The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-08-24
MATTIE'S CHOICE.

%attle WoolSton that she would ever
ogure as a heroine In a story, she
would have opened her brown eyes
#lde in amazement. She was the
pniy child of good old DIR. WooIston,
iM Greyport, a thriving town in
yorkshire. and in the circle of local
soeiety was considered at once belle
i Rnd an heiress. Hair and eyes the
4 tpior of chestnut when first the
turr uncloses, a complexion as soft
q satiD and white as milk. with the
pfettiest rose tint of color on the
pund cheeks, white. even teeth set
ma pretty smiling mouth, a figure
nll, slight and graceful, were the at
4 FACTIONS in appearance of the village
eauty.
q But those who knew Matte Wool
u f0n welE Aere wont 10 say that her
lretty face and figure were the least
| c.ner charms. She had low, musi
cal voice, manner graceful'and easy,
high-Srd by intuition of what was
dignitieoand maidenly she was the
neatest lousekeeper in Greyport,
and all ler taste. full dresses and
hats were he work of her own deft
fingers. Sic had read inteligently,
and could converse well.
So it is no matter for wonder that
Matte had many lovers. But fore
most upon thelist, to all appearance,
was handsome Ned Gordon, who
had been to The University. and
whose father shared the aristocratic
honors of Greyport with the doctor
and clergyman, being the only law.
yer in the town.
The clergyman was a bachelor of
nearly forty years of age. who had
come but recently to Greyport to
preside over the church where the
Woolstons and the Gordons had each
a pew. He was grave, reserved
man, whose face bore the impress of
sorrows and cares conquered, and
succeeded by the serene peace that is
far above the careless content that
has never known interruption. He
was not handsome man. but had
large. tender eyes under a broad
white brow; and these would IRA
diate his homely face with a light
almost divine, when he preached
with sn eloquence and simplicity
rarely combined; so that men went
from his church. slowly and thought.
fully pondering upon truths tina,
were but homely. everyday facts,
but suddenly had been illumined by
earnest eloquence into paths to SAL
walton.
One of these men, young, wealthy
and full of talent. was Ned Gordon,
Mattie's ardent admirer from boy
hood. He had left her in sobbing
pain of love to 60 to boarding
school, had left his heart torn when
college took him again from Matte,
and had become more devoted than
ever when he came home "for good"
to find her grown to Womanhood,
fairer than ever.
He had been wont to say of him.
self. when he considered the subject
at all, that he twas not a bad fellow,
as fellows CO." being simply an idle
hanger-on to his fathers wealth, a
desultory student of musty law books
when the mood seized him, floating
carelessly down life's stream doing
no especial harm by the way, but
assuredly doing no good either. Oh
his personal responsibility In the
scheme of creation, he had meyer
thought until the Rev. Harvey Still.
man was appointed vicar of the fine
old church at Greyport, where Ned's
fine tenor was quite feature In the
choir. 1t must be confessed that un.
der the dull prosy preaching of Har.
vey Stillman's predecessor, the choiI
seats had been a gathering place fol
much quiet filtration among the
bells end beaux of the town. and
\ Ned's chief magnet was the certainty
of sitting near Matte, and hearing
her clear sweet soprano Join his owr
voice.
But before Harvey Stillman ha6
been month at Grayport, Ned was
uneasily conscious that many of his
words were as dagger thrusts at his
own aimless, useless life. and waking
to this consciousness, he also awak
ened to another disagreeable fact
namely. that Matte was also per
ceiving that life was more earnest
real thing, than she had before pic
tured it to herself.
She had never been a drone In the
hive, but she had become more &C
lively useful outside of her little
house. world, visiting in a quiet. un
ostentations way, among the poorest
of her fathers patients. doing good