Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1907-01-18
The Minister'S Wife
By MRS. HENRY WOOD

j 'NJf SNChAJ OSShh NIL
Who? The Avons do you mean? l
saw they were at church."
Not the Avons. What have they to
10 with me, Edith. Squire Wells and
lis wife, with half dozen more, carpet
ID me In the vestry after service this
morning."
What about?"
About the duties of the parish; sec
liar, not clerical take care that the
latter shall be efficiently performed. The
Did women are not coddled, the young
mes households not sufficiently looked
up, and the school, In the point of plain
sewing, is running to rack and ruin"
Mr.. Baumgarten had been speaking in
half-joking way, his beautiful eyes alive
with merriment. Miss Dane received the
news more seriously. ''You did not saw
anything of this at dinner time; you did
not tell mamma"
No. Why should tell her? It might
only worry her, you know. The school
sewing is the worst grievance" he light
~ ran on. dame Giles Betsy took some
cloth with her, which ought to have gone
back shirt, but which was returned a
pair OF pillow cases; the dame boxed
Betsy's ears, went to school and nearly
boxed Miss Turner's. 1t seems to me
they could not have better Roverness
than she is. However, such mistakes. I
am told are often Occurring and the
matrons OF the parish are up in arms"
But do they expect you to look after
the sewing of the schoolW breathlessly
asked Edith.
Not exactly; but they think 1 might
provide a remedy; some one who would
do So"
How stupid they are! I'm sure Miss
Turner does what she can with such a
tribe. Not that l think she is particu-
larry clever; and were there any lady
who would supervise occasionally. it
might be better; mamma can't, but"
THAT is just it," interrupted Mr..
Baumgarten, laughing. ''They tell me I
ought to help Miss Turner to a SUPER
visor by taking to myself a wife"
lie looked at Edith as he spoke, and
her face happened to be turned full upon
him. The words dyed it with a glowing
crimson, even to the roots of her soft
brown hair. In her confusion she knew
not whether to keep it where it was. or
to turn it away; her eyelids had drop
ped, glowing also; and Edith Dane could
have boxed her own ears as heartily as
Dame Giles had boxed the unhappy Miss
Betsy's.
1T cannot be thought of, you know,
Edith. Marry on two hundred a wear
and expose my wife, and perhaps Others.
to poverty and privation? No, that I
will never do"
The parsonage must be put in repair
If you marry" stammered Edith, not in
the least knowing what she said.
And a great deal of money it would
take to do it. l told Squire Wells if he
could get my tithes increased to double
their present value, then might venture
upon wife. He laughed and replied
l might look out for wife who had ten
thousand pounds"
Such wives are not easily found"
murmured Edith Dane.
Not by me-" returned Mr.. Baumgar-
ten. "A college chum of mine, never
dreaming to aspire to anything better
than l possess now, married rich young
widow in the second year of his curacy
and lives on the fat of the land in pomp
and luxury. 1 would not have done it,"
'Why?"
Because no love went with it: even
before his marriage he allowed himself
to say as much to me disparaged her,
in fact. No; the school and the other
difficulties, which are out of my line,
must do as they can yet awhile"
"Of course, mamma would be the prop
er person to continue to look after these
things for you, as she used to do, if she
were not incapacitated."
But she is, Edith. And your time is
taken up with her, so that you cannot
help me-"
Miss Dane was silent. Had her time
not been taken up, she fancied it might
not be deemed quite the thing, in her
censorious neighborhood, to be going
about in conjunction with Mr.. Baumgar-
ten although she was the late rector's
daughter.