The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-07-20
(Continued)

The vestry was larger than should
have supposed IL to be. judging from the
outside only. 1t was a dim. moldy melan-
choly old room, with low. raftered cell
| ing. Round two sides OF IT. the sides near
est to the interior OF the church. ran
| heavy wooden presses, worm-eaten and
gaping with age. Hooked 10 the inner
corner OF one OF these presses hung sew
eral surplices. all bulging out at their
! lower ends I'm an irreverent-looking bun
| die OF limp drapery. Below the surplices.
on the floor stood three packing cases,
with the lids half of. half on, and the
straw profusely bursting out OF their
cracks and crevices In every direction.
Behind them. In a corner. was n litter or
dusty papers; some large and rolled up.
like architects plans; Some loosely
strung together on fles. like bills or let
ters. The room had once been lighted by
a small window; but this had been brick
ed up. and lantern sky-light WAS now
substituted for It, The atmosphere OF the
place was heavy and moldy. being render
ed additionally oppressive by the render
OF the door which led into the church.
This door also was composed OF solid
oak. and was bolted, at top and bottom
on the vestry side.
I'VE might be tdier. mightn't we
sir7" said the cheerful clerk. But when
you're in a lost corner OF a place like
this, what are you TO do? Why. look
here, now-just look at these packing
cases. There they've been for a year or
more. ready 10 go down to Iondon--there
they are, littering the place-and there
they'll stop as long as the nails hold
them together I'll tell you what. sir.
as said before, this is not London. We
are all asleep here. Bless you. we don't
march with the timeSi'
What Is there In the packing cases."
/ asked. Bits OF Old wood carvings
from the pulpit, and panels from the
chancel, and images from the organ
loft" said the clerk Portraits OF the
twelve apostles in woodland not a whole
nose among EN-. All broken and worm
eaten, and crubling 10 dust at the edges
as brittle as crockery. sir and as old as
the church, II not older
And why were they going to Londons
To be repaired7"
That's IT, sir. To be repaired and
where they were past repair. 10 be copied
in sound wood. But bless you. the money
fell Shorthand there they are. waiting for
new subscriptions. and nobody TO sub
scribe. II was all done year ago, sir.
Six gentlemen dined together about Il at
the hotel IN the new town. They made
speeches, and passed resolutions, and put
their names down, and printed OFF thou
pectuses. sir all nourished over with
Gothic devices In red ink saying II was
a disgrace not 20 restore the church and
repair the famous carvings, and so on.
There are the prospectuses that couldn't
be distributed, and the architects plans
and estimates. and the whole correspond
ence. which set everybody at loggerheads
and ended in n dispute, all down together
In that corner behind the packing cases
The money dribbled In n little at first
but what can you expect out OF London? ,
There was just enough, you know, 10
pack the broken carvings. and get the eg
Inmates, and pay the printers bill--and |
after that there wasn't n half-penny left !
There the things are, as i said before !
We have nowhere else 10 put them-no- |
body In the new town cares about accom- |
modating us-were In n lost corner-and |
this Is an untidy vestry-and who's 10 |
help it?-thats what ! want to know"
My anxiety 10 examine the register did |
not dispose me to OFFER much encourage /
ment to the old mans talkativeress / /
agreed with him that nobody could help |
the unudiness OF the vestry, and then
suggested that we should proceed TO our
business without more delay
"Ay ay, the marriage register. TO he
sure said the clerk, taking a little
bunch OF keys from his pocket How
far do you want TO look back, sir7"
Marian had informed me OF Sir Per-
civars age at the time when we had
spoken together OF his marriage engage
ment with Laura She had then described
him as being IS years old. Calculating
back from this, and making due allow
ance for the year that had passed since
! had gained my information. l found
that he must have been born in eighteen
hundred and four. and that might safe
ly start on my search through the reg
lister from that date.
II want to begin with the year eighteen
hundred and four" I said.
Which way after that. sir?" asked the
clerk. Forward 10 our time. or hack
ward away from us?"
backward from eighteen hundred and
four"
He opened the door of one Of the press-
es the press from the side OF which the
suTplices were hansing-and produced A
large volume bound i'm greasy brown
leather. 7 was struck by the Insecurity
NJ the place I'm which the register wa.
fert. The door or the press was warped
ana cracked with age and the lock was
~ the smallest and commonest kind.
could have forced IL easily with the walk
ng-stick carried in my hand
Is That considered a sufficiently secure
place for the register" inquired
surely book OF such Importance as
his ought to be protected by better
ock. and kept carefully in on ron rafe.'
We'll now. that's curiousr said the
ferk. shutting up the book again. iust
lfter he had opened II. and srnacking mis-
land cheerfully on the cover. Those
we're the very words my old master was
tways saying years and years ago. when
was lad. Why isn't the register
meaning this register here under nv
land)-'why isn't IL kept I'm an iron safe7'
Z I've heard him say that once I've
ieard him say II hundred times He
vas the solicitor In those day., sir. who | !,
lad the appointment OF ve~try-clerk 10
his church. A fine. hearty old gentle
the most particular man |
'reathing As long as ne lived he kept
copy of this book in his ONCE ~
Nnowlesbury, and had IL posted up reg :
lar. from dine % time 10 corresrond
With the fresh entries here. You would J
stdly think IL. but he had his own ap-
ointe1 DAYS, once or twice I'm every J
Lsrter for riding over 10 this church 9
u his old white pony, 60 check the copy !
y the res ster by his own eyes and {
ands. How do I know Che used 20 ?