, 1889-01-24
THE PARSONS MARJORY.

After some years the Old people died, both
III one winter, very carefully tended by their
adopted son, and very quietly Inourned when
they were gone. People who had heard of
his rowing fancics supposed he would hasten
to sell the property, and 80 down the river to
push his fortunes. But there was never any
sign of such an intention on the part of VIII.
On the contrary, he had the i'm set ON bet
ter footing, and hired couple of servants TO
assist him i'll carrying it on: and there he set
tied down, kind, talhativc, iIScrutable
Young man, six feet three in his stockings,
with an iron constitution and friendly
voice. He soon began 20 take rank i'll tho
district rs a bit of an oddity. 1t was not
much to bc wondered at from the first, for he
was always full Of notions, and kept calling
the lllaincst common sense il question: but
what most raised the report upon him was
the odd circumstance Of his courtship with
the parsons Mariory.
The parsons Marjory was n lass of about
70 when VIII would be-about so, well enough
looking and much better educated than any
other girl in that part of the country, as be
came her parentage. She held her head very
high and had already refused several offers
of marriage with Il grand air. which had got
her hard names among the ncighbors For
all that she was good girl and one that
would have made any man well contented-
VIII had never seen much OF her, for al
though the church and parsonage were only
two miles from his own door he was never
known to go there but ON Sundays 1t
CHANGED, however, that the parsonage fell
into disrepair and had TO be dismantled, and
the parson and his daughter took lodgings
for a month or so on very much reduced
terms, at Wills inn. Now, what with the
inn and the mill and the old miller's savings,
our friend was a man OF substance, and be
sides that, he had name for good temper
and shrewdness, which make n capital por-
tion in marriage, and so it was currently Cos
siped among their i'll wisher5 that the parson
and his daughter had not chosen their tenn
porary lodgings with their eyes shut. VIII
was about the last man in the world TO be
cajoled or frightened into marriage. You
had only to look into his eyes, limpid and
still like pools OF water, and yet with . sort
of clear light that seemed to come from with
in, and you would understand at once that
here was one who knew his own mind and
would stand to it immoyably. IarjOry her.
self was no wcakling by her looks, with
strong, steady eyes and Il reSolute and quiet
bearing. 1t might be a question whether she
was net Wills match in stcadfastness, after
all, or which of them would rule the roast in
marriage. But Marjory had never given it
a thought, and accompanied her father with
the most mistaken innocence and unconcern.
The season was still SO early that Wills
customers were few and far between; but the
Hlacs were already Towering, and the weather
was so mild that the party took dinner under
the treliis, with the noise of the river in
their ears and the woods ringing about them
with the songs of birds VIII soon began to
take particular pleasure in these dinners.
The parson was rather a dull companion,
with a habit of doing at table; but nothing
rude or cruel ever fell from his lips. And as
for the parsons daughter, she suited her sur
roundings with the best grace imaginable;
and whatever she said seemed so pat and
pretty that VIII conceived a great idea of her
talents. He could see her face, as she leaned
forward, against background of rising pine
woods; her eyes shone peaCeably; the light
lay around her hair like kerchief; some
thing that was hardly q smile rippled her
pale cheeks, and VIII could not contain him
self from gazing on her in an agreeable dis
may. She looked, even i'll her quieteSt mo-
ments, SO complete in herself, and so quick
with life down to her finger tips and the very
skirts of her dress, that the remainder OF
created things became no moro than blot
by comparison; and if Will glanced away
from her TO her surroundings, the trees
looked inanimate and senSeless, the clouds
hung in heaven like dead things, and even
the mountain tops were disenchanted The
whole valley could not compare in looks with
this one girl
VIII was always observant in the society Of
his fellow creatures, but his observation be-
came almost painfully eager in the case of
Marjory. He listened to all she uttered and
read her eyes at the same time for the I'M
spoken commentary. Many kind, simple and
He became conscious of n soul beautifully
poised upon itself, nothing doubling, nothing
desiring, clothed in peace. 1t was not posi-
BILE to separate her thoughts from her appear
ance The turn of her wrist the still sound
of her voice, the light in her eyes, the lines
of her body fell in tune with her grave and
gentle words like the accompaniment that
sustains and harmonizeS the voice of the
singer. Her influence was one thing, not to
be divided OF discussed, only to be felt with
gratitude and joy. To VIII her presence re-
called something of his childhood, and the
thought of her took its place in his mind be-
side that of dawn, of running winter and of
the earliest violets and Ilacs Ii is the
property of things seen for the first time, or
for the first time after long, like the flowers
in spring, to reawalien il us the sharp edge
of sense and that impression of mystic
strangencSS which otherwise passes cut of life
with the coming of years; but the sight of a
loved face is what renews mans character
rom the fountain upwards.
One day after dinner win took stroll
among the frs; a grave beatltude possessed
him from top to toe, and he kept smiling to
himself and the lanscape as he went The
river ran between the stepping stones with a
pretty wimple; a bird sang loudly in the
wood; the hilltops looked immeasurably
high, and as he glanced at them from time TO
time, seemed to contemplate his movements
with beneticent but awful curiosity. His