The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1909-05-21
The Ministers
Answer.
BY SYLVIA MEREDITH.
BY SYLVIA MEREDITH.
Copyrighted, 1909, by Associated
Literary Press.



The little minister--little In stature,
little In power, little In salary--sat be-
fore a table In his study diligently and
laboriously searching amid the leaves
of various volumes of reference and
occasionally scribbling few sen.
fences ON paper which later on should
serve as notes for his sermon on the
following Sunday.
The Rev. James Phllander Dubois
smiled fondly and proudly and CRATE.
fully while he thought. He was an
unmarried churchman who felt 1t In.
cumbent upon himself to become one
of the two principal performers in q
ceremony In which already he had be.
come quite proficient as an agent OF
fate where others were concerned.
SO he leaned back and gazed at the
ceiling and thought of beautiful,
brave young creature He fingered
mentally on her radiant face, her
graceful form, and heard In his brain
the sweet thrill OF her voice.
He had never thought thus Of any
woman before. Until he first saw
Marguerite Van Diemen n year ago he
looked on all women with an academ.
ic eye as parishoners and studied them
only to decide what branch of church
work. II any. they were best fitted for
But the year that followed his first
sight Of the violet eyes of Miss Mar
guerite and the brown hair that shone
like sunny light drowned in amber
pools In forest brook had been a
year of awakening for him,
1t was not quite complete awaken.
Ing, however RE was very thorough.
ly awake-wide. staring. stark awake
to the knowledge that he was 80 deep.
ly In love with her that to lose her
would mean dreary, sorrowful life
for him. but he was not awake enough
to suppose that he had any qualities
or attributes to please so wonderful
and clever and bright creature.
However. though the Rev. James
Philander Dubois was thus humble
and devoid of any proper self esteem,
and though he did not believe that
she could possibly want him. he was
in love. and love sneers at logic. He
expected her answer to be NO" but
he was pining just the same to ask
the question.
So, like the courageous and deter
mined little minister that he was, he
had written to her asking for the ia
yor Of an interview on a matter very
important to him. And she had re-
piled. appointing that very evening and
adding. you should know that l have
declined an invitation to the County
club dance in order to give you this
evening, though the dance Is the last
one of the season and I was really
anxious to CO."
than the Rev. Mr.. Philander's convic-
ton of the stereotyped nature of all
sermons that made 1t so difficult for
him to finish the construction of his
discourse.
Determined though he was, the ques
ton he was to ask Miss Marguerite in
a few hours was the kind that no man
ever asks without perturbation, and
there was the last paragraph Of her
letter. 1t showed him that she was
losing an evening of great enjoyment
for though Marguerite Van Diemer
was a good parishioner, she loved
dancing with an ultra worldly love.
No doubt she expected to hear some
immensely important news from him
Wouldn't she be indignant and angry
when she learned that he had kept
her from her pleasure simply to pro
pose to her?
The clock struck the hour, and the
minister became aware with a SHARP
start that 1t was high time to keel
his appointment He arose and put or
his overcoat.
At that moment the doorhell rang.
1t is only because we are SC used t
the really dramatic things of life thai
we do not know and feel the drama.
that each moment makes.
The ring of the doorbell was such {
dramatic instant in the life Of the Rev
James Philander Dubois.
Passing through an adjoining room
he opened the door and saw befor,
him young woman, poorly dressed II
a faded gown Of blue. her head toppet
off with hat of uncertain texture
under which her hair hung forth in al
directions. Her face was terribly vast
ed and sallow. and Its piteous aspec
was only increased by touch of tn,
homogeneous in suggestion Of rec
high on the cheeks.
The reverend gentleman shranl
back. He wished that he could escap,
what he foresaw would be a long de
lay. but sense of duty conquered tn,
human instinct at once.
The young woman spoke as soon al
he opened the door won't you Civ,
me something to eat?" she begged. ="
haven't had anything since morning"
poor soulv' muttered the little min
lister. THE housekeeper is out for tn
afternoon, but | shall do the best
can for you. VIII you come to tn
kitchen while investigate the pan
Ey?"
AS the unkempt young woman fol
lowed him into the kitchen the min
lister felt such deep, angry annoyanc
as only man can feel when the won