The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1894-03-31

| 10 Hnu Iault Win him, upheld Dy al
the womankind OF Farmingvale-
young and old, grandmothers, grand.
daughters, mammas, spinsters, aunts
and school girls.
BY and by whispered rumors were
set afoat. The young minister had
paid particular attention TO Miss
Green, he was seen out walking with
Miss Jones. he had taken tea thrice
with Mrs. Adams, who had two un-
married daughters; in fact, he was
engaged in turn TO every single lady
in the village, il report said truly.
Then dearest friends" became ri
walls, and quarrels occurred which in
terfered sadly with a religious frame
OF mind, and young farmers were
Tilted, one and all, in the most ruth
less manner, for the fair-haired young
pastor, who had no more thought OF
aspiring 10 be king OF hearts in Farm
ingvale than he had OF being million
aire, but was gentle and amiable to
all alike.
And so the weeks passed on.
Spring vanished, summer followed in
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 il ever was before,
Arthur Bartlett took the train to
Portland one evening, and it was
known that there was to be II 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 large fortune. This
was very favorably received and
gained universal belief. II would
have been firmly established but for
Mrs. Thurston, who had neither
daughter nor granddaughter herself,
and who enjoyed being on the "ofr
side, " saying, with n wise shake Of
her head, 81 don't believe any such
story. It's my opinion that the min
lister has gone TO get married"
Mrs. Thurston's s words threw cold
water on the enthusiasm Of maids and
mothers, although they all declared
that lit couldn't possibly be So
hn ui of A
Rev. Augustus Dent that drew so
large n congregation at the little
church on the next Sabbath. Curios-
ity led most OF the ladies thither, and
it was gratiiied 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.
II was prayer worth hearing, but
the ladies OF Farmingvale heard moth
ing after the wonderful revelation.
They were lost in astonishment, 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 piano had arrived,
the certainty Of the awful news be-
came established, and Farningvale
joined i'm denouncing Mr.. Bartlett as
Il. 4 . IL lao.
indignant mamma Of the five Misses
Marden, "of all men, II minister Of
the gospel should blush to earn such
II reputation. Why, | 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 n man as We
thought"
The excitement lasted all the week,
and was still strong on the next Sab
bath, when II 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 n 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
donation party; nevertheless n 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-tinding, not only with the
minister's wife, but with the minister
himself.
Th. women began it; the men We're
talked over 10y their wives and daugh-
ters; finally the iirt step was taken.
Mr.. Marden and his family gave mp
4 n