The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1890-04-03
BAxrEs's DILEMMA

lie schools. He ~ss big. broad shoul
drred young mao. who, besides disiir
gushing himself gresiIy both ou the nv
aud 10 The cricket geld. had taken vet
respectable degree. 70. heaas by no meat
afraid q hsrd work u any description
such men often make capital persons an
Tom ass hardly les- energetic Ia bis pat
isb ~ofk than be bad been 10 various dii
fereDt spheres Of ssiiou At E'tou and Or
ford. Bu, there we're limits Mr. Bar
ter's endurance. be liked an occasions
holiday. aHd this was tie only poiu
upbn which be sLd bis vicar Rev Sept
inn, strsigbtway, were not eutirel
stfeei.
lev. Sepiinus Was al earnest man al,
took a severe and gloomy view Of the pl, as
u'es Of life. He worked terribly bard Ia Al
East Ehd parish knew nothing aud care,
less about outdoor sports. or 10 iAct abou
any form Of amusement. and fully expect
cd his curates TO follow uuhesita atingly !,
the extremely narrow and steep path uI
which be leds,hem Hence 1t came TO pas
that Mr. Straiebivsv experienced consid
erable difficulty 10 finding curates sfte
his own besrt; the young men we're eontiu
uslly leaving him for less srduous duties
and the Wears opinion Of human nature II
general, and OF the younger generation o
curstes in particular, steadily grew worse
In Tom Baxter. however. he really thought
be possessed treasure, and the danger
OF working a willing horse to death never
30 much as entered his bead
Poor Tom did his very best TO satisfy
Mr.. Straiphtway's requirements for he
really resp, c.ed the man and valued im
mensely bis good opiuion: but as has al
ready been indicated. he could not help
longing that his superior would enter a
little more into his harmless hiking for oc
casional relief. and spmpatbza With his
passion for rowing aud all that was con
nected WIN Btbletics.
At the time | write OF the cricket season
was 10 full swing, but Toms duties had
DOT only prevented him from playing
single match, but even from looking on at
one for few hours from the roof of the
pavilion at Lords Moreover, the univer.
.ity cricket match. in whi,h be took au
absorbing interest was fast approaching,
and he was sorely troubled by the dread
that be might not be able to see it, This
fear bsuuted him day and night II wor.
ried him 10 his visiting and mission work,
spolt his rest and occasionally obtruded
itself upon him in the pulpit. Even the
absent minded Mr.. Straigbtway at length
noticed that his curates mind was i'll at
ease, and one day be went 80 far az TO in.
about being out OF sorts, and
ventured to hint that he thought a days
holiday would do him good.
When was your age. Mr.. Baxter, |
never wanted a holiday. replied tbeausiere
flcar but you are certainly not looking
we'll. Let me see-to day is the Oath OF
June. In about fortnight / think can
arrange a day for you. Say the l2th Of
July.
Can't 1t be managed week sooner2
lueried Tom, desperately, for the Univer.
ity match was fiyed for the 4,h.
Quite impossible, l fear. said the lyicar.
lecisively, for he was terrible martinez
With his curates. So, with a wave Of his
Iand, be dismissed the subject. and Tom
new that further appeal was useless.
It's rather too bad, grumbled Mr.. Baxter
$ be walked home to his humble lodgings
'nt its no use talking TO him about
ricket: be doesn't know a bat from ball
nd with heavy heart be tried to resign
imself to the inevitable.
But two days later q circumstance oc
urred which entirely routed Toms vir
uous resolutions: A letter srrived at the
eversnd eentleman's lodgings which was
oucbed in the following terms:
HEATHcoTE HALL, LoAMsHrRE.
DEAREST Tom, We are actually coming
D town. Only for two days though, and
70 are going to Lords to see the match.
Iace has got drag there, block b OIL
curse shall never forgive you il you
ont come and see me- on Wednesday sf.
,rDoon we go to Essex to stay with the
SO this IL our only chance VI
Ieeting. Do come; in terrible haste.
Yours lovingly, ALICE.
From the foregoing it may be gathered
lat Miss Alice Heatbcoie aud Mr. Tom
sxter were on toleraby intimate terms
5 a matter Of fact they bad been engaged
Z six months dunug which time they
n very rarely met BaIter's people were
ell OIL. AID he hal very rich uncle.
nong whose Iossessions vas sn excellent
mly living, destined in the future for !,
ON sod bis bride. But the uncle WAS
ern and conscientious gentleman. and he
as determined, before be definitely agreed
give Tom the vAcsncy when it occur. b
d--to see what the young gentlemen was .
sde Of Aod this was why Baxter had
en sen, to help Mr. Strsisbtwsy 10 the
.., Eod. Why he worked so hard in the h
fisn, aud sby be was so desperately
sions TO .lsbd bigb 10 the wears opin
D.
When Tom read the letter bis FIRE. i'm !.
lee, unclerical though it my sppesr,
= to use sitsus language Bat be re (,
aimed himself aud fell 10 thinking over a
/ various means ot escaping from biz
,ies fresh sppeal TO Mr.. Straight n
= be kpe~ to be hopeless That worthy
,siie dii no, only look upon cricket as cl
yolcus Sssie ofiime, bat be was a stroug il
soca,e Of the celibecy OF the clergy.
recover. by merely Asking the question