The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-12-08
The Chaplain's Story.

at Westminster. We went to Oxford
together-to Balliol; we took our de.
grees together in the Classical (Honors)
School, and were ordained together bv
the Bishop of l., as curates for his
diocese. Here Jul paths separated for
some years, and when next we newed
our old friendship 1 was the vicar of
the town, sill single at thirty four,
and Jim was the chaplain of the famous
Jail In the same town, and married.
We we're talking in my study, as in
olden times. Somehow the converse
ton dritted to the subject of q recent
newspaper article: Ought Married
People to Have Any Secrets From
Each o yher9" I said NO" Jim said
Yes" We both smilingly stuck to
our text. It was not often that we
differed in opinion, but this was n
case, anyhow.
why, jim" said I, "you would
have been the last person l should have
expected to take that line, for I am
sure, from what I have seen, that if
ever two folks we're happy and loving,
they are Ellen and yourself. I can't
conceive of you having any secrets
which you would not wish Ella to
know"
"Ahr' retorted he, with a peculiar
smile, that's jIst it. Well, Howson,
I'll tell you one, if you like, though"
he added; Sit must remain a secret be
tween US two. 1 have spoken of
it to any one in the world, and never
shall, except to yourself"
Thanks, Jim, you need not fear me,
as you know. I am only curious to
know the case" and assumed an atti,
tude of eager attention to Jim's story.
Il vas the chaplain at Lowmarket,
as you are we'll aware, before l came
here. It is q pretty place, and one
wonders whatever made the Govern
ment build a Jail there. However,
there it is, and there was l. The
amount of society that one got in
Lowma,ket was perfectly astonishing.
| Had l had the time and inclination for
it, I might have turned out a regular
society clergyman. AS it was, I had
a full amount Of lectures, s~Oirees, par
ties and entertainments. Among the
people l got in with nom were nicer
than the Yorks. Miss York, a maiden
lady of fifty, lived in a large and beau
tifully furnished house, called The
Cedars, in the best part of the town.
She was known all over the district for
her charity, kindness of heart and pure
life. Everybody had a good word for
her. Nor was her niece, Miss York,
any less popular. People in LOwmar-
ket fairly worshiped both of them.
ST was twenty eight when l first saw
Ella York, and at once succumbed to
her charms. For weeks her praise had
been in my ears, and now, on acquaint
ance, l found her beauty, her manner,
her kindness of heart, not one whit
less than report ct ted. | loved her.
OF course l could not say so at once;
and whether, after two OF three meet
ings in the course of my work-for
Miss York, the elder, took great inter
est in our sphere of labor-she guessed
my love, and reciprOcated it, I could
not then say. I found. upon judicioue,
inquiry that Miss York-Ella-hed
lived with her aunt from child
hood; that she was now twenty
-four; that her mother was dead
o-1 LOa RokLn~ lT-n6 IN Rhn Tan
tinent for his health; also that she was
her aunt's sole heiress. These facts
were OF course only learned by de
grees, as one cannot go to the fountain
head for such information.
After much heart searching and
debating within myself I thought I
saw that Ella York was not wholly in
different to me, and l resolved.to ask
her to be my wife. 1 need not go into
details as to how l did it. beyond say
ing that it was one summer morning
rather more than five years ago, when,
having gone to see her aunt, who was
out, I met Ella in the grounds; and
after talking as we walked along on
various subj acts, somehow it came out
Unexpectedly, and almost before l
could comprehend what it all meant
Ella York had promise to be my wife,
subject to her aunt's consent.
But her aunt didn't consent. 1 re,
ceived a dainty note that night-how
tenderly 1 regarded it, Howsonl-from
Ella, saying that she had spoken OF
my visit to her aunt, and had told her