Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-07-07
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

dainty, pretty spot which looked as though
woman's hand had planned and cared
for it. But no woman had anything to to
with the rcctory. The Rev. Mr.. smiles
only servant was doddcring old man.
The rector prepared his own meals, except
when he was invited to tea by some old
lady who piticd his lonely indigestion
breeding existence.
Not that the Rev. Wcthorby Smiles was
n woman hatcr, hut Nv. Smiles was very
high church indeed Unfortunately IT.
James and the parish and the people were
very poor. The good people liked the Rev,
MIR. Smiles and tried to follow his sug
gcstiuns upon high church usngcs. But
there are people, you know, whom You
couldn't make high church with "A jack
screw. The communicates of 1t. James
were mostly farmers and small tTadosmCn.
The rector felt that the clergy. to be
able to give their whole time ana thought
To their work, should live lives Of cclibacy.
He had felt at times "A strong drawing to-
ward some ecclesiastical order in which
such vows would he necessary. ThCn he
could wear some outward sign of his vows,
and thcyoun women Of his parish would
not fall in love with him. The rector was
young and good looking. lie had been in
his present pastoratc six months, and ho
had already had an experience.
The young rector lived with his books,
occasionally taking II little recreation in
the garden. The roses disappeared, the
leaves fell and left the cinging vines bare
and the snow covered the prim little beds
in the roctory garden. Thus II year of his
pastoratc closed and the spring drew near
The Rev. WCthcrby Smiles from his
study window could look across his garden
plot and see the brown earth warming in
the spring sunshine and the trees rnd
bushes slowly bursting into leaf, Natmc
Is always most attractive in the spring,
and nature in II thousand ways, with bad
ard leaf and warming earth and whilu
ilcckcd sky and sweet air, WUOcd hill
| from his books.
lie looked across his garden, say, Ard
| across the garden beyond tho low hedf
was another garden, which in summer
was full of color. He had noticed the bril-.
! liant hucd beds the year before, but now
tho only Bit of color was pale blue morn
| ing robe that fitted about the inclosure.
To tell the truth, the rector had seldom
noticed that morning gown or the little
woman inside it before, But it pleased
| his fancy now to look across the hedge and
watch his ncighbor. He recalled that his
old major domo had told him the cottage
next the parsonage was occupied by Il
widowed lady-a lonely creature who had
/ taken up her abode there but shortly be-
| fore the Roy. Mr.. smiles was settled over
| St. James. lie remembered the little fig
urc in black in ono Of the side pcwS, point
cd cut to him by the clerk as Mrs. Scor-
rtch, =" and probably had not given her Il
thought or u glance aftcrward.
However, no saw 80 much Of the pale
! blue gown that first warm week in spring
that hc locked for the little widow in her
pow the next sabbath. she had laid asidl
| her weeds and was dressed In some soft,
| clingng, iawn COlorCd material, that made
her look Ike very dcnure little moth.
And sho had tho sweetest face in the world
-at least the sweetest face i'll the Rev.
Wethcrby Smiles world
| On Monday morning the clerical black
appeared in the rcctory garden almost as
soon rs tho pretty morning robe appeared
over the hedge. The dcmurc little face
dimplcd and smiled under its garden hat
at the rcctor's approach, and the widow
nodded brightly.
"Hou are carly mt your gardening thi,
spring, Mrs. Scorritch, he said.
Eyes. But it is so warm, +" she replied
In defense. Il am expecting my crocuse'
to appear any day now"
I'm afraid we shall see some frost yet,
Mrs. SCorritch, " said the rector
"Now, don't talk that way, | beg!
cried the littlc woman, claspinR her hands
incloscd in long wristcd and particularly
| well fitting gauntlCtS. Just suppose my
crocusrs should como up and be frost bit
ten oh, the thought is too awtul!'
II sincerely hope YOU will not be disap
pointed, but this climate is uncertain"
After that the young rector often found
it quito necessary for his health 10 work
in his garden while the blue gown llitting
like IA butterfly from rose tree To vino and
from vine to hcdgorow was in evidence IL
the ncighboring yard. Really, after porting
over musty theological tones all winter, Il
man must get some freshness In his soul
and new blood in his heart.
The gardening went on apacc, and the
trcachcrous warm weather continued.
Many were the conferences held across the
hedge regarding the proper pruning of ros,
trees, the planting of hardy seeds and the
preparation OF the beds of earth, The rec
tor had mover suspected there was 50 much
detail to the business OF gardening.
| WV ilJIIlillSi JNNN dANNA "a w "a ~ HiSA''
rain, the Rev, Mr. smiles was called L
the hedge by little cry from his neighbour
They are coming she cried in de
light. See, here is the dearest little blad(
Of green pushing up through the mold
and there is anothcr-and another. JUS
look at thcn!"
The rector found it necessary to leap thc
hedge (ho had been something Of an athlct,
ut the university, and certainly this spring
weather was sending the blood Coursins
through his veins quite like old timos) ant
look mt the crocus lid,
"Thcy are such lovely ones, " she SAID
earnestly. 81 don't believe you notices
them at all last SPRING the pronounce
maledictions upon himself for having bee
SO blind rs to miss SO much beauty tn
previous season., "but they will be eve
better this ycar--if we don have that hoI
rid frost you have been prophesying."
She looked up at him roguishly, and
suddenly crossed the young rcctor's min
that several ycllowish green points of ere
Gus blade, breaking the damp soil, mad
n far prottier picture than the finest rose
bush in full bloom which no had over seen
1t was strange fact and one he had neve
discovered before.
But when no had returned to his ow
lonely domain and entered his study h