Saint Mary's beacon., 1888-04-12

face, and gave to 1.-THE new aud earn
est beauty, he watdaed over her with
a tender care, a wsrshipful love, un,
known to her bef1e. Many among
his charge" saw fwith forebOding
they feared he was sFaising up an lido
in the Masters plael.
One morning PaGlaaw that his wife
was unusually pal. and there were
dark rings under h{ eyes.
"YOu must keep s,ict to-day. girl.
he said. "You have been wearing
yourself cut nursing poor little Adam
at wasn't half so hard for me tc
stay with him, as it would have been
to leave that mother alone with him;
there wasn't a woman in the house,
and DR.. Brown said he had asked half.
a-dozen of the ladies in our church, and
they all had excuses. It seems SC
hard for her to be alone"
He made her promise to rest, and
he said, regretfully, ss he looked back
from the door, "How wish I could
stay with you. OH if I could feel
that my work here is doing any goodl
l often remember the battle with the
wind-mills. I am worn out, and il
isn't giant after all"
How Paurs eyes glistened as he
spoke And Dulcie noticed that his
face was thin and white, and his over
coat was beginning to look shabby.
Then she brought out the basket of
work over which her face became so
tender and serious. She sewed rapid
ly for an hour, then hearing a step,
she put the work away, and opened
the door.
"Why Aunt Faith" she said, Il
didn't think of seeing you this dismal
morning! How is your rheumatism?'
There are times" said the old lady,
whose tall, gaunt form quite over
shadowed Dulcie, "when one must rise
superior to rheumatism, and even neu-
ralgia; l am having that now, too"
Il hope nothing has happened"
said Dulice. apprehepai.oly.
at has been happening for some
time" sid Mrs. Hopkins, who by this
time had taken Paul's chair, and sat
looking gloomily into the fire, which
snapped, cracked, and danced gayly
in the CRATE; Dulcie found herself
wondering how it dared. "The truth
Is" she said, suddenly, facing Dulcie,
Il feel that you ought to know it;
this always has been an awful place
for a minister. Awful When they
get a new one, there isn't anything
good enough for him; but after they
had him a spell, he has to take up
with what he can get"
Mrs. Hopkins spoke as though she
washed her hands of the whole IN t.
ter.
What do you mean p asked Dul-
ere, tlushinG ready to cry.
Il don't think myself it's any such
great thing; but there's them that say
they can't stand his sitting down in
prayer meeting Julia Comstock says
it's the fashion, in the city, but We
old folks don't like to have city no.
tons brought up into the country.
Mrs. Hardscrabble spoke of it first,
and that set US to thinking"
Why" began Dulcie. catching her
breath, why we thought, Paul and l.,
that it seems so much more social; he
feels nearer to the people 80, he often
says, he wishes he could take all those
stiff, unsOcial benches away, and have
chairs, and a carpet, and make it
bright and pleasant, like home; it
would be so much more inviting. /
,hould think Mrs. Hardscrabble could
bear it with some small degree Of pa
thence, as she never goes to prayer
meeting or church. Her daughter
told me that she is too feeble to get
out.
Carpet and chairs at a praye er
meeting Mrs. Hopkins looked per-
fectlY aghast.
"Do you think" said Dulcie, "thst
We are nearer Heaven on a wooden
bench, and bare floor? Would YOU
invite a guest into room in your
house, furnished like the one into
which you ask the Lord to enter? p
Carpet and chairs p repeated Mrs
Hopkins, rising. Il was going to tell
you that some think that his wearir,l
his hair so long gives him fOrpist
appearance in the pulpit; and don'I
know about a ministers wearing Z
mustacbe, with such ends. I was 90
ing to act the part OF friend and tel
ven. that there is more than one WHIT
thinks he meant brother Hudson, her
he spoke, in his last sermon, of JudaI
carving the bag"