The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1897-10-12

Lney arrived IN England one delightful
summer evening and travelled direct to
London. When they reached their hotel,
letter was put into Mr. Merrifelds
hands briefly announcing his sisters
death the day before. She had gone to
bed in her usual health, and when her
maid went to arouse her the following
morning she found her dead.
Ella was sincerely sorry, but she
grieved more on her husbands account
than her own. Perhaps deep down in
her heart there was feeling of relief,
though she hated herself for it when
she saw how terribly stricken and over
come the archdeacon was on learning of
his bereavement
Like all very intellectually and
highly strung characters, he has a most
affectionate and sensitive nature" she
explained to their many inquiring
friends
Months passed, and the archdeacon
began to recover his spirits, but some
subtle change had come over him. His
sermons were no longer what they used
to be. Whereas formerly he "spake as
a dying man to dying men," he now
uttered trite and commonplace aphor-
isms, which fell vaguely on the ears of
those who listened
The delivery was the same-the voice
deep, full and musical, and the gestures
simple and graoeful-but the subject
matter, alas. how different was it'll
What had become of the beautiful,
poetical thoughts? Where were the
strength and pathos and tenderness
which had characterized the archdea-
con S former discoursesP
People began to whisper among them
selves of the change and assigned as the
cause the shock of the news of Miss
Merrifield's sudden death, but to Ella
the thing was bitter in the extreme.
When she came out of the cathedral
after her husband had preached, instead
of a murmur of rapturous appreciation
there was now silence. 1t was positive
torture to her to listen to him Her
heart beat and her cheeks grew pale
whenever she saw him ascend the pull
pit and she fancied that people looked
pityingly toward her She became SO
sensitive upon the point at last that on
the occasions when her husband was 60
ing to preach she used to make some
excuse for remaining at home.
The climax came when the arch
deacon was requested to preach special
sermon when a new bell was hung in
the tower
The cathedral would be graced by
the presence of royalty on that occasion,
and Ella could not conceal her anxiety.
For fortnight beforehand Mr. Merri-
field used to shut himself up in his study
every morning after breakfast, while
his wife kept watch and ward and per-
mitted no one to disturb his medita-
tions
When the day came, he was not
ready at his usual time, so Ella went to
his study and knocked at the door Re-
ceiving no answer, she entered and
found her husband sitting by the writ
ing table with his face buried in his
hands.
Are you ready, dear?" Ella asked
softly sit is time we started.
He lifted his head and looked at her
strangely.
Come here, Ella, he said hoarsely
Il want to tell you something.
She was alarmed and went hastily
over to him, laying her hand on his
shoulder
Are you ill, dearestP" she asked
anxiously.
He made an impatient movement,
and she drew her hand away.
II know that you have noticed, as
everybody else has noticed. the wretched
falling off in my sermons lately" he
said abruptly God knows have tried
hard and done my best''- He broke
off abruptly, and there was a long
pause. Il never wrote line of them,
Ella, he resumed at last "She wrote
them all-yes, all l was only her
mouthpieoe. " And he pointed to the
photograph of his sister, which stood
upon the table among his books and pa
pers.
Ella reeled. The shock was too great
She could not utter a word either Of
comfort or reproach, and, turning away,
she stole silently out of the room.
The archdeacon never recovered his
lost gift, and people used to speak Of it
as singular instance of the effect of
grief upon sensitive and tender heart
There is tablet to the memory of
Miss Merrifield which was placed in
the cathedral by her brother, but the in
habitants of Roxton will never be aware
of how great and noble a soul once
dwelt among them in the person of the
archdeacon' S sister CULVER