Middletown transcript., 1904-11-05

Why, polished off one the week befor
last on the very text from Solomon jus
quoted"
elbow Whimsical you are. "
| .Tilat reminds me. | must hear you
Bishop preach. l must size him up 70
the herculean task you have given me
Would your good aunt object to M
accompanying you to church Sunday 2
"Oh, no she has no fear of you. He
line OF vision is far above your head.
will go with you. You will really like
him. If he could only stay in his pulpi
always, he would be just too lovely. liz
is SO clever. They call him 'Chrysostom,
you know
Saturday came, and brought the Bishop
with his creased pants and his immacu
late linen and his unctuous smile. Moth
ing could have been more effusive thar
his blessings as he entered the Jenkin:
cottage, nothing SO benign as the apostle
lie kiss with which he greeted little Miss
Peters, his dear child. Yet, in sigunlaI
contrast to the preceding day, Christine
rushed to her room and rubbed her pretty
lips with tar soap and crash towel
Then she was SO snappish, and so very
very rude. After dinner she quite dis
concerted her uncle and raised her aunt's
eyebrows a full inch by saying: "Yor
must be so fond of reading, Bishop Good
leigh?'
'Assuredly, my child, but why p
"You remember what Bacon says?"
Now the Bishop didn't recall the quo
tation, SO he wasn't aware of his hosts
horror. On the contrary, he smiled as i
conscious of praise well bestowed, and he
resumed his attention to the coffee and
cakes.
Sunday morning came and seasonably
ushered little Miss Peters and Tom Ora
ham into the pretty gothic church, whose
walls soon received an unaccustomed
strain from fashionable throng. The
consumptive organ wheezed forth stately
overture. The Bishop swept out, rega
with purple, his finger most conscious
of its official ring. Tom Graham found
ample occupation for his wits in finding
and keeping the place in the prayer-book
until the sermon was reached, and then
they passed from his control. The
Bishop mounted the modest little read.
ing-desk and stood as if on air. He an
nounced the text: even fool, when
he holdeth his peace, is counted wise"
Tom Graham started. The Bishop
proceeded, with sonorous periods, and
Tom Graham's face grew crimson and
pale and then crimson again. He twitched
audibly. Little Miss Peters pinched him.
"Tom," she whispered, what makes
you so nervous?'
For moment he needed her not, but
sat with mouth agape. Then lie nodded
vigorously, as if in confirmation, and
smiled rapturously.
81 have found it, he replied.
Found what r.
"The flower in the thistle"
And Tom Graham's whisper resembled
the escape Of steam, when little Miss
Peters's curiosity dared not press him
further. With petulant breathing, II
do wish you wouldn't grin So" she sank
back in the corner and left her swain to
the devices OF his eccentricity.
He remained fairly qniet after that,
except that once or twice he shook his
head as if something were wrong, and
Just before the benediction he wrote a
few lines on the back of his visiting card
As they passed up the aisle he said,
Didn't you recognize that text, Chris
sic ?''
II never notice texts"
"Why, it was our text about PAX, and
that was the sermon | wrote only he
nearly spoiled it. Now run home like a