The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1896-10-30


ding" he thought, and, with sudden
realization of the faithfulness of love
| which had lasted SO long and wound last
so much longer if heaven spared them,
| he turned his steps to pass the garden
where they had lived together for SO
| s.,any years.
Even young ministers feel a rise and
2all OF the divine spirit within them, and
IS this young man stood by the Hill
dreth gate and looked at the loneliness
that was left when all the flowers clus-
tered about an empty spot of sand, a
fresh understanding of the sacredness
OF kindly living came to him, and filled
him with inspired humility. There
seemed SO many warm, sweet, simple
truths to tell the world, although he
felt himself almost too young and far
| too wisdomless to speak. Twenty
nine years." he thought, ''of the most
actual tests of grace-and 1 have not
even reached the point where they be-
| gan. I love no one woman better than
another-perhaps 1 should thank God
for it-and I've never even performed
u marriage ceremony in my life"
He looked about him from the site of
the house to all the things which the
Hlldreths had been cherishing so long.
II don't see how they can bear to leave
their flowers" he said, with a little
sigh; "but then, as long as they take
their love with them, more flowers will
grow" 1t seemed to the young minis
ter just then that grace might be less
varying if he felt more of individual
love; but soon he turned from the gate
and walked round outside the garden
and down into Live-Oak lane, follow
| ing the house. He was still " very
young man, and pretty little speeches
went from him sometimes, and so as he
walked he kept repeating: 81 wish you
constant joy, and as many returns of
the day in the future as there have been
in the past"
| He neared the house, and noticed how
daintily it had raised it's vines to move,
and he was wondering if it would be
| Just the thing for him to tell Mrs. Hill
dreth how much it looked like her when
| she came to church on wet or dusty
mornings, but before he could decide he
saw that Mr.. Hildreth was standing
several rods nearer to him than to the
house and talking very earnestly, with
his hand on tall Jack Houghton's shoul-
der. The minister paused, for they
locked as if they were speaking in con-
fidence, and he wished neither to GO
forward and interrupt them nor to re-
treat. Just as he paused, Mrs. Hildreth
| stepped down from the house, followed
by Connie Bainbridge. The minister
felt that it was awkward to be standing
there in indecision, and he blushed.
No one saw him, however, for Mrs.
| IIildreth and Connie Bainbridge both
stopped with startled look at sight of
the two men who were talking togeth-
| er. There were traces of tears about
Mrs. Hildreth's eyes, and Comics face
was white. They stood still for mo-
ment, and then Connie shrank back to-
ward the door, but Mrs. Hildreth took
her hand. The girls expression
changed and lighted, Sue went foP-
ward swiftly and touched young
Houghton on the arm. The minister
turned away when Houghton, taken by
surprise, and bending to her, spoke her
name.
Mrs. Hildreth and Robbie moved away
from them and toward the minister,
who stepped to meet them, smiling and
fumbling with his thoughts, for the
words he meant to say were gone. 1t
happened that he did not need them,
for Mrs. Hildreth turned back and took
the other young people in the house,
Robbie Hildreth's smile was merrier
than ever in his eyes. ''Do you know
the marriage service?" he asked.
"Why-why, of course" stammered
the minister, "but I've never"
"Then it's time you began" said
Robbie Hildreth, and he felt that the
minister was trembling as he took him
by the arm and drew him toward the
door. "It's not a dangerous thing, you
Know" he added, reassuringly. 81 can
testify, after 90 years."
The young minister flushed warmly,
but his arm grew steadier. "You have
shown what a beautiful thing it can be-"
he said. And yet he hesitated in the
doorway, for Mrs. Hildreth was at the
J window telling the men outside that
they might let the house stand still
little while; so the two young people
were standing alone together hand in
hand. He could see their faces, and he
felt very sure that it would be an in
trusion If he went forward to speak to
| them. But Robbie Hildreth was be-
hind him, pushing him gently, and Mrs.
| Hildreth had turned from the window.
4 great stiffness fell like an invocation,
and, gathering his courage, he went to-
ward them, and his heart stirred nerv-
ously as he rehearsed the marriage
service in his mind
| Afterward, while the house was mov-
ing leisurely along it's way, the minis
ter stepped down from it, and wandered
back to the deserted garden. He
stopped second time beside the gate.
The roses that spring had forgotten
mingled their sweetness with the rich
dreamy fragrance of the cape jasmines
ard the fluffy yellow acacias-the flow
crs of love. The big live-oak which had
sheltered SO much happiness seemed
still reaching out to cover the blank
space where the dust drifted.
81 wished them constant JOY" he
murmured, and the color mounted soft
Is to his cheek, for they had wished him
something, too. Their joyous faces
| rose against the isolation where he
stood. A few small common blossoms
looked up in his eyes. There are many
names for them. They are often spoken