Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-10-07

49, y
church; and, last of all, what he hat
begun to think of her lately. AS h
went from one thing to another, h
noticed that her head dropped, ant
she covered her eyes with her hand
Soon he saw a handkerchief raised tt
them, but in the dusk it was all b,
could see. He had finished, anC
paused for a reply, but all the reply
which came was: "And you believe
| it ?" It was not said in the customa
ry clear tone, but there was the SOUND
of the choking back of tears mingline
with it. Mr.. Bascomb started at the
sound, crossed the room and seated
himself by her. He took her hands
from her face, and there he saw, roll
ing down her cheeks, great tears, and
then he answered: mo. don't be.
lieve it..
For several moments they sat in
meditative silence. He held the hand
which he pulled away from her face,
and she did not take it away. The
silence was more than he could en-
dure. He pulled her toward him and
her head rested on his shoulder. That
night it was a little later than usual
when May blew out the light, and as
she kneeled by her bedside in prayer,
there went up the petition that she
might love him who had that night
told of his love.
The next Sunday she joined the
church, and after that Mr.. Bascomb
might be seen more frequently than
ever walking down the street on
which Miss James lived. 1t was
shortly after this that Aunt Betsey
saw Mrs. Brown coming down the
street, and stopped her, as we read
in the beginning of our story. At
first, the people were anxious that
the new minister should find a wife
among their daughters, and at first,
not too many words of praise could
be said of the one he seemed to pre-
fer. Every one must have hand in
the courtship, to be contented; and
every one must make it a particular
a
thing was changed. When they saw
that they could not govern the affair
they began to complain. Stories
were circulated without shadow of
truth, and those who knew they
could not be true were as eager to
spread them as any. The good moth
ers thought the little church was suf-
fering under it, but still they talked
on about the minister and May. They
came to talk to him about it, and
when asked what their objections
were, the reply was, "because they
talk So" Nine months of the year
were gone, and still the talk increas-
ed. Walter Bascomb was becoming
desperate. He despaired because
they were killing their own church,
and when he could endure it no long
er, one evening as he and May were
sitting together, he opened bible
which was laying on the table, and
his eyes caught these words: "Be-
hold your house is left unto you des-
olate." 1t was his farewell text the
next Sabbath.
Three years later there was hap
ply gathering at Mrs. James house.
That night her daughter May was
to Mr.. Bascomb. The min
lister from the other church was called
in to perform the ceremony, for there
had been no pastor at their church
since Mr.. Bascomb went away. The
few surviving members attended the
other church, for they had closed
the doors of their own house against
themselves forever.
PAUL CLAYTON.
Many young children become positively repulsive
with sore eyes, sore ears, and scald head. Such