The Washington herald., 1907-12-22

SELF a frugal slice Of cheese to eat with
his sisters Ayrshire butter for dessert. Il
thought that would be your way of look
ing at things. Well. as a church. we do
not believe in compulsory auricular con-
fessiOn-least OF all % a woman. A man
has little bag In which he drops things
he wants 10 forget He forgets them
because he wills Il"
And here the voice OF the bachelor min
lister OF the Kirk on the Hin took on a
more solemn tone. changing almost as
suddenly as If some one had pulled a
lever.
And because Of this. with reverence
be II spoken. there is something Godlike
in the worst man. He can forget
And he quoted catena Of texts.
who is a God like unto thee VINO par
dOnest iniqUity. He retaineth not
His anger forever. And thou
shalt cast ali their sins into the depths
of the sea"
Vic was silent. not yet seeing whittier
he WAS being led The minister was al
once so simple and so subtle.
Humanity hath sought out many de-
vices, but a Womangod. as god OF gods
hath il not found-and for this reason
Human or divine. a woman cannot for
get, and therefore cannot truly forgive
There is always a barrier. Therefore.
once, again. speak not OF the matter or
Vida Romer. who was called Bryan. 10
Janet Fowler. That were indeed great
folly"
1T seems Ike the breaking Of a but
terdy on a wheel OF great texts" said
Vic; $50 many heavy reasons for so
light a thingr
Nothing IS light or heavy before the
Lord or before "A woman" said Benja-
min Irongay Nor is anything 20 be
treated lightly that may wreck your life,
You tell me that YOU would never be n
man again-a good. faithful. enduring
man. unless you have this woman 70
wife2"
Vic nodded. This was putting the mat
ter in a new way. But after all. that was
the gist OF the affair he wanted TO mar
ry Janet, and he could not be happy
without her He felt that more and
more. The minister was near enough 10
the mark Let 1t pass.
"A little while ago l. toe. should have
bidden you follow your thought. II
did not then know how a man may desire
the fellowship-the love OF n woman.
thought Il was a matter for children"
He stopped 10 clear his throat He had
become suddenly husky in speech.
Il. too. have been ST." he continued,
"ill physically-morally also. Z have been
weak as water-I who strove 20 excel.
There was a hymn. whereof / long omit
ted the first verse-for you know that
though we sing no hymns in public exer-
else, We are not debarred in private. The
hymn-you may know il. begins:
Art thou weary-art thou languid.
art thou sore Gistressed2' 2
Now for years I passed that verse
over scornfully. even commented pub
Hcly on the haccid stupidity$of modern
hymnologists as compared with the He
brew psalter-a subject. indeed. TOO much
neglected. II a man We're languid. and
the rest. Il was because he had not
enough 20 do! He needed stimulus and
work, But deadly sickness and gnaw-
ing al the heart have taught me different.
Strange-strange that woman may oc-
cUpy such a place in a mans thoughts.
that because Of her he may suffer-kven
10 the wasting away Of the body"
The CameroEian minister was silent for
while. One could almost hear his de-
sizes grinding on his viii
4 would tell you he said, "yes-coa-
ddence for confidence, But 1 have not
the right Some months ago I did my
duty-Or what l thought 10 be my duty.
I debarred man who had been a sinner,
from the communion did IL publicly.
he was the father OF the woman / love.
1 thought beforehand that I had meas
ured the bitterness Of The cup given me
70 drink. and found that I was mistaken.
II was tenfold more bitter. I have
weighed the cost. and 10, IL proved a
hundred times heavier" Again he paus-
ed. laying his hand affectionately on Vic's
shoulder
Therefore. Atr- Morris, hearken 20 me.
J. Benjamin irougray. have the right to
Speak Who hath Il If not I? Would /
DO my duty again? Certainly-but in a
different way-between man and man.
face 10 face, not with public speech that
makes dispeace. SO I might hsve-found
the Eve designed for me-the companion
promised. But-ah. well Morris, go your
way. \ man needs q good woman far
more than she can ever need him. There
fore give her of your first and best. Do
not take anything for granted. Let her
choose. Leave her the open door OF pity
as T. alas. did not 90. ! shut In the face
OF my love because Of the man. her
father knowingly 1 did it. being the
man I am"
And from his study window. silently.
somberly, Mr.. lrongray watched the
young man depart on his errand. He
noted with a certain approval that Vic
did not walk any longer as if all the
town belonged 10 him. But there were
deeper things I'm the heart OF Mr. Iron
gray than that-repToaches, and suffer
ings, and silences.
Presently the quiet Of the house palling
upon him. and printed books becoming
an abhOrrence. without meaning power 10
hold the attention, he took I'D his hat
and went out. lie chose the little foot
path which skirted the privet hedge, stiu
marked by the curve which had been
Phil Calmonts armchair in the days
when he came TO confde in little Miss
Nunsby.
The Reverend Benjamin Irongray stood
a moment looking over the little green
gate Of the man TO whom he had denied
the sacrament Tor words which he had
deemed public profanity. He saw a brisk
fitting shadow within that crossed and
recrOssed the open windows. round which
thrOnged the roses and Virginia creepers.
Then he sighed and went his way heavily.
never dreaming that Rose Nunsby also
had watched him from the very moment
he had left his own door. And she had
had TO pass right from one side of the
house TO the other to do IT, too,
But that. of course, was because her
duty called her there.
TO BE CONCLUDED TOMORROW.