The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1898-08-27

Rev. Wetherby Smiles was rector al
st. James and occupied a rose-embow-
cred cottage not far from the church.
The cottage. with its attendant garden,
was dainty, pretty spot which looked
as though a woman's hand had planted
and cared for 1t.
But no woman had anything to dc
with tue rectory. Rev. Smiles only
servant was a doddering old man; the
rector prepared bis own meals, except
when he was invited to tea by some old
lady who pltied his lonely, indigestion
breeding existence.
Not that Rev. Wetherby Smiles was
a woman hater, but Mr.. Smiles wal
very high church indeed. Unfortunate
ly, st. James and the parish people
were extremely low.
The rector felt that the clergy, to be
able to give their whole time and
thought 10 their work, should live lives
OF eeilbacy. lie had felt at times q
strong drawing towards some ecclesi-
astical order I'm which such vows would
be necessary. Then lie would wear
some outward sign of his VOWS. aud the
young women of his parish would moi
fall In love with him.
The rector was young and cookbook
ing: he had been in bis present pastor
ate less than year. and he had already
had an experience.
Rev, Wetherby Smiles, from 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 life.
He looked across his garden, | say,
and across the garden, beyond the low
hedge, WAS another garden which IN
summer was full of color. He had no.
ticed the brilliant. hued beds the year
before, but now the only bit of color
was pale blue morning robe that hit
ted about the Enclosure.
To tell the truth. the rector had sell
dom noticed that morning gown or the
little woman inside ii before. But II
pleased his fancy now 10 look across
the hedge and watch his neighbor.
lie recalled that his old major dome
had told him the cottage next the par
sonage was occupied by a widowed
lady-a lonely creature who had taken
up her abode there but shortly before
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. seor.
rlteh.a and probably had not given her
a thought or 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 clinglng, fawn-col
ored 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 Rev. Wetherby
Smiles world.
on Monday morning the clerical
black appeared In the reetory garden
about as soon as the pretty morning
robe appeared over the hedge. The de
mure little face dimpled and smiled I'm.
der its garden hat at the reetors ap-
proaeh. and the widow nodded brightly
You are early at your gardening this
morning. Mrs. Scorriteh, he said.
Yes, but it's so warm, she replied
In defense. Il am expecting my Gro
cuses to appear any day now"
I'm afraid Wen SEQ some frost yet
Mrs. Scorrltch. said the rector.
"Now don't talk that way, | begr
cried the little woman, elasping her
hands inclosed in long wrlsted and par.