Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-05-28

1880
friend offers 70 take you In
..Oh, James dearl" exclaimed the
wife. impulsively, catching her hus-
bands hand to her cheek. ITS wis
have taken you from kind friendsl |
am burden TO you, and nothing but
burdeni''
my dear wife" said he, bending to
her, you are the sweetest burden that
man could bear, and I'd rather have you
than all else the world could give"
ats beautiful. my dear" said she,
ITO hear you say so. It's like sweet
music to me; but it's not true. If you
had married another-if you had mar
ried differently, and as you were ex-
pected to have married-you would not
be here now; and il you had sick boy,
like our dear, poor Jim, there would
have been no difficulty in getting to the
country, or in getting anything that
was needed for himl But you married
me, and-my poor, dear lovei-you bear
the penaltyp'
MARY" said he, with certain touch
of solemnity in his voice, 81 have not
for one instant regretted that we loved
each other, and married each other, and,
whatever may come, shall not regret
it, The complete love of woman like
you is more precious than rubies. Your
love, my darling, and he caressed the
head crowned with a glory of bright
harris the joy of my life-God for
give mel''
She drew again his hand to her cheek,
and pressed it there, and said no word
more. And so they sat for few seconds
longer, while the vulgar, intrusive
clock, with a kind of limp in its noisy
tick, seemed to say: cts time! It's
time"
Let us take the opportunity of this
pause TO explain how Rev. James Muir
ray got into the anxious position in
which we find him. He was minister
of well-l1nown denomination OF nom
conformists. When he left college he
had been reckoned a young man Of
great promise and of considerable
powers of persuasive eloquence, and he
was expected to become a famous
preacher. He was invited to be the
minister of large and wealthy con-
4 KTtKNllOH III uOA bhCA n 80
town. He accepted the invitation, and
for two or three years he was great
favorite with his people; never, they
declared, had they heard so fine
preacher Though he was sometimes so
fine" that they did not understand
him). and never had they known bet
ter man. His praise was in everybody S
mouth; the mon admired him and the
women adored him. But he was a
bachelor, and there was not an unmar-
ried lady in the congregation who did
not aspire to be his wife, which put
him in the awkward and invidious posi-
ton of having TO prefer one out of
many. He astonished and offended all
the well to do ladies by falling in love
with and marrying the pretty, shy gov
erness of one of the wealthicst families
"a girl who hadsnot been regarded as
having the smallest chance of occupy.
ing the proud place of minister's wife.
His marriage alienated the women, and
through them cooled the ardor of the
men. The situation was strained; but
il might have gradually returned to its
former easy condition. had not the min
ister soon after his marriage become
what is termed ''hroad" in his religion:
views and uDcompromising II
his expression OF them. His peo
ple grew alarmed, and his deacon:
remonstrated-wit less friendliness o.
feeling. probably, than if he had not
offended them by hts marriage-but the
minister declared lie could not do other
wise than preach what he believed t.
be the truth. Then some people let'
him, and others would not speak to him
and his position became so difficult an'
finally so unbearable that he could d,
nothing but send in his resignation. HI
shook the dust and the CRIME of tina
northern town off his feet, and witt
sore heart and slender purse journeye'
to London. He was resolved to labo
among the masses" If the arrogan
and wealthy classes of the north woul'
not hear him, he was sure the poor o
London, bending beneath the wear,
burden of life, would hear him gladly
He had not been in London long whel
he became minister to venerable
half-deserted chapel in one of those Gu
riously quiet corners made by the rush
ing currents and the swirling eddies o
the life of our huge metropolis. 1t wa
close to the heart of London. and yet M
one knew it was there but the handful
Of small shopkeepers and their familie
and the few devout and destitute oil
women who made up its congregation
These poor people were futtered witt
pride when they got so clever and beau
tiful a preacher for their own; the.
looked to see ere long the old chape
crowded with an attentive congrega
ton, as it had been in other days; an'
the chapel-keeper (who was also I
painter) had put all the magnifcen
hopes of himself and his friends In thu
fresh inscription he made on the fades
notice-board in the forecourt, ''MINIS
TER, THE REV. JAMES MURRAY
M. A." in letters of gold.
A year had passed since then, ana
the minister's heart was sad. He has
spent himself for the benefit of the
poor that sweltered round that oil
chay,al and the moor did not seem K