Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-11-29


That is very true, she replied, shaking
her head
Il could be a nurse IN a hospital-fn
fact, that is what / should like, but the
training could not be afforded: it would
be pound week, Aunt Agatha, and
there would be my uniform and other ex-
penses, and I should not get the smallest
salary for at least two or three years"
81 am afraid we must not think of that.
Merle;;" and then | reiapsed into silence
from sheer sadness Of heart I had al
ways so longed to be trained in hospital,
and then I could nurse wounded SOL
diers or little children. 1 always loved
little children.
But this idea must be given up; and yet
it would not have mattered in a hospital
if had spelled "all right with one al -
am quite sure my bandages would have
been considered perfect. and that would
have been more to the point
CHAPTER Han UNPREACHED SERMON.
Such an odd thing happened few min
utes afterward. l was sitting quite quiet
Iy in my corner, turning over IL my mind
all the arguments with which I had as
sailed Aunt Agatha that Sunday after
noon, and watching the pink glow OF the
freight In contrast to the whiteness of
the snow outside when the door bell rang,
and almost the next moment Uncle Keith
came into the room
suppose he must have overlooked me
entirely, for he went up to Aunt Agatha
and sat down beside her.
Sweetheart" he said taking her hand,
and should hardly have recognized his
voice, al have been thinking about you
all the way home, and what a pleasant
sight my wife's face would be after my
long walk through the snow and" But
here Aunt Agatha must have given him a
warning look, for he stopped rather ab-
rupQy and said, "Hir-rumph" twice over
and Aunt Agatha blushed Just as though
she were girl.
could not help laughing little to my
self as | went out of the room to tell Pa
thence to bring in the tea, and yet that
sentence Of Uncle Keith's touch a me
somehow. Were midde-aged people capa-
BILE Of that sort of love? Did youth linger
50 long in them' | had imagined those
two such staid, matter-of-fact couple:
they had come together 50 late in life that
one never dreamed of any possible ro-
nance in such courtship. and yet he
voice that was not the least drawing.
At that moment one would not have called
him so plain and insignificant with that
kind look on his face. | suppose he keeps
that look for Aunt Agatha, for | remem-
Der she once told me that she had never
seen such good face as Uncle Keith's.
mot handsome, Merle, but so thoroughly
good"
DatfaDoa ha
her bright little kitchen, so l sat down
and watched her. | was rather partial
to Patience; she was pretty, ueat-looking
creature, and | always thought it a great
pity that she was engaged to a journey
man boot-maker, who aspired to be a
preacher. ! never could approve of Reu-
ben Locke, though Aunt Agatha spoke
well of him: he was such a weak, pale
faced young man; and | think "A man, to
be one, ought to have some spirit in
him, and not possess only the womanish
virtues.
How is Reuben, Patieuce?" / asked,
somewhat amiabiy, just for the pleasure
of SEEING our little landmarks dimples
come into view.
"Reuben's but poorly, MISS" replied
Patience, as she buttered another smok-
ing muffin, the last of the pile. He
was preaching Mt WhitechapeI the other
night, and caught cold and sore throat;
his mother says he will not be at chapel
tonight
al do not approve of street preaching
myself" ! remarked, q little severely.
Indeed, miss" replied Patience inno-
Gently, as she prepared to carry in the tea
tray. Reuben always tells me that the
apostles were street preachers, and Reu-
ben is rs clear rs Gospel in what he says"
But here the drawing-roOm bell broke off
Patience's argument, and left me some
what wors;ed. l went to church by my
self that evening, and / am ashamed to
say l heard very little Of the sermon. l
knew Aunt Agatha would be taking ad-
vantage of my long absence to retail what
she termed my prepos, erous scheme to
Uncle Keith. and that should have the
benefit of his opinion on my return, and
81 Thought made me restless.
was not wrong in my surmise. Aunt
Agatha looked little pale and subdued,
as though SIC had been shedding a few
tears over my deliuquencjes. but Uncle
Keith was simply inscrutable; when he
chose, his face could present perfect
blank
"Hir-rumph, my dear, what is this
your aunt tells me, that you are going to
Princes Gate tomorrow morning to offer
your services as nurse in a gentleman's
family?"
Yes, Uncle Keith"
"Do you mean to tell me seriously that
you have really made up your mind to
take this step"
"Oh, am quite erious, l assure you."
Your aunt objections and mine do
not count for much, then?"
81 should be sorry TO go against your
wishes or Aunt Agatna's," l returned,
trying TO keep cool; but his manner as
usual, aggravated me; it said so plainly,
''What a silly child you are, and yet you
think yourself womaup' but l must do
as ] think right in this matter hope to
prove to you aud everyone else that there
is nothing derogatory in the work mean
to undertake. 1t is not what l would
choose. perhaps, but everything else is
closed to me-" thinking sorrowfully of
my lifelong misfortune, as l always called
1t, and my repressed longings for hospital
training
Perhaps il you waited something else
might turn up" But shook my head at
this.
Il have waited too long already, Uncle
Keith; idleness soon becomes habit"
Then If you have made up your mind,
it is useless to try and alter it," returned
Uncle Keith, in a slightly ironical tone:
and he actually took up the volume ne
was reading in way that showed he had
dismissed the subject. was never more
astoushed in my life: never had Uncle
Keith so completely baffied me.
| had spent the whole time during which
I ought to have been listening to the ser
mon in recapitulatinS the heads of my
arguments in favor OF this very scheme:
would show Uncle Keith how clearly
and logically 1 could work out the sub
iect
sQ5!LM nv cum eql 40 ALnau7o Qlu"al
-sugu eql VI MON aulu!maJ no 6Rss9 eIllH
eIQBITWpB uB elInb luo lqSuoql pBQ
had finished ms discourse. L meant 10
have cited the Challoners as an example
Aunt Agatha had stayed in the neighbor-
hood of OIdfield just before her marriage,
and had often paid visits at Longmead
and Glen Cottage.
The eldest Miss Challoner-Nan, think
they called her-was just preparing for
her own wedding, and Aunt Agatha often
told ME what beautiful girl she was.
and what fine. intelligent creature the
second sister Phillis seemed. She was en-
gagged to a young clergyman at Hadleigh,
and there had heeu some talk of q double
wedding, only Mans father-in-law, Mr..
Mayue, of Longmead, had been rather
cross at the notion, so Phillis' was to be