The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1894-12-28

lOT III llSl lOISellul vi lile Ollei > Ihiih
and state, Capt Oliver interrupted
his words with
Good heavens, sir! will you hear me?
l have no more intention of marrying
Mrs. Evelyn than of taking my cook to
! church: and here have l been badgered
to death for days about her. l was
going to say hang the woman"
| I'm delighted to hear you say 50. my
! dear SIR" exclaimed the divine, allud
ing to the former part Of the speech,
and quite forgetting the latter, in his
zeal.
The rector left perfectly content; he
had not the satisfaction, it is true, OF
carrying back a sheep to the fold in
triumph on his shoulders; his had not
strayed, neither had he the weight, SO
| he trudged home perfectly content
| and scarcely had he gone, when oh!
mans infirmity of purpose, and OBJ
stinacy Of heart Capt. Oliver took his
hat and stick, and with something like
| an oath Of desperation, walked, in
broad daylight, up to the widows door,
rang, and was Immediately admitted.
'I'll show them whether / am boy
in leading strings he muttered as he
crossed the hall after the servant.
My mistress is in the grounds, l
think" said the man; "if you will take
a chair, sir, l will tell her you are
here
The captain was seated, when the
door opened, and in fitted Alice, with
her quiet smile. and coming up to him,
asked for Basil
Her little face grew sad when she
heard that his father had actually, just
then forgotten his existence, as he had
started without him.
You are fond of Basil are youS not,
my child?' he asked drawing her on
his knee
Very she whispered, glancing
round timidly.
why do you say that in a whisper,
| Alice" asked the surprised man.
Alice was silent.
Have you been told not to say so?
He is very fond Of you; you should love
him in return"
II know that. in Christian charity"
said the child, pursuing up her mouth,
and looking very demure.
Yes, that's very well, Alice. but for
his own sake, too, a little; don't you
think so?"
| Il mustn't" she uttered, close in his
/ ear
Why? for goodness sake, why?"
| She looked down in perfect silence
and bit her finger.
! Again he reiterated the question.
/ Alice was gentle. tender-hearted
child, and the thoughts instilled into her
young mind made her melancholy; her
mouth quiyered a few moments, and
then she began to cry but very gently.
Something whispered to her young
heart that she might, in her pure in
nocence, do more by. asking, than even
her mother could accomplish In more
direct ways.
Il mustn't love you or Basil. except
in Christian charity she uttered.
quickly, because you are great sinners:
that is, not till you are converted, and
you will be, won't you? Q, pray, do
be! that may love you for yourselves.
| pray for you every day; mamma told
me to do SO; and SO does she herself,
and that's what she's about now, I
know, though John said she was In the
garden. and John did very wrong to
tell an untruth, for he knew where she
was; and John prays for you, too, every
day; mamma desired him to do So And
now you will be converted, won't you?
that we may all go to heaven to-
gether?" and she laid her downy cheek
close to his
Capt. Oliver was thunderstruck He
knew that Mrs. Evelyn was self-right-
eous. and, consequently, illiberal; but
there Is something painfully unpleasant
to man to know himself the object
of the united prayers OF serious fam
lily, just as il he was the greatest rep
rebate In the world He was on the
point OF putting down Alice. and leav-
ing the house. when the door opened,
and in walked Mrs. Evelyn, with a
sweet smile, yet quite human enough
for man to feel little rancour to-
wards her. A man does like to be
loved with all his faults on his head. to
be taken for "better or worse" and not
to have all the worse" carefully sifted
out, before he Is worth acceptance. It
is more than probable, but for poor
Alices unfortunate candor and warmth
Of heart, that the widow might have
gained her ends. As it was, Capt OF
iyer's natural obstinacy Of temper
grew stronger before the great Injustice
done to his personal merit, by her de-
Gliding upon not loving him, cen as he
then was.
"Tll be shot IL she ever shall have
| me, He WlOlSul, - Ill Ieau the sell
righteous woman a good dance; fort
unately all are not like her"
With these indignant feelings swell
ing in his heart. he sat, and talked most
agreeably to her, and when they parted,
he left an impression on her mind
that the never failing subject Of her
religious views was making an inroad
upon his conviction; and thus he and
little Basil became friends of the house
and all the village wondered when the
happy event would take place