Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-11-07
TOM AND PHYLLIS.

Ih0 1nhaD1tantS OF small village
need not call it by name, for there are
many such-were thrown into state
of lively interest by the arrival of Jim
Farrer's partner Jim, as postmaster,
storekeeper and bachelor, was the object
of much speculation, and his partner
naturally shared the honor. Thomas
Stores, the partner, was soon found to
be kind hearted young fellow, ready
to help in a hard job and to certain
point easily imposed on, which is attract
I've to people who wish to impose. A
shadow, however, rested upon him. 1t
was discovered that he did not go to
church Or prayer meetings or even to
the Christmas tree Of the Sunday school
1t was we'll known that he never gam
bled or drank or swore, but he might
have done all and stood higher with the
piously inclined than by remaining SO
obdurate i'll the matter Of churchgoing.
In fact, such easily understood faults
would rather have given him an agree
able flavor as difficult convert whom
it was special credit to win, whereas
no one knew what to do with virtue
outside the pale.
Thomas was not sufficiently analytic
to perceive all the fine shades Of this
public misgiving, but he knew he was
not like the other young men in the vii
lage and felt that he was lonely.
One afternoon at the interesting and
uncertain hour for the arrival of the
mail, which was brought by rider
across the country from x, he noticed
that it was larger than usual, as it was
the day for the weekly newspapers. All
postal arrangements here being of the
most open and social character, he nat
urally offered to help, and his offer
was as naturally accepted. 1t was quite
natural, too for Mamie Clark, Jim's
sweetheart, and another girl to stroll
up and look through the dusty window
panes, pretending to catch glimpses of
the address on the letters
Of course Jim began to chat with
them, and Thomas joined in the COM
mon inanities of such talk, inanities
which nevertheless serve the purpose Of
bringing young men and women together
and so perhaps have more influence on
life than many oracular sayings.
"Expectin letter from yo' beau?"
Thomas asked Mamie, with the inten-
tion of showing friendship by teasing
Jim, who was known to be jealous of
certain drummer who sometimes drove
over from x. in pursuit of village Gus
tom.
Mamie shook her head and pointed
to her companion, with q giggle.
''She's the one that gets letters. I
don't get any" with a significant glance
at Jim.
Don't need any?" asked Thomas as
Jim blushed blissfully. "Yo' beau
hasn't written either?" he ventured to
say to the stranger as he showed the
last letter into the pigeonhole.
81 haven't got one, she answered in
rather abrupt tone, as if mentioning
fact instead of giving an opening for
compliment.
''Well, if you haven't got one, per-
haps you've got two or three, - said Jim
good naturedly.
She shook her head in a matter of
fact sort of way, as if brushing the
whole subject away as of no conSe
quence. The same air of independence
repeated itself even in the knot of rib
bon at her throat and the bird S wing
stuck upright in her brown hat.
Thomas was attracted by her face. 1t
was pretty, although the features were
irregular, and there was girls shyness
blended with its frank fearlessness that
pleased him.
''Who is she? l never saw her be-
fore, " he questioned as they went away,
the new girl walking with light,
elastic step and unconsciously swinging
her arms little. ''She looks as if she
could run and jump like boy"
ITS Phyllis James, the daughter of
that Yankee from Maine that's lately
moved here. He's a carpenter and an
extra good one, they say, but he's got a
lot of furrin notions in his head -
''Furrin, the rustic for foreign, was
In epithet of deepest distaste, freely ap-
piled to any unfamiliar ideas OF GUS
toms. Like the old Greeks they esteem
ed a man of any other mental language
than theirs "dumb"
Thomas met Phyllis frequently after
ward, and they exchanged awkward but
friendly greetings. He soon found out
one thing-she and her father did not
go to church, and it set him wondering.
It had been somber and painful ex
perience that had caused his habit.
When mere lad, he was converted
at q revival In the reaction from the
emotional phase came craving for ex-
citement, and his old uncle, a Calvinist
of the severest type. who had brought
him up from his childhood with all the
affection he allowed himself to bestow
on any earthly creature, discovered him
one Sabbath playing cards with some
rather wild lads older than himself. 1t
was the first time and the last that he
ever touched card, but the old man
saw in him being doomed to endless