The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1889-08-01
MATTIE'S CHOICE,

If any one had limited 10 pretty Matte
Woolston that she would ever figure as
heroine in a story, she would have opened
her brcwa eyes wide in Amusement. She
was the only child of good old DR.. Wool
ston, of Greyport, thriving town in
Yorkshire, and in the circle of local So
ciety was considered at once a belle and
IN heiress. Hair and eyes the color of
chestnut when first the burr uncloses, a
complexion as soft as satin and white as
milk, with the prettiest rose tint of color
on the round cheeks, white, even teeth
set in pretty, smiling mouth, figure
tall, slight and graceful, were the attrac-
tons in appearance of the village beauty.
But those who knew Matte Woolston
well were wont to say that her pretty
face and figure were the least of her
charms She had a low, musical voice,
Intuition of what was dignified and maid
emily; she was the neatest housekeeper In
Greyport, and all her taste, full dresses
and hats were the work of her own def
fingers. She had read intelligently, and
could converse well.
So it is no matter for wonder that
Matte had many lovers. But foremost
upon the list, 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
lawyer in the town.
The clergyman was 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 a
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
a handsome man, but had large, tender
eyes under broad white brow; and these
would irradiate his homely face with a
light almost divine, when he preached
with an eloquence and simplicity rarely
combined; so that men went from his
church, slowly and thoughtfully ponder
ing upon truths that were but homely,
everyday facts, but suddenly had been
illumined by earnest eloquence into paths
to salvation.
One of these men, young, wealthy and
full of talent, was Ned Gordon, Mattie's
ardent admirer from boyhood. He had
left her in sobbing pain of love to go to
boarding school, had felt 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,
tairer than ever.
He had been wont to say of himself,
when he considered the subject at all,
that he twas not bad fellow, as fellows
co." being simply On idle hanger-on to
his fathers wealth, desultory student
of musty law-books when the mood
seized him, floating carelessly down LIES
stream doing no especial harm by the
way, but assuredly doing no good either.
Of his personal responsibility In the
scheme Of creation, he had never thought
until the Rev. Harvey Stillman was ap-
pointed vicar of the fine old church Of
Greyport, where Ned's fine tenor was
quite feature in the choir. It must be
confessed that, under the dull prosy
preaching of Harvey Stillman's prede-
cessor, the choir seats had been gather
ing place for much quiet filtration
among the bellies and beaux of the town
and Ned's chief magnet was the certainty
Of sitting near Matte, and hearing hel
clear sweet soprano join his own voice.
But before Harvey Stillman had beer
month at Grayport, Ned was uneasil.
conscious that many of his words were
as dagger thrusts at his own aimless. use
less life, and waking to this conscious
ness, he also awakened to another disa
greeable fact-namely, that Matte wa.
also perceiving that life was a more earn
est, real thing, than she had before pic
tured it to herself.
She had never been drone in thu
hive, but she had become more activel,
useful outside of her little house world
visiting in quiet, transformations way
among the poorest of her fathers pa
tients, doing good in an humble spirit
but with asincere desire to help, as far a
possible, those who needed her gent,
ininistratioBs
Ned loved her more than ever for th,
gentle self-denials she practiced 80 quiet
ly that only those who were benefited
knew of them, but, to his great disnay
there came little gulf between himsel
and his love, widening so gradually HI
could not tell where it had commenced
or would end.
For the first time since he was mer
boy he saw that Matte gave him only tn,