
stanch Conservative families but as
Eusi ace Vane was accustomed 10 re-
mark, when the circumstances was no
ticed. 1--WE are w ser than our iathers."
Those who remembered old Squire
Vane and the present Mrs. Vane's father
William Lotus, rector of Vanedene, q
v II age about three miles west OF Gar
hampton, were of opinion that Eus-
ace Vane was wrong in sa, ing so; but,
of course. wisdom must he more or less
"A matter of opinion and Eusiare Vane,
IKE any other man in This free and en-
lghtencd land of Liberty. was able to
hold what opinions he chose upon that
subject. MS upon any other.
Bat IL was not on account of their
political opinions that the Garihamp;On
folks likened the Vancs. of Vancdene,
to the ungodly. who. rs the Book says.
flourish like green bay-troc, but be-
cause, rs n few outspoken ones graph
cally put it. they believed m nothing.
They had been married more than
i've years at the time when our story
begins. OF their political opinions
hey made no secret. neither did they
Or their utter abscnse of religious ones.
They simply had none: they believed
in nothing. hoped for nothing. looked
for nothing that was all.
10 such people rs attempted to argue
with them they were perfectly civil and
friendly. They said. 1T is very kind
of YOU to try and convince MS of the
truth of your religious views but
we don't believe in the world to come;
we don't believe in the resurrection of
The dead. life after death; we don't be-
eve in heaven or i'm the divine truth
Of the Bible nor vet in the story of the
gospel. 1t is all very pretty. II YOU
ind pleasure and comfort therein we
have no wish to deprive you of it. We
lon't want you TO be of our way OF
thinking; we don't wish to be unfriend-
ly about it. We merely wish to be left
alone in orr bel EFF, VIII ch is in this life
present and nothing else. We don't go
to churcI, because we don't believe in
God, and we are not hypocrites We
don't st all Sunday with our hands
folded, because we believe the Sabbath
IS an institution found by long exper-
ence to be necessary for the well-being
If people. We have no desire to
hinder you from your way, nor To make
you 90 ours--we only want to be left
alone"
So, ut length. left alone on religious
subjects they were. Only one lady,
having a vivid remembrance of the
dead and gone rector of Vanedcne.
suggested to lbs daughter that it was
impossible she could believe. really be-
lieve. that she had parted with him
forever when she saw him laid in the
narrow house where we shall all lie
some day.
MY father was II very good man.
said Mrs. Eustace Vane quietly. He
served his day and genration faithfully
his good acts will spread in ever
widening circles down the reverend
ing ages of eternity. On his grave.
stone is written: "His works do follow
him.
You have actually quoted the book
you profess to disbelieveH' cried hel
friend.
Il acknowledge much of its wisdom, y
ST. Mrs Eustacc Vanc, with her SUI
peror SIN le--and after that her frienG
gave it up.
However,, in spite of their heathenisl
life. they were very much sought ATTIC,
by the Garthampton people. The,
were intensely respectable. Eustac'
Vnnr would as soon have thought o
making hole in the river Garth as O
telling lie or breaking faith with the
very poorest of his tenants. The,
never quarrelled with each other; thei,
longer periods than is usual in thcs,
days of change, and when they did leav'
the, never accused their master an,
m stress of dr. mixing. rs is the ord mar,
WAY of servants.
True The. played tennis and waltze
on Sunday; and went for long tramp
when other people were at church
l.;tr'rra in "a cotton gown with baske
Tor mushrooms or wild flowers, as tn
season and chance might be; Eustac
IN KIN ckerbocker suit and straw Ina
But they were young and agreeable. S
Garthampton folks made n virtue G
shutting their eyes to the ono proceed
ing and their ears TO the other. and y
among themselves they sometime
talked in shocking whispers. why. tn
Vones never heard them, and il the