Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-04-19

1858 manner, TOT Ou0. 1oIf-uoIr00 young
pastor, who had no more Thought OF
aspiring to be king OF hearts In Farm
Iingvale than he had of being q million
aire, but was gentle and amiable to
all alike.
And 80 the weeks passed on.
Spring vanished, summer followed In
her steps, autumn came; and amidst
its balmiest days, when golden haze
hung over everything, and the or
chards were rich with ripened fruit,
and the moon seemed rounder and
more brilliant than it ever was before,
Arthur Bartlett took the train to
Portland one evening, and it was
known that there was to be q strange
face in the pulpit on the next Sab
bath.
There was a special tea-drinking at
Deacon Green's to discuss the cause
of this; and stories started no one
knew when or by whom, were circu-
lated.
His mother was i'll. No; that could
not be, for Miss Wood knew that he
had lost his mother years before.
Somebody had told Deacon Green
that an old uncle had died, leaving
the minister a large fortune. This
was very favorably received and
gained universal belief. 1t would
have been firmly established but for
Mrs. Thurston, who had neither
daughter nor granddaughter herself,
and who enjoyed being on the ,'off
side," saying, with a wise shake OF
her head, II don't believe any such
story. It's my opinion that the min
lister has gone to get married"
Mrs. Thurston's words threw cold
water on the enthusiasm of maids and
mothers, although they all declared
that 'it couldn't possibly be so."
1t was not the reputation of the
Rev. Augustus Dent that drew so
large q. congregation at the little
church on the next Sabbath. Curios-
ity led most of the ladies thither, and
it was gratified to the utmost; for in
his very first prayer the old gentleman
uttered an earnest supplication for
the pastor of the church, who during
his absence would take upon himself
the solemn obligations of married
life. Might Heaven bless him and
the young and pious lady whom he
had chosen for his companion, etc.
1t was q prayer worth hearing, but
the ladies of Farmingvale heard moth
ing after the wonderful revelation.
They were lost in establishment, and
hurried away, after the benediction,
to discuss the affair by their own fire.
sides. And on Monday, when it was
known that Bridget O'Neil had been
engaged to scrub and scour the par
sonage, and that a piano had arrived,
the certainty of the awful news be-
came established, and Farmingvale
joined in denouncing Mr.. Bartlett as
a despicable flirt. and" said the
indignant mamma of the five Misses
Marden, 'of all men, a minister of
the gospel should blush to earn such
a reputation. Why, I couldn't tell
which one of my girls he wanted, he
was so attentive to all of them. I'm
afraid he isn't such man as we
thought"
The excitement lasted all the week,
and was still strong on the next Sab
bath, when young girl walked up
the church aisle with the minister,
and the Farmingvale girls looked
upon face SO lovely that none Of
them could resort to the usual course
Of declaring her mot a bit cookbook
ing"
They were decorous and prudent
iu Farmingvale. and complied with
all the forms of courtesy. Mrs. Bart
lett was called upon by all the ladies
of her husbands flock, was invited
out to tea, and was favored with a
donation party; nevertheless a keen
observer could have seen that some
thing was wrong. The ladies did not
take kindly to their pastors wife,
and soon the clouds began to gather.
At first, in whispers, Mrs. Bart
let's bonnet was too gay, she felt
above them, was not good house,
keeper, not spiritual-minded enough.
At last there was louder, more seri-
Gus fault-finding not only with the
minister's wife, but with the minister
himself.
The women began it; the men were
talked over by their wives and daugh-
tiers; finally the firt step was taken.
Mr.. Marden and his family gave up
their pew, and found themselves
more edited by the clergyman in the
next town; others followed their ex-
ample. The fault-fnding and SLAM
der reached the parsonage itself, and
Ann Bartlett, with her head upon
her husbands shoulder. sobbed.
what shall l do, Arthur
meant to help you and to make them
like me, and you see how it is. 1t
must be my fault, but / don't know
what to do"
And the young man soothed his
weeping wife, and bade her have good
cheer, for matters would soon mend,
and all would be well.
He was mistaken; matters did not
mend; they grew worse, and q year
from the date of his marriage, came
to q climax. The trustees waited
upon him in his study, and bemoaned
their wrongs. They paid fair salary,
and they expected the pastor to do
his part but he had failed. Besides,
his wife should have been instructed
in her duty. She was generally dis
liked: IL the minister's wife was not
w~-,~1o~ mae voru v,nv,1ao q a v,t