The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-10-21
Parsons Duty.
On Three Parts.)
PART II

ITO continue, clean-shaven, Of course,
| complexion clear and delicate, with just
| a tinge Of color-except, perhaps, in
/ Lent"
This man is very burnt, his hair show.
| through where he has shaved himself
horrid! and he's rather ruddy."
MY man should have small features, a
| Grecian nose, and large blue eyes. very
nice-looking, rather a sad face than jolly.
| Then, you're just ike me, and the re-
| atty has got black eyes, and rough fea-
lures. He may be good-looking, but he's
| got no sweetness near him: he looks a
| regular strong, raw schoolboy, nothing re-
| lgious-Lke about him, and such huge bony
! hands
They should be long. but tapering; he
| must hold them So"
| Phyllis endeavored to put her pair of
| plump, short hands together, her cream
| kid gloves objected, and button few in
| Marjorie's eye.
"And his voice, ah! his intonation must
| be like some soft flute, waving in tenor
| strains down the aisles, echoing-"
"Well, I have not heard this voice. He's
| got wife, you know"
Has hep
"And they say she's awfully pretty
oh.
II have not seen her, though"
Then I should doubt it,
They say she's IL"
ooh"
The conversation was getting fiat. They
adjourned from, the tombstone to the side
door, where an animated discussion was
going on among the villagers.
bliss me, yes L. old Mercy GUNNER
was nodding her head, and shaking her
crumpled, rheumatic forefinger, give we
tn old un agin' eny O. tn new-fangled
men with wifes henging to their packets.
This un is young, they yes, end poor, end
hawkes.. if, instid O. keeping his pickings
fur his p'risners, he does ma go end bring
bit O. girl olong o. him, end he'll have
family as Mendps, end not whit to
spare fur eny on us. End he weesits they
zey, milady will ha none as wunna weesit,
what we wants wild weesitors 1 dunnoa
see unless they brings comforts more nor
words along of 'em. Whin We wants 'em
let's send for 'em, yes Mercy, and whin we
does ma, let 'em keep away. The rich
folks 'ud ma like 'em in their kitchens.
a-poking their noses in this and that, esk-
ing where We got tn game from, end
what's yer husband, end where's yer son,
end dear knows what; telling yer it's no!ce
weather, and yer ought to be thankful,
when yer got eyes in yer own head, end
yer 'taters be rotting in ground. Ugh!
Civ I old stout parson, as never cam
an!gh We, but sent We pound O. beef at
Christmas, end a glass o. summat whin
he had the spasims-"
AYE, aye, that's what fetch'd un, was
it?'
Silas Sweet spoke sullenly. And when
my wife was a-dying. and I has to Zend
fer him. he gies me half-a-crown and tells
me tn snaw's too deep to venture out,
and Liza. mi girl, what was zervant there,
zaid he rolled in money-he gle 1t to save
trouble-he never mizzed ii, right ner left,
that's nice parsons to do ye souls guide,
neighbers?''
AYE, aye, it's ma only souls guide, 1t
comforts a body's heart te hev' a zympa-
thiser wild yer troubles"
Clara Shaw spoke quietly and sighed.
She was pale, thin woman, with fur
rowed, woe-begotten face.
"Afore came to live yere in hummer
zetshire, twas whin Shaw furst took to
the drink, tn parson in our village was
pesprut kind te me. He was big. power
full man, not like yon scraggy STRIPPING,
end ne thought nothin' dom enythin'.
He made me new leg to my battered
day he found me crying cause my man
'ad ma come home tie kill the pig, end all
was waitin'. end tn butcher had gone
from village, and he yes, yes he ''I'l kill
yer pig for We, ha' done wild those tears
Mussus Shaw end he gets his gardener
and they does it tween 'em, but parson
done 1t tidyest. Ay! I'm a-telling We no
lies, he was gentleman. indeed was he.
Well, this un has fine mans building In
him, but he's awful thin and weedy
like
He's as kind as yon fat man o. yourn,
I'll warrant" Mary Kitchen jerked in. IN
her sharp. harsh voice, The bound up
Charles thumb Yesterday, he zied him a.
crying
Hey. Mary. he has won yer heart,
Then bless hus hall. he can do wonders"
A general laugh greeted this sally. and
then 1t died quickly away, the bell had
stopped. Parson must have come!
When the latch OF the vestry door click
ed, and the ten black-coated. white-col-
Jared urchins filed forth in solemn process
sion, followed by the four portly tenors
and BASES. the whole congregation of ST.
Peters rustled with subdued excitement in
their pews. They dare not rise, they all
knew Lady Skincrosss opinion on that
x,
4 few heads turned imploringly in her
ladyship's direction. Perhaps even her Gu
riosity could not resist this trial. but 10,
they were doomed 10 disappointment.
Her ladysh!p remained firmly seated In
her pew, only her long tortoise-shell eye
glass was raised to rest on her long nose,
and her head was tilted slightly back
wards.
And then they looked in front OF them,
were doomed again to disappointment, for
this was all they saw.
a tall. thin man, with bent head. and
STOPPING shoulders. young. fine face, but
worn and troubled, a bright. nervous spot
burning on either cheek.
He looked neither TO the right nor TO the
left of him; one hand grasped the Bible,
the other hung loosely az his side.
Phyllis Hawkins sighed.
long alpaca cassock. q short transpar-
ent surpl.ce. and a stole embroidered with
three golden crosses, the back one decided
y askew.
Lady Skincross groaned.
The service began well enough.
Even Mercy GUNNER could find no fault
with the full. rich voice. that read so
clearly, so unlike the whisper Of the late
Rev. Josiah Portlymsn. Il gave the choir
boys an impetus. it stirred up the coagre-
cation. they had never before joined In
so heartily.
But this blissful union did not last lozg
In the Psalms the first hitch came
Lady SkincrOss dropped he- eye-giass |
on tie corner OF the pew. an5 smashed !
Il. the hair remaining on the Rev. Thso- I
6olphus Hunts wei-poEshej head, reared 4
itself on end. Perdita Jones g.ggied aloud. /
Behold an awful and popish proceeding, I