Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-04-04
have just got to make up their minds

have just got to make up their minds
to it,"
Next morning. Sunday morning. they
went to church. Janet drove in the
carriage by way of the high road but
! the three men walked down the grassy
lane at the back. which. with its golse
hedges on either side. looked like a long
green picture in a golden frame. The
l)eemster, who walked between the
Governor and Victor. was more than
usually bent and solemn. lie had had
an anonymous letter about his son that
mornins--he had lately had shoals of
! them.
{ The morning was warm and quiet {:
the clover fields were sleeping in the
sunlight to the lullaby of the bees the
slumberous mountains. behind were hid
, den in palpitnling haze, and against
front stood the gaunt square tower
from which the ar-off sound Of the
church bells was coming.
Nowhere in the island could they have
found n more tragic illustration Of the
law of life they had talked about the
evening before than IN the person OF
the vicar of the church they were
going to.
His name was Cowley. and down to
middle life he had been all that a clergy
man should be. But then he had lost Il
! son under circumstances OF tragic sor-
row. The boy had been threatened with
consumption. SO the father had sent
him TO sea. and going to town to meet
him on his return to the island he had
met his body instead as it was being
brought ashore from his ship, which was
lying at anchor in the bay.
Tho SailOrs haG said rh0t at SiVht of
them and their burthen. ParsOn COwley
had fallen TO the stones of Ramsey har-
Dor like dead man. and it was long
before they could bring him to. or
stanch the wound on his forehead.
What is certain, is that after his re-
covery he began to drink.
This had long been cause Of grief
and perhaps of shame to his parish.
lonels; but 1t had never lessened their
love of him, for they knew that in all
else he was still a true Christian. If
any lone widow man lay dying in
his mud cabin on the Curragh. Parson
Cowlcy would be there to sit uD all the
night through with him. and If any
barefoOted children were going to bed
hungry in the one roomed hovel that
was their living room. sleeping room,
/ birthroom and deathroom combined.
Pnrson Cowley would be seen CARRYING
them til" supper from his own lardcr.
But his weakness had become wocful.
and after n shocking moment in which
he had staggered and fallen before the
altar. 4 new bishop. who knew nothing
Of the origin Of his intirmity. and was
! Only conscious of the scandal of il had
threatened thar If the like scene ever
occurred acain he would not only forbid
him to exercise his Office. but call upon
the Governor lin whose gift II was) to
remove him from his living.
/ The bells were loud when the three
men reached tho white washed church
on the cliff, with the sea singing on the
beach below it, and llliam Christian,
the shoemaker and parish clerk, stand
! ing bnreheaded at the bottom Of the
! outside steps 10 the tower to give warn
, ing to the bell ringers that the Gov.
crnor Ind arrived. .....
In expectation Of his visit the
chui Oh was crowded. aud with Ni,to
going hrst TO show the way, the Goy-
ernor next, and the Deemster last. with