The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-12-08
Creeds and Crocuses.
By W. Bert Foster. In Two Pafts)
PART


PART L
The Rev. Wetherby Smiles was rector at
ST. James, and occupied rose embowered
cottage not far from the church. The cot
tage, with its attendant garden. was a
dainty, pretty spot which looked as though
a woman's hand had planted and cared
for it.
But no woman had anything to do with
the rectory. The Rev. Smiles only serv-
ant was a doddering old man; the rector
prepared his own meals, except when he
was invited to tea by some old lady who
pitied mis- lonely, indigestion breeding ex-
istence.
Not that the Rev. Wetherby Smiles was
a woman hater, but Mr.. Smiles was very
high church. indeed. Unfortunately, st.
James and the parish and the people were
extremely low.
'The rector felt that the clergy,f to be
able to give their whole time and though.
to their work, should live lives of celibacy.
He had felt at times a strong drawing to-
wards some ecclesiastical order in. which
such vows would be necessary. Then he
would wear some outward sign of his vows,
and the young women of his parish would
not fall in love with him.
The rector was young and good looking;
he had been in his present pastorate six
months, and he had already had an expe-
rierce.
The Rev Wetherby Smiles from his study
window, could look across his garden plot
and see the brown earth warming in the
spring sunshine and the trees and bushes
slowly bursting into leaf.
He looked across MS garden, say, and
across the garden, beyond the low hedge,
was another garden, which in summer
was full of color. He had noticed the
brilliant hued beds the year before, but
now the only bit of color was pale blue
morning robe that fitted about the inclo-
sire.
To tell the truth, the rector had seldom
noticed that morning gown or the little
woman inside it before. But It pleased his
fancy now to look across the hedge and
watch his neighbor.
He recalled that his old major domo had
told him the cottage next the parsonage
was occupied by widow lady-a lonely
creature who had taken up her abode there
but shortly before the Rev. Smiles was
settled over st. James. He remembered
the little figure in black in one of the side
pews, pointed out to him by the clerk as
Mrs. Scorritch," and probably had not
given her a thought or a glance afterward.
However, he saw so much Of the pale
blue gown that first warm week In spring
that he looked for the little widow in her
pew the next Sabbath. She had laid aside
her weeds and was dressed in some soft,
clinging, fawn colored material that made
her look like very demure little moth.
And she had the sweetest face in the world
at least, the sweetest face in the Rev.
Wetherby Smiles world.
On Monday morning the clerical black
appeared in the rectory garden almost as
soon as the pretty morning robe appeared
over the hedge. The demure little face
dimpled ard smiled under its garden hat
at the rectors approach, and the widow
| nodded brightly.
You are early at your gardening this
spring Mrs. Scorritch, he said.
Yes, but 1t is so warm she replied in
defense. 81 am expecting my crocuses to
appear any day now"
81 am afraid We'll see some frost yet
Mrs. Scorritch," said the rector.
NOW, don't talk that way, 1 begI" cried
the little woman, clasping her hands, iu-
closed in long-wristed and particularly
| well-fittirg gauntlets. Just suppose my
crocuses should come up and be frost bit
ten. ", lile lncuSnt Is 100 AWFUL
'I sincerely hope you will not be disap-
| pointed, but this climate is uncertain"
Many were the conferences held across
| the hedge regarding the proper pruning OF
rose trees, the planting of hardy seeds.
and the preparation of the beds of earth
The rector had never suspected there was
so much detail to the business of garden
| ing.
One morning, just after warm night
rain, the Rev. Smiles was called to the
hedge by a little cry from his neighbor.
"They are comingi" she cried in delight
| See! Here is the dearest little blade oi
greer pushing up through the mold-an6
| there is another-and another! Just look
| at them!'
The rector found It necessary to leap the
! hedge Che had been something Of an ath-
lete at the university and certainly this
spring weather was sending the blood
ceursing through his veins quite ike old
| times) and look at the crocus bed near
| to.
They are such lovely ones" she said
earnestly. 81 don't believe you noticed
| them at all last spring" Che pronounced
| maiedictions upon himself for having been
previous season., ''but they will be even
| better this year-if we don't have that hor,
| rid frost you have been prophesying."
| But when he returned TO his own lonely
domain and entered his study he stopped
| and thought seriously for minute. Then
| he cast his fiat-crowned ministerial hat
upon the floor with great emphasis and ex-
| claimed:
Its my creed. I tell you, that q man ir
orders should not marry"
| Now, there was no one visible TO argue
| the question, and yet there seemed to be
argument in his own mind. for the Rev
| Wetherby Smiles smote his palm with his
| clenched fist angrily and kicked the fat
| crowned hat to the other end of the
| room.
Brief Notes of Nota ables.
| Ellen Terry once received an act of kind
| ness from a young London clubman and