The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1894-03-22

won ana gwen. She would have
blushed with indignation and wound
ed feeling, had any one told her she
WAS actually in love, and there would
have been no fnlsehOod in her denial.
Yet, since the Rev. James Castleton
had come 60 Rosedale. and taken the
church under his care, life had seemed
brighter 10 Susie.
The Rev James Castleton was n
quiet, rather reserved man of thirty
i've, not handsome, not especially
gifted with elOqucncc. But in his soft
gray eyes, III the curves of his grayely
set mouth lay an expression OF good.
ness, of unostentatIous. true pietv,
that made his simple language more
effective than the most elaborate ora
tory. Old women brought their sor-
rows to MIR. Castleton, and went away
comforted, blessing him for an unsf-
fected sympathy that doubled the
Value of his counsels. Children clus-
tered al 1t him wherever he called,
and looked eagerly for his coming
into the Sunday-school. The young
people liked HIM and trusted him,
wondering little sometimes that one
so grave and quiet could so thoroughly
understand the troubles and tempta-
lions of youth.
He had shown an interest in Susie
Barclay for many reasons. She was
an orphan and had lost both parents
and sister within fortnight, vie
tins of II malignant fever raging in
Rosedale, four years before. She WAS
poor, having takena position AS house
hold teacher IN seminary, and been
household drudge as well, to earn an
education. AT the time Mr.. Castletou
came to Rosedalc, Susie WAS teaching
music, was organist AT st. Marks, and
in leisure time at home earned many
All odd dollar by embroidery.
And IT was upon embroidery she was
busy ON the week preceding Easter -
Mr.. Castleton's first Easter in Rose
iale. A organist, Susie was com
PEELED to take part in all the services
at St. Marks, but beside this regular
attendance, she was n deyout, sincere
member of the church, and gave her
Lime, little as she could spare it, to
.he work III the missionary society.
sewing !ircles and festivals OF the
year.
And the work upon which she was
sewing 50 steadily Susie called, in her
her heart, her Easter Offering. Mrs.
Stacey, the richest woman III Rose.
iale, often employed Susie's busy fin
gers, and It only made the gentle girl
smile scornfully when she heard Bes.
sic Stacey praised for the exquisite
embroidery her own active fingers
wrought.
Mrs Stacey intended to make an
Easter offering, at st. Marks. of a
new set OF church linen, and she had
engaged Susie to hemstitch and EN-
broider 1t, promising her ten dollars
Tor work she well knew would cost her
three times that sum III any city store.
And Susie had already appropriated
that sum, in her mind. She would
ouy n large cross of white flowers,
such rs she had seen in her visits To
the city, and present IL TO st. Mark S.
Not one penny of those ten dollars
'N''f '''r "'' ''A hNi bhu ,
and II Bessie Stacey let it be under
stood that she had embroidered the
linen her mother presented, why,
Susie could give her cross, and so
balance matterf.
For, somewhere in the depths of her
heart, 80 tar down she had never
called it TO the surface, Susie knew
that there was rivalry between Cessie
Stacey and herself She knew that
Mr.. Castleton was frequently at Mrs.
Stucey's, to luncheon, to dinner, To
arrange various church matters in
which Mrs. Stacey suddenly waken ed
TO an interest she had never felt when
good old Mr.. Murray presided in the
pulpit.
And Bessie wore the most becoming
dresse. right under the minister
eyes. while Susie's modest dresses were
hidden behind the curtains of the
organ.loft.