River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-07-07

r.
ibis eyelashes-for he did not dare to
open his eyes-Rev. Eustace was walk
ing on clouds, and the clouds were COM
Eposed of sand. AS far as the eye could
reach there was nothing but sand, and
most of it was on the move.
"What an awful place to live inl" he
said to himself as, crushing his felt hat
down over his ears, he bent to the wind
and strobe on.
He was q genial little soul but lately
transferred from an East End parish to
a ctracy at st. MichaePs and All Angels,
EDunneceater, which the natives call Dun
Bter; a parish carrying about as many
Ito the square mile as his former one had
ito the square foot Rev. Eustace's views
were distinctly high; he rather enjoyed
the smell of incense and would have
liked to experiment with the confess
,eional. At times he had strong ideas
respecting the celibacy of the clergy;
but his views on this matter varied &C.
Jcording to circumstances and both the
views and the circumstances were open
TO improvement. In spite of these draw
backs the curate was an exceedingly
good-hearted little fellow. His views Of
Ihis duty to the people were quite as
6n the East End slums he had so nearly
worked himself into the grave that the
bishop had bestirred himself on his be-
Ehalf, and found for him O. fresh-air
curacy as the alternative to reading the
burial service over him.
That was how Rev. Eustace happened
to be ploughingl through the Dunster
sands that wild November AFTERNOON to
visit an outlying parishioner who lay
somewhat heavily on the conscience of
the reetors wife. If it had been his
predecessor, now, he would have looked
at the smoking flats for exactly ten Sec
Onds, and said, "Not today, Bakerl" or
something equally to the point; then he
would have made q Decline at once to-
wards one of the many cosy tea-tables
where q curate was always at
premium.
Z Rev. Eustace was not built that way,
so he went on.
"The bishop said it.would be q change
from Bethnal Green" he murmured to
himself once more; sand to be sure it is.
Never saw anything like it in my life
before"
He stopped now and then to get his
Bearings and to scoop handfuls of sand
out OF the pockets formed by his rolled
up trousers. After scooping out twelve
handfuls in. half as many minutes, he
bethought him ofihis bicycIe-clips, which
fortunately were in his pocket; and
after putting them on he made better
time.
a strong northeastern was blowing, and
oil the sands, o. Sahara seemed sweeping
towards him along the level flats. On
his right stretched an interminable line
tnf eypoofblyp rc1,pda1 H,1uO
sandhills, white against the gray Novem-
Der sky. Somewhere on his left the sea
was crawling unseen among its sand
banks till it should be time to come rae
6ng up over the flats again; and, at the
call of the northeastern, the loose sand of
the hills and the higher shore stirred and
woke, and, was sweeping like smoke over
the firm tidal sand on which he was
walking. The bulk of the drift did not
come much higher than his knees, and
whenever he stopped the streaming par
ticles turned his clerical black trousers
to yellow homespun, and buried the
square toed boots out of sight. The up
per part of him walked, as it were, above
boiling clouds, while his feet stumbled
along on earth, and OCCASIONALLY, by way
of change, soused over boot-tops into
hidden pool. At such times Rev. Eustace
bit short EXPLANATIONS, the natural hui
manity of which fully made up for any
lack of clerkliness. Nevertheless he
pushed on, and at last through his crust
ed eyelashes he caught sight of the cot
tage, and, with a dewout thanksgiving,
tackled up the beach towards it.
Standing in the wooden porch for
minute, he turned down his coat-collar,
and rid himself of the trouser- clips and
of as much sand as he could get out Of
his hair and eyes and ears with his
handkerchief, which smelt refreshingly
sweet after the sandy northeaster. He
Hooked out for q moment over the swirl
ing desolation of the flats, and marveled
greatly that any one should choose to
live there; then he tapped on the door
and went in. It was bare little house,
but very clean, except for the sand which
had blown in under the door and lay
about Like fine dust. A bright fire of
6rftwood burned on the hearth with
many-colored flames, and the atmos-
phere was thick with sweet smelling
smoke by reason of the short chimney
and the driving northeaster. A gentle
FACED old woman was propped up in a
bed near the seward window, so that
she could just see out of it without rails
Ding her head from the pillow.
9Th, pa'sonI / tho't it were my man,
and there was an accent of disappoint-
ment in her voice.
'fNo, it's I, Mrs. Goodwin. What an
swful day it is"
cay, tn sands movin'. I like to see
1t deein'. I used to like to be in it when
at were like that" and the patient eyes
glanced longingly out of the little win
dow.
swell, there's no accounting for tastes.
And how are you today2"
"Just AS usual" said the old woman.
y Sand where's Peter? %
"Out after firm. We do burn q heap
this weather"
"He oughtn't to be out this weather
at all. He'll never get rid of that rheu-
matism if he doesn't take more care of
himself"
"He wlmnot TAX care of hisself,
pa'sonj an then, yo' know, ne cannot
there's no one else"
This gave Rev. Eustaee the opening he
wanted and for which he had come
Don't you really think, Mrs. Goodwin,
it would be wise to-to think of-leav-
ing here and going where you would
both be properly taken care of? It must
be terrible here in the winter, and"
"Yo' mean tn house, pa'son2"
you've really no idea how comfort
able it is" he said hastily. ST was up
there the other day, and it seemed to