Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-06

:: !: J; ::
hh,N IEA finding it almost un
VN1SS lMb recognizable. The
W III MY WILL mountains which once
n INN llW surrounded it have be-
IN Nv come little hills; the
y. ~ NV river on which it looked
has dwinded to a trout
stream without fish; the mansion Of their
fathers about which they have boosted so in
ordinately to the impressed strangely has
shrunk to an eight-roomed house, by no means
In good repair Or, again, the absentee may
nave returned to i. after twenty wears of penal
servitude, shortened by good conduct Judi
clous attention to the chaplain) to fifteen;
ne nnds the cottage. once covered with roses.
overgrown with brisrs; the porch where he used
70 81 In the summer time entranced with ''Sa n
iord and Merton while the little sister commit
teu 10 MS charge swallowed marbles and pins.
Is In a miserable condition; the windows are
not only wide open to the air. and the faces
OF his family mo longer there" but broken or
patched with brown paper; the bed room from
which he used to descend at night by the water
pipe ITO steal apples is a wreck; where 1.-The
garden smiled" there is neither tree nor shrub.
but only IA notice-"This house to let," which
."a"s smile from every passer-by, 80 hope
less Is the announcement.
In some case the wanderer returns after a
successful career in the city or in the United
states with the intention of purchasing his
hereditary estate and finds the UNCOVERED
castle transformed into a modern mansion with
all the latest improvements. His blue blood
Dolls at the sight of the alterations made by tho
Manchester manufacturer. The well-fitting
DOORS the plate glass windows, the hot water
pipes laid throughout the house. offend his
stlil feudal susceptibilities and he takes the
next tram to London and resides there for the
rest OF his disappointed life.
All these examples of the changed home are
Irt e L..
and especially of fiction, but none of them at
all resemble. or l would not have mentined
them. the very remarkable alteration that took
place within twelve hours in Laurel Cottage
the residence of the Rev. Cuthbert Plumley,
~ A, perpetual curate of Blondel Parya.
Inc subject would seem a slight one even for
the foundation of a short story, but indeed it
not only affected the reverend gentleman him
sell In the most surprising manner, but sug-
Sested at the time of its occurrence nothing
less than supernatural Intervention. The home
OF another divine, John Wesley was we know
the scene of certain analogous phenomena,
Inc furniture was shifted by unseen hands,
though with as much noise and carelessness as
though the brokers were in the house (break-
ing thlngs), but there was no actual change in
the interior of the dwelling itself, while in the
case OF The Laurels' this Transformation was
effected in the completest manner, though in
perfect silence.
perpetual curate, as everybody knows. is a
curate who has no chance of being ANYTHING
else. He may preach like Liddon-or Spur
geon; his visits to the poor may be constant
and effectual, but they will never be visitations
which are only paid by bishops; he may
eschew leisure (though he is the idol of his
PARISH and live most laborious days, but he
will never get living. This was the state of
affairs with the Rev. Cuthbert Plumley. knew
him at Cambridge, where We thought him land
quite justly saint and a model. He never
touched card or cue; he never went out
with the drag" Gndeed if he ever mounted a
horse In bis life it was rocking one); he was
never gated for being late at hall or chapel;
he had not single interview with the
dean; his only relaxation was a .'consti-
tutional over the Gogmagog hills (moun-
tains In the neighborhood); he read hard
and became u scholar of his college. but failed
at the fellowship examination. He was not
clever, but even more modest about his attain
ments than was necessary. He had no 'pUsh"
about him of any kind, and he had no money,
but he was as good as gold" When he took
his degree, though say it who should not say
1t since Twas year his junior, he did not leave
IN the whole university better man behind
him.
shall never forget the morning he dropped
in upon me TO say goodbye. His handsome re-
lined face was aglow with lofty hopes and
bright anticipations. for he was to be taken
into business by his future father-in-aw, a
wealthy man. had been told. but a queer nm.
and as stood there with Plumley's long. soft
white hand grasped in mine, looking into his
clear, honest blue eyes, said to myself: well
Plumley, old fellow, if you ever make hit in
the commercial line / shall be as much sur
Rriseo as II had made one i'll the ministry.
why you would scOrn to take a receipt for
anything. In your eyes it would be casting
renecuons upon II mans honesty, and as for
selling thing for 500 per cent more than il
was worth. why, that would put knife in your
heart. You would call your father-in-law
n1f = l. l.
highway robbery. No, my dear Plumley. don't
go into the commercial line; you were not
made for that sort of thing
But, OF course. l only thought all this I
wouldn't have hurt his feelings half as quickly
as would my best girls. Oh, pshaw that ma n
was too good for this world, and as mt INV
big cricketer's hand on his shoulder in that
last goodbye. 1t may have been my imagina-
ton, but thought could feel "a wing spront-
ing there; possibly it was the buckle of his
braces. Well, he got away at last and missed
MIN, too, although didn't dare confess it, for
IT would have made a laughing stock of me-
The idea OF taking fancy to such milksop as
Plumley. 49,
Cuthbert Plumley had been engaged to a
Miss Copcutt-Miss Jane Copcutt-and if ever
betrothai had been planned in heaven that
one had. In fact l inclined to the belief
that they had been predestined and designed
for each other before the foundations of the
world were laid. There is no use in NV irving
10 uescrlDe Jane COpcutt Tor you. l shall only
make bungie OF it. for her beauty was largely
what the sentimentalists call spiritual" Not
that she hadn't the prettiest brown hair. the
smoothest skin and one of the trmmest figures
that had ever seen, but there was sometime
In her smile, IN the gentle look of her big
hazel eyes. in the soft music OF her voice. thai
brought every heart within her reach. But
bless you, she was more than satisfied
with Plumley. She knew that he was better than
rehned gold. that his gentleness, his constancy,
his devotion. would fill her life as the goldc n
sunlight pours into a lovely valley chasing ont
the gloom and the chill and the damp. 1t was
genuine mutual on'society-everythinc
Cuthbert said well said, everything Jane
did was we'll done.
WELL" said to myself, '.if that marriage
doesn' t prove u happy one then all signs will
fail. but all signs do sometimes fail. in a
drought, for example, then why should thew not
fail in a freshet of happiness? But l hoped
that they wouldn't fail in this particular in
stance, and when l received Plumleys letter
inviting me to run out to Hull and be present
at his marriage l was more than pleased |
was delighted. felt that Cuthbert was a
brother OF mine and was more willing to love
Jane as a sister. l felt that such q woman's
friendship would do me good was 80 tired
of the ordinary woman. the girl of today with
her fluffy hair pulled down over her eyes like a
Shetland pony and her eyes wide opened lest
something might escape her.
| Now, James hair lay OIL her forehead like
| FURNISHED walnut, and l lonSed to see Cuth-
bert Plumlcys long, slender white In ntls atroke