The record-union., 1898-10-16

| OF auburn half. she ndd5 seen the
shrinking, shame-faced child come in,
and after one gleam of amusement felt
her heart swell with pity. What a
shame to mortify a little thing So.
Finally she cast about for something
to divert her attention. She found a
picture paper, leaned over and put it
in Myrtle's hand, smiling back brightly
into the forlorn little face lifted to hers.
1t was at this moment that Mr.. Lay
looked toward his pew. When she
gave her attention to the sermon he
was preaching straight at old Mrs.
Ashton. But in that moment a mo-
mentous thing had happened. The
burdened father yearning for his wife S
help, had turned his eyes for some sign
Of her presence. He had seen instead
"a beautiful woman comforting his lit
tie child
There flashed before him another
scene. Helen Risdon had been Annie's
dearest friend. Together they had
watched her life go out. And as they
sat, one on each side of the bed. the
dying wife had brought their two hands
together. He thought at the time il
was the accident of carelessness. But
could Annie have meant?
He lost the thread of his discourse
just here-stood wondering blankly
what he should do-felt it swaying tow
ard him-clutched-m missed it-pulled
himself together for one superhuman
effort of memory-and went on, after
a pause that Mrs. Ashton said after
ward was the most impressive thing
she ever heard. Mr.. Lay determined
never, never to go into the pulpit again
without a written sermon, or at least
voluminous notesi
After dinner the minister took Myr-
| tie for their accustomed walk to the
country. He felt anxious to be alone.
Myrtle was no impediment to his
thoughts. Released from the bondage
of the brown gingham and basking in
the sunlight of her fathers doubled ten
derness, she had forgotten the morn
ing's trials, and gathered dandelions
with happy abandonment.
Mr.. Lay pondered long and deeply.
He had been profoundly stirred by the
occurrence of the morning. 1t was the
first time that the thought of marriage
had come seriously to him. He told
himself that he could not, could not
think of it-his heart was with Annie.
But-was it not a duty to provide q
mother for his motherless child? She
was growing willful and spoiled under
her grandmOther's lax government
This mornings experience showed him
that she needed a firm, sympathetic
nature to guide her Alright. And Hell
ems Womanly face rose before him.
Then he thought of Annie's joining
their hands. The dying see clearly, it
| is said Could it be that Annie in that
| hour had foreseen the loneliness and
needs of his home and meant to in
dicate to him what her wish would be?
And if it We're her wish-would he be
justified in disregarding it? He signed
| deeply. How impossible it would be for
Annie's place ever to be filled.
But for Myrtle's sake
And then-did he not owe a duty to
his church? He had realized in this last
year that when minister loses his
wife he lost his right arm. He ought
to make some pastoral calls now, but
he could not bring himself to do it
alone-he had depended so upon An
ME. Helen was good talker, too
When the Rev. Melancthon Lays
long conference with himself was over,
he was decided upon one point. He
would consider it. And when a widow
er of years standing gravely deter
mines to consider this question and
there is an attractive young woman to
be considered with it, the most un-
imaginative can hear the tinkle of mar
riage bells and the wC>ldly-wide pre-
pare for wedding.
Before he left the cemetery Mr.. Lay
reached another decision. He would
! give himself one month to have the
matter under advisement. He would
| do nothing hastily. He would study
Helen thoroughly, dispassionately, as
possible wife, mother, helpmate, house
| keeper-fOr one month At the end of
! that time
Here Mr.. Lay took his little daugh-
ter's hand and started home, feeling
somehow much comforted. 1t is al
ways relief to have settled a point.
He began his course of study imme-
diately. Helen was to lead the Young
Peoples meeting that evening He
would go.
| Helen Risdon was a very competent
young woman. She led the Heeting with
a self possession born of nothing short
of an utter lack of self-consciousness
How she would preside at a synodi-
cal missionary meetingl" thought the
young minister. Annie had been a lit
tie deficient at this point And Synod
was to meet here next fall!
The subject was Hope" and the pas
tor spoke beautifully and with grea,
fervor
For the next week the Rev. Melanc-
thon Lay was on a still hunt. SO to
speak
AT the end of that time he was per-
fectly convinced that it was not worth
While to consider longer Helen's char
acter and qualifications stood the most
searching scrutiny. 1t would be folly
to wait the month out, now that he
was decided
He went home with her from Thurs
DAY night prayer meeting. AS he left
her at the door he asked her if he could
see her the next afternoon on a most
important matter
About the Visiting Committee?"
No., he replied gravely, about a
matter that concerns only ourselves.
| but is of deep Importance to me"
No woman ever misunderstands such
| words from a man-Whatever she NAV
say. Helen Risdon thought them over
till the morning hours. She was true
woman. She had a woman's longing
for mans love-for home-for a place
in the world such as only the beloved
mistress of a home commands
| She was past the first flush of wo-
manhood. She had told herself some
times half jestingly half sadly, shat
this happiness was not to be for her.
| But now--to have the love of a man
like Meancthon lay
| She knelt by her bedside then in the