Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-09-02
In the Pew by the Door

1--WE only a minute to stay" Mrs.
Morris announced, settling herself In
= comfortable chair in the farmhouse
Kitchen. II slipped for your mail, but
they said 1t was too late"
Mrs. Headley nodded toward a letter
beside her. She never talked much
when Mrs Morris dropped in. She
never needed to.
-Abou, DavId?" questioned her
guest.
From David" was the answer.
WELL" responded Mrs. Morris, ''Dr.
Wilson was sayin' last night that it
seems just wonderful, his bein' called
to that big church. 1 hear he went
there to preach for 'em when their
minister was goin' to leave, an some
OF the big bugs made up their minds
they'd have him and nobody else.
Landsl When 1 think Of the way you
took that helpless little baby an
brought him up. an you a widow an
no kin at all, an how you've sold
most half of this little farm to edu-
cate himl MyI I hope you'll get a
little gratitude for It, an some re
ward"
David is my reward" quietly an
Bwered her hostess.
"Oh, yes, of course" Then after
pause, 81 suppose the salary's awful
big"
asT% Soovoz CO 70 ,,,a ,, 1ros tho roY1Jv
WELL" with a little look Of disap-
pointment, 81 must get along. l sup
pose you'll go up with DR.. Wilson to
hear him preach his first sermon as
pastor?"
Then the old face opposite flushed
little.
ION. mol It's so far and there will
be so many people there, 1 suppose;
oh, no, couldn't 60"
Mrs. Norris considered a moment.
"WeIl, 1 don't know, 1 should think
you'd want to see how he looks among
all the high flyers. OF course, 1t costs
q lot to go so far and with a quick
glance at the little figure before herr
you mightn't feel real easy among 'em.
Well, good-by. Anyway, faint as If he
was your own"
Then she was gone, and the sensitive
soul was left with the sting, and the
wound. and the pain.
He wasn't her own. He wasn't her,
own! Oh, the sharp, keen pain it
brought her, She ''mightn't feel easy
among EN-" She knew that, but why
did well-meaning Mrs. Morris say 1t?
She did not belong to the great world
out there-David did She, If she went
to be present at that wonderful SER
Vice, would hardly know how to act,
unIess-and she almost held her breath
unless she might slip in a rear seat
where no one would notice her at all.
She picked up David's letter again;
she had read every word of it four
times that day. 1t said: you must
come. DR.. Wilson will take care OF
you In the train, and then I will take
care Of you" Much more there was
In the long letter ut doesn't sound as
II he'-and the thought sprang out at
last-'feels ashamed of the country
mother. David would do his duty, any
way, and maybe 1 want too much. The
tears rained over her face, but present
IL she lifted her head and asked Der
self what they had been for. Hadn't
David always loved her? Hadn't he
always been kind and good and atten-
tive TO her?
But down I'm her heart she knew
that only David himself in some way
could remove that haunting fear.
"Ee's no call to be so very grateful"
she said IN loving excuse. I'm a self
ISL, exacting old woman, that's what l
am, shedding tears when I'd much bet
ter be thanking the Lord that my boys
called to preach!" So she rose above
the worry, stiiled the voice in her heart
that whispered, HE isn't your own, he
isn't like YOU" wrapped about her the
mantle of unselfishness that she had al
ways worn, and wrote David that she
guessed she'd better not come.
But because of the great love in her
heart, ard because DR.. Wilson insisted,
It came about that the mistress of the
little farmhouse took the long journey,
and found herself one Of many who
were entering a church that seemed to
her stately and beautiful beyond the
telling.
"You must just let me slip in by the
door," she whispered TREMENDOUSLY to
the reverend gentleman beside her; and
knowing how very tired she was, and