Middletown transcript., 1896-11-07

EKM Cnurcn or Ou
| MMt G11S1A Savior clicked be
kMElY3fNZ hind a tall sym
MA AE@xy metrically form
aSS ed man, in To
l strong glory o
middle prime. The clerical vest o
solid black front, against which
small gold cross glistened in the sun
light, and the Roman collar at once in
dicated his Office. 1t was fine fact
he turned to the street to bow toward
passing carriage as he latched the gat'
clear cut clean shaveD face from who's
high forehead the iron gray hair wal
combed smoothly back and down from
a middle part; whose dark eyes had th'
shine of sympathy in them; whose chir
was firmly formed. But it was th'
mouth that evinced character. Their,
was about it the suggestion both of un
conquerable spirit and of the exper
ience Of deep sorrow. There was that
in the expression it gave the counten
ance which attracted confde nee ani
forbade an attempt to win a ciproca
return.
Not the countenance nor the hand
some figure of the priest had made hin
the object of much interest as he wen.
ded his way along Ridge street, in the
village of Fairview, to the little stone
Uncovered church on that summer af.
ternoon. Ordinarily the arrival of a
stranger for the purpose of taking uT
his residence in the quiet inland vii.
lage was an occasion Of some note.
The coming of DR.. Clarence Whitney
to assume the rectorate of the Church
of Our Savior, however, was an ex-
traordinary event. inasmuch as it was
surrouned by circumstances which had
been the food for gossips and the theme
for table talk in every household in
Fairview for the past three months.
The little parish had just weathered
through an awful internecine strife.
The former rector had been High
Churchman and pronounced ritualist;
and being one of those unfortunate in
dividuals who are possessed of more
temper than tact, had come into con-
flict with the vestry with the result
that the congregation was divided
about evenly, half for and half against
him. The open break came when he
insisted on introducing new series of
lesson books of doctrinal stamp de-
cidedly offensive to the recalcitrant
half. Six teachers In the Sunday school
refused to take their classes on the fol-
lowing Sunday, and the upshot Of it
was that the rector's resignation was
demanded at the next vestry meeting.
Interest lay chiefly in speculation as
to how the new rector would fare, and
inasmuch as DR.. Whitney had been in
the village nearly four days, everybody
had attended to the duty of forming
an opinion on the subject.
One of the best satisfied was the SEN
ior warden of the church, to whom DR..
Whitney had bowed as his new coach
with monogram in gold on the door,
rolled past the church. This was an
eminently significant fact, as he was
the most important parsonage in the
village as well as in the vestry. His
generously rounded figure was force
fully suggestive of the equally we'll
rounded figure at which his possess
sions were rated on the tax duplicates.
81 think we've got the man we want
for a rector at last," he said to his
wife across the dinner table that even
ing. Il like him first rate, and his
trial sermon made good impression.
"We were lucky to get him at the
salary we decided on. He was ed
ucated at-er the name of the seminary
has escaped me-but il is one of the
best in the country. I heard the bishop
say go. I didn't mind the High Church
notions of Bessemer (the former rec
tori SO much. | could have stood
them. for he was bright chap, there's
no mistaking that. But we were pay
ing too much. what we want 1 said
at the last meeting of the vestry, lis
cheaper man. So long as six or eight
of us have to foot the bills Of the
church, there's no use in paying such
fancy price. Well just cut the salary
one third said-and We did,"
s'OEe thing that has occurred to me-"
said the senior warden's wife, land
has caused me some anxiety, is that we
know nothing or comparatively little
about him: He bears the stamp of
gentleman and scholar-but why didn't
a committee from the vestry visit his
former parishp"
"Why, don't you recollect my dear,o
replied the senior warden, a little test
lily, 'shis application came before the
vestry right in the midst of our busiest
season. couldn't leave on long trip
out West. Besides. you're mistaken
about what we know of him. We
fixed that matter. We sent list of
questions to the senior warden. Every
one was answered satisfactorily; and
he brought the highest recommenda- 4
tions.n
ISIS he married?"
well, you've got me there," re-
piled the senior warden, with chuckle. |
81 noticed we had omitted that ques-
tion. But reckon he'll let us know
about that soon enough.n sa
"The ladies were wondering about it