Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1891-03-05
THE NEW MINISTER.

The new minister had come, and o
| course every one was anxious to become
| acquainted with him at once. In Wood
leigh the recognized way Of doing that wa.
TO have him come to tea and spend tn,
| evening.
For nearly a month the Rev. John Dent,
face had been missing from the tea table o.
Mrs. Dodds, in whose family he had been
received as a member until his plans fol
the future had been decided upon, In that
time he had been handed around from one
member OF the congregation to another
| He had talked literature, art and fashion
with the mothers and daughters, and poll
tics and church finances with the fathers
and sons. He had sat down to suppers OF
fried chickens and waflles until his stom
ach began to rebel and cry for rest and
change of diet. Tuesday Deacon Smith
had spoken for him. On Wednesday he
had promised to see the Martins, while
Thursday had been set apart by the Law.
sons as the only day on which the pastor
must break bread with them.
This would take him nearly round.
True, there were a number OF families
whom he had never visited beyond mere
calls, but they belonged to the poorer part
of his charge, and were of that class who
scorned TO make a feast unless they could
do it as well rs the rich Mr. Dent hoped
most devoutly that they might not see
their way clear until he had, by a Judi
cious course Of crackers and tea restored
his stomach to something like its natural
tone.
Beacon Smiths supper and the night
mare thht followed it were safely past, aud
he was on his way to fulfill his engage.
ment with the Martins, walking briskly
along with the cheerful alacrity Of man
who has made up his mind TO do his duty,
no matter what ii cost him. Suddenly the
brisk walk ceased, and Mr.. Dent stood
staring down at the apparition which had
unexpectedly risen from thicket Of
weeds by the roadside It was not one
from which Mr. Dent or anybody else was
likely to recoil for it was small and
freckle faced, and moreover, was so badly
frightened itself that it had barely had
enough breath to make the following an
nouncement;
"Please, sir. Aunt Polly has been awful
sick, and mothers had to go of in a tearin'
hurry, and come to our house another
time"
OF course Mr.. Dent didn't care, and an
other time would do just as we'll, if not a
little better; and having quoted small
Tommy Martins fears by a winning smile
and hearty hand shake, he turned round
and started off in the direction Of the Law
sons, not even asking himself whether or
not this arrangement would make any diff
erence to them.
Il was foreordained, suppose. At least
that is the only way Mr.. Dent could ever
account for his doing such an utterly
stupid thing as cutting across lots, vault
ing the back fence and presenting himself
at Mr.. Lawson's back door at an hour
when he wassupposed to be eating chicken
off Mrs. Martins china.
The Lawsons were about to partake OF
their evening meal Mr.. Lawson, Sam and
John were already at their plates. Mrs.
Lawson was arranging the cups and sau-
GERS, and Mary Jane was filing up the tea.
pot preparatory to sitting down, when the
double rap was heard at the door.
"The Grimeses to borrow somethingi ]
wish we could get through one meal with
out Them said Mrs. Lawson, tucking her
/ soiled apron aside as she went to the door.
/ Before she gets it open / would like e
i introduce you a little more fully to tn,
Lawson family, that you may understand
how matters stood on that November night
when Mr.. Dent called.
Mr.. Lawson was an intelligent, well-to
do man, honest in his dealings, social, anC
| OF considerable influence in the church
Mrs Lawson was kind and motherly, anC
an authority on all matters relating K
pickles and preserves.
Mary Jane was quite a society leader
and her way Of doing her hair and dressing
herself was always accepted as style 10y he
girl friends. The boys were fun loving an,
popular, IS such boys are apt to be.
As a family they would have been re
garded as perfect, if It had not been for
bad habit they had-too common with
great many other people-of putting tn
best foot foremost.
When company was coming they spares
themselves no trouble, that everything
might be as pleasant as possible. The
scrubbed and swept, and put out their bes
glassware and forks and spoons, that con
stituted their stock of silver, until the
shone again; ransacked their brains to in
vent dishes pleasing to the palate, to abid
in the memory Of their guests forever; al
rayed themselves in their best, talked thei
} best, acted their best; in short, they di
/ everything cheerfully and heartily tina
could add to the general pleasure.
But when they were alone it was difTel
ent. II was so hard TO keepthe parlor i
order, and IL was such a trouble to carr
] everything in and out Of the dining room
and it was such bother TO dress twice
day, as general rule they took their meal
in the kitchen, and spent their evening"
when at home, huddled around the kitcl
en- stove and their toilets were not wha
! are regarded as evening dress, and, NOR,
over, they are apt to betray the manner q
The work in which the wearer had been eI
gagged during The day; tile folds and crease
retained all the pleasant odors of tn
,itchen, Sc that any one with the acut
,ense OF smell might have given the Law
.ons' daily bill OF fare 20 dot.
On this particular night things were