Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1893-04-21
RACHEL.

tom. out by perseverance,. hard work,
and natural bent for amassing
money. he was now at the top of the
social and commercial ladder. He
possessed several large farms of the
fertile bottom land, countless flocks
and herds, a wife and daughter. His
wife was one of those light-hearted,
faded. discouraged looking women and
was seldom counted among his pos
sessions.
But the daughter was of far differ
ent material She was tall and 1.-the
with supple grace that made people
knowing her birth wonder whence it
came. while she was not lacking in
mental strength. Her face was some
what oval. but with a very firm mouth,
and she rejoiced in crop of short
brown curls and large, clear. truthful
gray eyes.
OF late, though. a cloud had been
very often on the smooth brow and
the clear gray eyes, often Swallowed
with a vague unrest
The cause was this:
Rachel-that was the daughters
name-in addition to being the sole
ornament of the family. was also
obliged to supply the religion.
Her mother. it is true, was pro
fessor." but being such weak. watery
creature. that counted but for little.
In her younger days travelling revi-
valist had visited Hilton. one of those
'shepherds" who believe in the
cheerful doctrine Of total depravity,
and had scared Rachel nearly out of
her wits with his cheerful at any rate
warm. descriptions of the hell that was
yawning before her uuregenerate soul.
She was scared into a profession of
faith and from that time forth so ef-
fective was the good mans preaching
that she lived in constant terror of the
God she should have loved. At this
time, though. the health of the
preacher who had ministered to the
little congregation gave out and he
was forced to suspend operations for
awhile, and a new preacher was pro-
cured. a young man. Edward Marshall
by name. who had been reared in a
totally different school of theology
and preached the love of God as well
as His wrath.
For the first time in many years
Rachel could breathe easy at the men,
ton OF her Maker. and presumably out
of gratitude to the cause of this
change proceeded to fall in love with
the new preacher.
Now in addition to his riches, John
Lindsay was the wickedest, profanest
man in Hilton. and had an undyine
hatred OF preachers. He literally had
no use whatever for them and would
almost as soon have wrung his daugh-
ter's pretty neck as to have seen her
the wife OF one.
These little prejudices on the part
of parents count for but little. though
and their wooing prospered and they
were happy, although Rachel some
times grew silent and distant when she
thought of her father.
Unfortunately though, people always
have such an antipathy to waiting a
year or two in such cases. Whv on
earth they have such a consuming de-
sire to plunge into the troubled waters
of the sea of matrimony, heaven only
knows but it is always the case. Ac-
cordingly one morning, when Rachel
was going down TO the village, while
going through the strip of woods be-
tween her home and the town, she met
Marshall. He had very determined
look on his face and was walking with
the tread of a soldier.
His pretty fiancee scented the battle
from afar. She stopped him and ques-
toned him. She learned that he was
going to tell her father of their en-
gagement. and that nothing would
move him from his purpose. She cried
and expostulated. but in vain. So at
last she gave in. It is always so.
They always do in the end, you know.
So he continued on his way and she
sat down to wait until ne should re-
turn.
He pursued his wav valiantly, but
though he would not have acknowl-
edged it for worlds. his heart was
beating unanimously. Arriving at
his destination. he found the s.stern
V0S 0AV oO0g0O Ou Ouo VI Inc OTOaO
piazzas reading the county newspaper.
He made his way up the steps with
considerable inward fear and trem-
bling. it must be confessed. but out
wardly calm and self-possessed. After
saluting each other aud making the
customary remarks upon the weather,
which happened at the time to be all
that could be desired. Marshall paus-
ed. The old man eyed him suspicious
y. True. he had greeted him with
the greatest respect and agreed with
him that storm might be expected at
any moment when there was not q
cloud TO be seen. but still he was sus-
picious. : '.=o:,'s ...::- : {.
After short silence Marshall con-
cluded that plain. straightforward
statement Of the case would b the
best and accordingly told him q his
and his daughters Intentions
The old man elased 6 him. ii:
4 tl1 hid in hf body ~ 3boilins q y
! y i ], " = l. : 8 g g; 3
81