The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-03-12
THE NEW MINISTER,

acquainted with him at once. In Woo,
leigh the recognized way of doing that Wa
: to have him come to tea and spend IL
: evening.
1 For nearly month the Rev John Dent
face had been missing from the tea table
, Mrs. Dodds, in whose family he had bee
received as member until his plans fo
the future had been decided upon. In tia
, time he had been handed around from on
; member of the congregation to another
He had talked literature, art and fashio
with the mothers and daughters, and pol
tics and church finances with the father
and sons. He had sat down to suppers @
fried chickens and waffles until his ston
ach began to rebel and cry for rest an
change of diet. Tuesday Deacon Smitl
had spoken for him. On Wednesday b
had promised to see the Martins, Will
Thursday had been set apart by the Law
SONS as the only day on which the paste
must break bread with them
This would take him nearly round
True, there were a number of familie
whom he had never visited beyond mer,
calls, but they belonged to the poorer par
OF his charge, and were of that class wht
scorned to make a feast unless they could
do it as well as the rich. Mr. Dent hoped
most devoutly that they might not see
their way clear until he had, by judi
cious course of crackers and tea, restored
his stomach to something like its natural
! tone.
Deacon Smiths supper and the night
mare that followed it were safely past, and
he was on his way to fulfil his engage
ment with the Martins, walking briskiy
along with the cheerful alacrity of a man
who has made up his mind to do his duty,
no matter what it cost him. Suddenly the
brisk walk ceased, and Mr.. Dent stood
staring down at the apparition which had
Unexpectedly risen from a thicket of
weeds by the roadside 1t 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 off in tearin'
hurry, and come to our house another
time"
OF course Mr.. Dent didn't care, and an
other time would do just as well, if not a
little better; and having quieted small
Tommy Martin fears by winning smile
and a 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.
1t 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 was supposed 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 filling up the tea
pot, preparatory to sitting down, when the
double rap was heard at the door.
1.-The Grimeses to borrow somethingl
wish we could get through one meal with
put them. said Mrs. Lawson, tucking her
'olied apron aside as she went to the door.
Before she gets it open 1 would like to
Introduce you little more fully to the
Lawson family, that you may understand
now matters stood on that November night
when Mr.. Dent called.
Mr.. Lawson was an intelligent, weIl-to-
10 man, honest in his dealings, social, and |
If considerable influence in the church.
Mrs. Lawson was kind and motherly, and |
IN authority on all matters relating TO /
pickles and preserves.
Mary Jane was quite a society leader, |
md her way of doing her hair and dressing
lersef was always accepted as style by her
,irl friends. The boys were fun loving and
popular, as such boys are apt to be.
As family they would have been re-
arded as perfect, if it had not been for
ad habit they had-too common with a
reat many other people-of putting the
est foot foremost.
When company was coming they spared
themselves no trouble, that everything
hight be as pleasant as possible. They
crub6ed and swept, and put out their best
lassware and forks and spoons, that con-
tituted their stock of silver, until they
hone again; ransacked their brains to in
ent dishes pleasing to the palate, to abide
j the memory of their guests forever; ar
aged themselves in their best, talked their
est, acted their best; In short, they did
cheerfully and heartily that
,uld add to the general pleasure.
But when they were alone it was differ |
1T. Ii was so hard TO keep the parlor in |
-der, and il was such trouble TO carry |
in and out of the dining room,
nd it was such bother to dress twice a |
~; as general rule they took their meals
the kitchen, and spent their evenings, ,
hen at home, huddled around the kitch-
stove, and their toilets were not what
e regarded as evening dress, and, more :
Ter, they are apt to betray the manner of $
he work in which the wearer mad been en-
lged during the day; the folds and creases
tanned all the pleasant odors of the 4
tchen, SO that any one with The acute
nse of smell might have given the Law I.
MS daily bill of fare TO a dot.
On this particular night things were a d
tie better than usual for they were saw :
z themselves for tomorrow, when the
hole house was TO be put in order for the :
w pastor. +
You can imagine much better than I can
scribe Mrs. Lawsons feelings when the
en- door revealed to her astonished gaze, Z
{ the familiar dirty visage of John
lines, but the handsome smiling counte-
nee OF their new minister. she retreated
step, then stood smiling in silent dismay i
the unexpected visitor Mr. Lawson and .
boys scrambled up and put on their :,
ais, while Mary Jane added 70 the general a
.erest Of the scene By pouring stream
hot water on the back of the sleeping
: which started In q straight line for the