Alpena argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1893-1909, 1894-04-11

Hau no ulore InOuBnJ Oh aSplTlnB
to be king of hearts in Farming
vale than he had of being a mil
lionaire, but was gentle and ami
able to all alike.
And so the weeks passed on.
Spring vanished, summer followed
in her steps, autumn came; and
amidst its balmiest days, when a
golden haze hung over everything,
and the orchards 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 even
ing, and it was known that there
was to be strange face in the pull
pit on the next Sabbath.
There was special tea-drinking
at Deacon Green's to discuss the
cause Of this; and stories started,
no one knew when or by whom,
were circulated.
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 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 daugh'
ter nor granddaughter herself, and
who enjoyed being on the "off side,
saying, with wise shake of hel
head, II don't believe any sucf
story. It's my opinion that the
minister has gone to get married"
Mrs. Thurston's words threw
cold water on the enthusiasm OF
maids and mothers, although they
all declared that lit couldn't posi-
bly, be So"
1t was not the reputation of Rev
Augustus Dent that drew so large
a congregation at the little church
on the next Sabbath. Curiosity
led most of the ladies thither, anc
it was gratified to the utmost; fol-
in the very first prayer the ole
gentleman uttered an earnest sup.
plication for the pastor of the
church, who during his absence
would take upon himself the solemn
obligations of married life. Nigh
heaven bless him and the young
pious lady whom he had chosen fol
his companion, etc. 1t was a prayer
worth hearing, but the ladies Of
Farmingvale heard nothing after
the wonderful revelation. They
were lost in astonlshment, and hur.
ried away, after the benediction
with indecent haste, to discuss the
affair by their own firesides. And
on Monday, when it was known by
all that Bridget O'Neil had been
engaged to scrub and scour the
parsonage, and that piano had
arrived, the certainty of the awful
news became established, and Farm.
ingvale joined in denouncing Mr.
Bartlett as a despicable firt
and said the indignant nam.
ma of the five Misses Marden, "o1
all men, a minister of the gospel
should blush to earn such a repu.
tation. Why, couldn't tell which
one of my girls he wanted, he was
so attentive to all of them. Tn
afraid he isn't such man as we
thought"
The excitement lasted all the
week, and was still strong on the
next Sabbath. when q Young Cir
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 hel
mot bit good-looking."
They were decorous and prudent
in Farmingvale, and complied with
all 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 O
donation party; nevertheless a keen
observer could have seen something
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 and more
serious fault-6nding, not only with
the minister's wife, but with the
minister himself.
The women began it; the men
xuara tolGa1 o,,or H., IL - - -.