Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-11-24

white chrysanthemums. There was
a delicate touch of finish in the whole
arrangement, and Marcia's cooking
was beyond praise. 1t was truly de-
lightful Thanksgiving dinner. with
one heart especially light and gay.
This is the best salad I've eaten
for years, declared the Squire MAR
cha. you We outdone yourselftl1is time :"
at was Miss Milly that fixed the
dressing" replied Marcia, speaking
with the privileged familiarity of an
old servant. II got kind of driven
and flustered. and she saw it and said
she knew how to make mary-on aise,
an she'd help me-
The Reverend Mr.. Williams took a
second helping of the mary on -aise"
and ate it with fervid rapture VIVA.
a paragon this country girl was, SO ca
pable, so modest, so superior in all
ways How he should like to show
her to some city people he knew about.
What lesson it would be for them
What was that the Squire was say
ing? Were the skies about to fall p
He paused, transhxed with a mouth
full of salad suspended on his fork.
Girls, you should take a lesson
from your cousin" this was what the
Squire said. Here she has lived in
the city all her life, and knows ten
times more about cooking and house
keeping than all of You put together.
Milly, wish you'd teach them this
salad fixing before you go"
Yes, lie said that And all the three
dressed damsels who were thus en-
treated fixed their dismayed eyes on
the Squire, and with one voice pro-
tested-"Oh, Papa Marcia dresses the
salad very well, IN sure, and we do
SO hate cooking !"
The Reverend Mr. Williams, fear,
scarcely realized the perfect flavor of
the pumpkin pie, made after recipe
bequeathed to Mrs. Eldridge by a de-
funct grandmother. He listened to
its history, and to other family tradi-
tons, as in dream His mind SEEM
ed to have received a great shock All
his preconceived notions were jostled
and confused This sweet, simple,
helpful creature-a city girl
Presently. still in dream, as it were,
he found himself sitting beside her in
the parlor, and gradually moving into
such zeal conversation as he had
never before had with young woman
1t was not necessary to select topics to
make talk, for the things which in
terested him were equally interesting
to her. He discovered gradually that
she was a member of one of the hard
est-working parishes in New York, of
whose methods and success he had
heard a great deal She knew all
about guilds and missions and charity
organizations and industrial schools,
and the best ways of getting at the
poor, a great deal more, in fact, than
he did. She was busy helper in
these things, and yet so bright and
merry
"Mr. Dudley works us pretty hard, F."
she admitted, but think we enjoy
it, There is something delightful in
being made to do your best, don't you
think so p
II don't know, never have done
half my best yet" replied Alexander
Williams, with laugh. 1--WE only
just begun, you know" Then
Strengthening himself. with look of
determination he added: ''But mean
TO get at it in time. wish you would
give me some lessons, Miss Eldridge. +"
"Oh, couldn't give lessons to any
body. I'm too busy in taking them.
But wish you could know my dear
Mr.. Dudley, he could help you a great
deal He's SO strong and kind, and
Mrs. Dudley is just like him."
1t was relief somehow to know
that there was Mrs. Dudley.
The Eldridge girls who had yawned
furtively during this discussion, deei-
ded that night, at hair brushing time,
that the new clergyman was stick,
and there was no fun at all in him.
II did hope when a young man was
called that he'd be of some use in So
ciety," said Dora, "but Mr. Williams
is worse than nobody"
1T was perfectly dismal, sighed
Soply. "Well, Thanksgiving Day is
over, that is one comfort l do think
it is the pokiest day of the year"
Meanwhile Alex Williams was cool
ing off his excitement by a long. late
walk, and trying TO reconstruct his
ideas. Were all city girls, then. like
Miss Mildred Eldridge, Were all
country girls like her cousins? Had
he been totally wrong and Iuisii form
ed all his life? Which way did the
truth lie?
He decided to suspend opinion and
study the subject at his leisure. 1t
was wise decision. for he tound rea-
son to modify and alter his judgment
more than once before he got through.
1t may be said that he dlo not arrive
at a final conclusion until five years
later, when he had become a CITY pas
tor. being called to take charge of ore
of the active. new parishes Mt the Park
end of Madison avenue. His unusual
powers of thought and speech could
not escape notice, and the metropolis
always claims the best, and will have
it. From this point of view, he was
able to determine, with "A sufficient
accuracy to satisfy himself. that in
city and country alike, human nature
and human need and tine methods of
dealing with their complicated wants.