The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1898-07-21
THE WIDOWS GARDEN,


The cottage viih ils stteadan, ssrde
uas dsisty. pretty spot Which looked
though vomsn's hsnd bad plsdnei 81
cared Tor H. But 10 woman hsd ar
ihiug 10 DO witb The rectory. The he
Mr.. smiles oaiy servant was dodderln
old msn. The rector prepared bis ow
mesls. except shen be wSs invited to Il
by some old lady vho pitied bis lionel!
Indigestion breeding eIlstence.
Not that the Rev. wetherby Smiles VI
q womsn batter. bu; Mr., Smiles was yer
high church Indeed. Uniorlunstely 81
James aud the parish aud the peopI
sere very poor. The good peope like
the Rev. Mr. Smiles and tried to folo'
his suggestions upon high ehurch nssges
Bn, there are people. you know. whor
you couldnt make high church with
jack crew. The communicsnts OF 81
J mes were mostly farmers and smsI
'rstesmen.
The rector felt that the clergy, TO b
able to give their whole time and though
TO their work, should live lives OF cellbl
cy. He bad felt a, times 8 strong draw
log toward some ecclesissticical order IL
which s1ch VOWS would be necessary
Then be could wear some outward sign oil
bis vows, aud the young women Of bis PAL
Ish would not fall in love With him. Tue
rector was young aud good looking, lie
bad been 10 bis present psstorste six
months, and be bad already had an eIperi
ence.
The yonug rector lived with hi. books,
occasionally taking little recreation IN
the garden. The roses disappeared. the
leaves fell and left the clinging vines bare
aud the snow covered the prim little beds
10 the rectory garden. Thus year Of
his psstorae closed and the spring drew
near.
The Rev. Wetherby Smiles from his
study window could look across his gar
den plot aud see the brown earth warming
10 the spring sunshiue aud the trees and
bushes slowly bursting into leaf. Nature
is always most attractive in the spring,
and nature in thousand ways, with bud
aud leaf and warmin earth and white
a soked sky and sweet sir, wooed him
from bis books.
He looked across his garden, say.
Aud across the garden beyond the low
hedge was another garden. which in sum
mer 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
enclosure.
To tell the truth, the rector had seldom
noticed that morning gown or the llittle
woman inside it before. But it pleased
his fancy now to look across the hedge
and watch his neighbor. He recalled
that bis old major dono had told him the
cottage next the parsonage was occupied
by widow lsdy-A lonely creature who
had taken up her abode there but shortly
before the Rev. Mr.. Smiles was settled
over st. James. He remembered the lit
lie figure 10 black in one OF the side pews.
pointed ont TO him by the clerk as "Mrs.
Scorritcb, and probably had not given
Ter thought or glance aiterwsrd.
However, be saw so much OF the pale
blue gown that first warm week 10 spring
hat be looked for the little widow in her
,ew the next Sabbath. She had laid
side her weeds aud dressed in some soft,
linging. fswn colored material. that
made her look like q very demure little
moth. And she had the sweetest face in
be world at least the sweetest face in
be Rev We,herby Smiles world.
On Monday morning the clerical black
ppeared 10 the reo,ory garden almost ss
oon as the pretty morning robe appeared
yer the hedge. The demure little face
IMPLIED aud smiled under its garden bat
t the rector's approach, and the widow
odded brightly.
You are early at your gardening this
prine. Mrs. Scorritch. he said.
YES. But is is so warm, she replied in
eiense. | AN expecting my crocuses to
ppear any day now
I'm AFRAID we shall see some frost yet,
irs. Scorritch, said the rector.
Nov, don't talk that way, | beg cried
be little woman, clsspiug her hands, 1
nclored in long wristed and particularly
Iell fitting gsuDtlets. just suppose my 1
rocuses should come up shd be frost bit |
enl Oh, the thought is too awful
sincerely hope you will not be disap {
ointed. but this climate is uncertain.
After thst the Young rector often found
quite necessary for his health to work
1,his garden while the blue gown fittiog
Ike butterfly from rose tree TO vine end I
rom vine to hedgeiow was in evidence 10
be- neighboring yard. Reilly, after por !
Dc over musty theological tones all win |
sr, man N nst se, come freshness in his |
oul aud new blood In his heart.
The ssreenins went on space, aud the [
rescherons warm weather continued.
isry were the conietences held scross I
be hedge reg-rdins the proper pruning /
I rose trees, the planting OF bsriy seeds I
I'd the preparation OF the beds Of earth G
be rector never suspected there was so 4
luch detail to the business OF gardening. t
Oae morning Just sitter warm night '
.in, the Rev Mr. Smiles vas called TO '
be hedge by little cry from bis neigh /
or. d
They are coming the criel with de &
-, g. hsra IL tfa deare,t l{ttla 4