Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1894-10-15
THE NEW MINIST Err.

HE NG w A1N1 O IL O1Os
All alone in the cool, green shadows
of the glen, with tall ferns nodding
around and blue asters dipping their
fringes in the forest pool, while the
midday sunshine could scarcely pene-
trate the awning of beech leaves over
head-Mr. Pynsent felt like a modern
Robinson Crusoe, as he leaned back
against a moss enameled rock and
turned the leaves of his pocket edi-
ton of shakespeare"
"Now, I don't suppose, thought
Mr. Pynsent to himself, watching the
cratic flight of a gigantic blue but
terf1y, "that there is a living soul
within mile of me! I don't suppose
But just at that instant a sweet, i'm
perious voice, like the call of a robin
which had just futtered away into
the blackberry thiclkets, pierced
through the fragrant silence of the
summer noon, calling:
''Charley! Charley!"
While a bunch of autumn leaves
drifted down upon his book from the
edge of the precipice above.
care you there, Charley?" reiter-
ated the sweet, bird like voice. GOOD
gracious: "Why don't you speak?'
Mr.. Pynsent Strengthened himself
up and tried to look through the green
braiding Of foliage overhead.
eyes Pm here" said he wishing in
his secret heart that he wasn't SO
near sighted and hadn't left his eye
glasses behind in New York.
'sThen, why didn't you say SO be-
fore, you stupid fellow?" retorted the
unseen catechist, with fresh shower
of leaves descending from her aerial
height "May come down?'
"Certainly," responded our puzzled
hero.
ooh, but I can't, though" added
the voice, with a little hysterical
| catching in its accents. ''I've quar-
relied with Bell and mamma and I've
broken the big china vase, and am
| very, very miserable"
To this frank statement of affairs
our puzzled hero could think of no
immediate reply. Although he was a
clergyman of the church of England,
he was not quite prepared to give his
adhesion to the doctrine of the con-
fessional.
ssWhy don't you ask me why?"
cried out the voice, and through the
green, tremulous chiar-oscuro of the
many leaves he could see the shine of
crimped yellow hair, the fiutter of a
pale blue scarf overhead. 81 declare,
you don't seem bit interested!'
''I am, indeed" protested Mr.. Pyn-
sent, with genuine earnestness.
s'It's all the new minister" said the
fair one with the golden locks. "Com-
ing, poking and prying here where
nobody wants him.
ssThe-new minister" repeated the
Rev. Mr.. Pynsent, with a curious sen
sation of seeing himself in sort OF
mental looking glass.
Eyes, the new mini teri" repeat
ed the girl, mimicking his accent Of
surprise.
sCharley, don't be such fool or
shall throw my parasol down at you
Who else should it be? Coming to
dinner just when nobody wants him!
And there is Bell putting her hair in
curl papers and laying out all the
religious books on the center table
and hiding the novels away under the
sofa, and mamma fresh trimming he1
cap and making lobster salad; and
oh, Charley, killing my white doves
to make pigeon pie! Oh, with sob
I do hope the very first mouthful o
it will choke the new minister. Ans
cried--I couldn't help it, Charley
dear-now, could you? And slapped
Bell, and told mamma the ministe
was a greedy pig to want to eat m.
white darlings up, and mamma said