New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-02-24
AGAINST HUMAN NATURE.
ccpyright; 1898; By the Tribune Assoefdtfon.
XIII
BY MARIA LOUISE POOL.

DOCS IT.!
Eyes; and he sits beside her. and he and she
make a lovely group-so they say.
"Do they?"
eyes: couldn't help hoping that he was an ami
NAL of a phlegmatic sort of temperament. you
rnow so that he wouldn't get to barking and
bowling when the people begin to shout and
pray
II should hope so, too
altogether. there's something quite different
from the common about these evangelists
meant TO hear them the moment they came to
Boston"
Did you? But they've had three meetings
here before this l understand
II know it: but then, l was waiting for you TO
come"
As she said this the girl glanced up at her
friend, who was young man with small, point
ed beard, and little mustache curled up ana
out at the ends He dressed with extreme
care He was standing at the end Of crowded
pew in a church in Boston. and when the girl
glanced UP at him he glanced down at her I'M
pressivey. His name was Yale Boynton ana ne
had lust come home from some university abroad
where he had been supposed to be completing
some kind of studies. 1t was not generally
known exactly to what kind Of studies Boynton
had been giving his attention. and he had not yet
ter But there was always time enough, he
thought. for man under thirty. He did not wish
10 make a mistake and his inclinations toward a
calling were so different at different times that ne
was waiting as he said, for the needle to stop
waverng and settle in one direction.
Meantime. before he had gone to his university.
where he only remained year, he had engaged
himself to Boston young lady of good FAMILY
He had come home the day before. and Miss
Wallis had asked him TO take her to this meeting
Amy Wallis was a girl with a thin, spiritual
face and ardent eyes. She considered Mr. Boyn-
ton TO be In possession Of more talent than mad
ever before belonged to any one man. There
were times when Boynton felt that he agreed
with her in this estimate. Nevertheless. Boyn-
toms appreciation Of himself was not in the least
dsagreeable and only tended to give him an ease
which usually insured to him the Of all his
powers for nothing was lost through dlffidence
People continued to pour into the church. The
seats were now all taken and the newcomers
ranged themselves. several deep. against the
wall Men began 10 bring in camp chairs from
some adjoining room. and at last the folding doors
of this room were thrown open and the crowd
gradually flowed in there keeping itself we'll tow
ard the main auditorium.
Boynton maintained his place in the aisle next
to the wall. and close to Miss Wallis. They were
not many yards from the pulpit where the lead
ers were to place themselves. There was table
and several chairs on this platform, where the
pulpit was. but no organ as was usually the case
in meetings Of this kind.
I'm so glad you could come with me-" now
said Miss Wallis, looking up at her escort, be
cause | want to know what you think OF this
kind Of thing. Several Of my friends have been,
and they say it's really wonderful. But l want
TO know what you thlnk"-here their eyes met for
an instant, and the speaker blushed slightly.
"There really must be something in 1t, you know"
She went on: And who knows but that 1t may
be religion Religion is mysterious
ut may be great personal magnetism" re-
marked Boynton. and Miss Wallis had feeling
that her betrothed could even explain magnetism
II he cared 20 do so.
That's what l told Lily Bantry," she an
ewered quickly. that it must be that, you know.
But to have such power over people. here in
Boston, you know! If it were somewhere in the
South, or where the audience was more emo
tonar'-
And Boston isn't emotional. them" interrupt
ed Boynton. with another smile
He was not much interested in these evangel-
lists, but he was greatly interested to be any
where with Miss Wallis.
"well. you know, Boston, suppose, is just a
trife more given to analysis and questioning than
than some other places. don't you Think"
modestly.
"Oh. l dare say it is Anyway. 1t wishes the
world 10 think so, which amounts to much the
same thing" was the reply.
The young man looked at his watch. How
the crowd comes in. If these evangelists, II
that's what they call themselves, only charged
an admission fee. they would be in good paying
business"
But they say" responded Miss Wallis eagerly.
"that they never take penny more than Just
for bare expenses. They have enough to live on.
and they refuse to be paid. That makes me r.
epect them. The Gospel ought to be free.
never believed in having to pay money for your
pew in church. 1t isn't right. Do you think it's
right. Yale?'
II seemed quite necessary for Miss Wallis to
know what Mr.. Boynton thought upon all sub
jects that came up. He gave her his ideas upon
this topic fervently and agreeaby, thinking all
the time that the man must be an idiot who
could not be in some degree eloquent with such
eyes gazing up at him.
There's another queer thing about these peo-
pie" Miss Wallis said after a moments watch
ing Of the men and women who were coming
In: "they don't Rave an organ. The woman
plays a violin sometimes when she sings"
Does she?"
Some slight change came over BoyIton's face,
but Miss Wallis was looking at the door and did
not notice It,
Just think" she exclaimed. with a little
laugh "a fiddle and dog! Isn't II odd?"
Very" said BOynton. But you haven't told
me their name yet"
In truth he had not been sufficiently inter-
ested to think whether they had name or not
The girl did not answer his remark. She ex-
claimed:
There they are. That must be they!'
Boynton. standing, could see the man and
woman very plainly as they entered.
'The name Is Mercer he said to himself. And
he tried not to let his face show the startled
interest that was In his heart.
He had been called away from Ashevilie on the
very day following that last visit OF Temples