Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-09-21
A. CONNECTICUT PRISCILLA.
How She Rebuked Her John Alden
BY G. H.

If anyone had limited to pretty Mat
tie Woolston that she would ever fig
ure as heroine in story she would
have opened her brown eyes wide in
smazement. She was the only child
of good old DR.. Woolston of Greyport,
thriving village in Connecticut, and
in the circle of village society was con-
sidered at once a belle and an heiress.
Hair and eyes the color of chestnut
when first the burr uncloses, a COM
plexion as soft as satin and white as
milk, with the prettiest rose tint of
color on the round cheeks; white, even
teeth set in pretty, smiling mouth,
and a figure tall, slight and graceful,
were the attractions in appearance of
the village beauty.
But those who knew Matte Wool
ston we'll were wont to say that her
pretty face and figure were the least
of her charms. She had low, musi-
cal voice, manner graceful and easy,
high-bred by intuition of what was
dignifed and maideny; she was the
neatest housekeeper in Greyport, and
ali her tasteful dresses and hats were
the work OF her own deft fingers. She
had read intelligently and could con-
verse WELL
So it is no matter for wonder that
Matte had many lovers; but foremost
upon the list, to all appearance, was
handsome Ned Gordon, who was ''co,-
lege taught and whose father shared
the aristocratic honors of Greyport
with the doctor and minister, being
the only lawyer i'll the village
The minister was bache' e'or of near
ly 40 years of age, who had come but
recently to Greyport to preside over
the church where the Woolstons and
the Gordons had each pew. He was
grave, reserved man, whose face
bore the impress of sorrows and cares
conquered, and succeeded by the Sc
rene peace that is far above the care
less content that has never known IN
terruption. He was not a handsome
man, but had large, tender eyes under
broad white brow, and these would
irradiate his comely face with a light
almost divine when he preached with
an eloauence and simplicity rarely
combined. His earnest simplicity
was the deepest, highest eloquence,
and men went from his church slowly
and thoughtfully, pondering upon
truths that were but homely, every
day facts, but suddenly had been illu-
minated by earnest eloquence into
God-ordained paths to salvation o.
perdition.
One Of these men, young, wealthy
and full of talent, was Ned Gordon,
Mattie's ardent admirer from boyhood.
He had left her in sobbing pain of
love to go to boarding school, had felt
his heart torn when college took him
again from Matte and had become
more devoted than ever when he came
home ''for good" to find her grown
to womanhood, fairer than ever.
The minister had been wont to say
of Ned Gordon, when he considered
the subject at all, that he "was not a
bad fellow, Us fellows co." being sim
ply an idle hanger on to his fathers
wealth, desultory student OF musty
law books when the mood seized him,
floating carelessly down life's stream,
doing no especial harm by the way,
but assuredly doing no good, either.
OF his personal responsibility in the
scheme of creation he had never
thought until Harvey Stillman came
to preside over the white church at
Greyport, where Neds fine tenor was
quite feature in the choir. 1t must
be confessed that, under the dull,
prosy teaching of Harvey Stilman's s
predecessor, the choir seat had been
gathering place for much Irritation
and mischief making among the BELLE
and beaux of the village, and Ned's
chief magnet was the certainty of sit
ting near Matte and hearing her clear,
sweet soprano join his own voice.
But before Harvey Stillman had
been month at Greyport Ned was un.
easily conscious that many of his
words were as dagger thrusts at hi.
own aimless life, and, waking to this
consciousness, he also wakened tt
another disagreeable fact, namely. tha
Matte was also realizing that life wa!
amore earnest, real thing than she hat
before pictured it to herself.
She had never been drone in til,
hive, but she had become more active
ly useful outside of her little hom,
world, visiting, in a quiet, unostenta
tious way, amongst the poorest of he
fathers patients, doing good in al
humble spirit, but with sincere de
sire to help, as far as possible, thos,
who needed her gentle ministrations
Ned loved her more than ever TO
the gentle self-denials she practised 6,
quietly that only those who were bcne
fitted knew of them; but. to lis grea