Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1899-01-13
DURELL'S MISSION.

MIS- quill pen and adJuated mis- glasses
more evenly ON his nose and proceeded
10 write out his sermon, in which he
was pointing out the error Of allowing
merely temporal things to interfere
with those Of eternal significance. lea
bod was a plain, earnest man, who
worked faithfully at the problems of q
parish in colonial Virginia. which were
much like those Of every parish every
where, only hat he had come into closer
touch with his people than have many
ministers before and since his day.
Icabod bit his pen In hope of inspira-
ton, but his thoughts would turn from
his theme TO one Of the younger men In
whom he was deeply interested and Of
whom lately no had seen but little, and
he found IL difficult to select texts in
Genesis and Revelation exactly to illus.
trnte his point. So no sat at his square
mahogany table absorbed In thought
and drew the plume Of his quill pen
back and forth In q reflective way across
his nose.
James Hopkins came in through the
open door nnd patiently waited for the
parson to finish tho sentence which he
was writing. This IcabOd finally no.
Complished and became aware Of Hop
kins, standing near.
81 didn't hear you. " he said, apollo
giving.
mo matter" answered Hopkins,
and both men sat down beside the big,
book laden tablo.
"Parson, I'm in trouble" Hopkins
began, "and 1 want your help"
Anything 1 can do" said Icabod,
"yOu know l will"
Hopkins hesitated. Then no took the
plunge tits about Sally Dawes. 1
suppose you'll laugh at me for com
ing, and he fumbled the hat in his
hand, but l can't make her listen to
me, and / don't know what to do. She
promised to marry me, and now she
says that she never will"
The parson waited for him { go on,
but Hopkins seemed to have finished all
ho had to say.
"And you want me to speak to her7''
Icabod inquired, looking at his embar-
raised caller with some amusement.
"Yes, said Hopkins, land l want
you to make her marry me-. You could
do It. You know I'd be q good hus-
band. and you could talk about it-nnd
explain things" he ended rather
vaguely.
Icabod was silent Hc considered a
moment.
well. James," no answered, "In
speak 70 Sally Dawes for you. but she
has many men to choose from, you
know that. and I'm but a poor pleadcr.
Still I'll try"
Hopkins looked app~reciative and Of
fered the parson q pinch of SNUFF. Then
he rose. and the two men shook hands,
and Hopkins went out into tho summe
world.
Icabod looked after him with some
~eomplncency. So it was this that had
been keeping him away. He would
BtTaighten out matters with Sally
Dawes. The girl was a fool moi to keep
q man like Hopkins IL once she had the
luck to get him. Meantime there was
his sermon. so he went back to the ia
BILE and again gently rubbed his nose
with his featbered pen and tried once
more to got tho drift Of his argument.
The next afternoon IcabOd rode over
to the Dawes plantation, where he
found two Of his younger brethren en-
joying themselves in Miss Sally's com.
pany. With patience and long suffering
he waited until they reluctantly had
gone, and then he proceeded at once to
deliver his message
And he's a worthy man, and you
should DO ashamed to treat him to
whom you're betrothed In such q fash
ion" ne ended.
Sally listened attentively and ar
ranged her neokerchief.
''It's DO different from the way /
have treated the others. " she answered
at last, with no attempt 70 seem inn
pressed with her W faults. ''If James
Hopkins would come a-wooing, let him
bespeak himself and not go bothering
the parson."
Its no such great bother, /" replied
kcabod candidly. with the air OF one
who valves the point merely Of guam
tity, "only You don't seem 10 under
stand what your actions mean to James
Hopkins. He's no man to be forever
chasing after a woman. There arc
many girls In the county who'd be glad
of him"
"They're welcome to him, and you
may tell James Hopkins the same and
give him ny best good wishes. " replied
sally, with all sweetness.
SO the interview ended T. seemed to
IcahOd uselcss TO discuss the subject
further. He had done his duty, and it
was nearing supper time. so no took his
leave and rode away. amused aud rather
sorry and wondering which Of the other
young men was to marry the prettiest
girl in the parish. Her picture came
back TO him as she had stood on the low
piazza. u arm resting against the vine
covered post, the Sunshine playing ON
her fair hair. which had blown a little
over her brown eyes. so filled with
mischief. She certainly was the pret-
tiest maiden in the parish, Icabod
thought mere candor compelled the ad.
mission, aud he wondered If the tea
cakes woLid booScrdono, and according
ly applied lis riding stick and hurried
en- toward the parsonage.
During The sunday nic oniug Hop.