The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1909-04-10
ON. Nd, SATURDAY, APRIL 10. 1909.
chair. Oh, if he could have been her


delegate
Alice had never cared much for the
old fashioned church hymns; they
had sort of dolefulness to her, but
the familiar lines had a different
sound as he repeated them before the
organ pealed out
Come ye that love the Lord,
And let your joys be known;
Join in song with sweet accord.
And thus surround the throne"
The country bride sang clearly. and
the quavering voice ofthe old preach
er rose triumphantly. Alice joined
in.
For the first time the sense of
strangeness between her and Mrs.
Harvey seemed to disappear, and as
Alice sat through the morning ses-
sion she watched the little woman
by her side, looked at the shabby
dress and came to conclusion.
She had at home beautiful new
black gown, Just from the tailor.
The cloth of it was smooth and shin
ing, and the fashion of the coat was
such that it would conceal the awk-
ward lines of Mrs. Harvey's figure.
There was black hat to match it.
Clad In that, the young wife would
look really digni6ed, and Alice deter
mined that she should have it. But
how to manage it without hurting
her feelings!
She set her mind to puzzle it out,
and almost forgot what was going on
about her before she finally concluded
that in order to be able to make the
gift she must get on very friendly
almost afectionate, terms with Mrs.
Harvey.
Mrs. Harvey accepted the gift with
perfect simplicity. She looked like a
different creature in then garments.
Before noon of the next day Mr.. Har-
vey assured Alice that in all his forty
years he had never been treated so
handsomely. Mrs. Harvey soon for
got her perplexity over the astound-
ing number of spoons and forks that
surrounded her plate at table, and was
able to enter into very quiet and de-
mure enjoyment of the drollery of
Mr.. Mason and his young wife. Day
after day Alice went with them to
conference, and remained through the
sessions.
Que day she noticed how the old
mans face always lighted up when
the bishop began to speak. But
nothing prepared her for what hap
pened on a day when Mr.. Harvey
had been asked to conduct devotion
al service. He did not do it very
we'll. He showed that he was little
hustered, and his old hands quivered
as he held the Bible. Alice felt sor-
for him, and for his wife, who looked
at her husband SO appealingly; but
after Mr.. Harvey had taken his seat
the bishop rose.
Brethren" he said, "it has been
long time since have seen this old
friend, before this conference. Forty
years-forty long years ago, he was
Just beginning his ministry, and was
serving a piney- woods circuit away
off in an QUITO of-the-way place. Twas
a young lawyer sent down to Florida
upon certain land case, and by ac-
cident, one hot summer day, I stopped
at brush arbor out in the woods,
where he was preaching to congre-
cation that had gathered there in OK
carts, on horseback and afoot. /
stopped, more to rest in the shade
than because I felt any interest, but
he had message, and he delivered
it from full heart. 1t was for me-
for me l don't know how many
others it came home to, but I went
on my way thoughtful and more seri-
Gus than had ever been in my life
before, only to come back and seek
him out. at night-like Nicodemus OF
old. And like Nicodemous of old
was told the way-the only way"
The bishop paused moment, and
some one out in the congregation be-
gan to sing, "Praise God from whom
all blessings how," as that congrega-
tion had way of doing upon all sorts
of occasions. The bishop bent down
and clasped hands with Mr.. Harvey,
whose uplifted face was radiant.
Alice, with downcast eyes, saw the
little brides hands trembling on her
lap, and she put her own soft fingers
In between, and they sat there listen
ing happily together through the rest
of the service.
"Ted, darling" Alice said that af.
ternoon, 1--WE are entertaining some
thing bigger that the bishop-we are
taking care of the man who put him
in the way of being what he is. Oh,
wouldn't it have been awful five had
not been nice to them ?"- Youth!
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