Year: 1879

ga young woman with a pleasing
face, who rarely smiles, and seems to
shun observation, and an old lady. who
comes out very little and always
veiled."


That was the description given to the
Rev. Charles Grosvenor of the new oc
cupants of the little cottage which lay
so close to his vicarage that he could
see the smoke from the chimney over
the tops of the trees that skirted his
avn.


The Rev. Charles Grosvenor had been
away from the scene of his labors at
Chumleigh for a month. Chumleigh
was countrified enough and healthy
enough, but he had been ordered sea
air, and had taken the trip, leaving his
by no means extensive flock to the care
of temporary shepherd.


The Rev Charles Grosvenor was a
young man, and Chumleigh was his
first living. He wa, quite new enough
to his work to tak0 interest in it, and
he was on intimate terms with all his
parishioners.


Directly he heard of the new arrivals
in the village, he of course determined
to call upon them, but he thought he
would Just inquire what sort of people
they were.


The result was the above description
"a description vague enough in all
conscience, and yet sufficient at once to
halo of romance.


The Rev. Charles Gresvenor had not
so long left college life to bury himself
among the pumpkins but that he could
duly appreciate the piquancy which a
l.fxIa lnndc ordinary
humdrum existence.


Knowing that the young lady Stunned
observation, his curiosity was at once
aroused, and he looked forward to his
first meeting with her with more than
ordinary eagerness. As to the old lady
well, he was a young bachelor, re-
member; and however deeply old ladies
may veil themselves, or however mys-
terious they may be, they cannot ex-
pect to command much attention when
there is q younger lady in the case.
The curate called at Laburnam cot
tage the day after his return from the
seaside. He found the Smiths very
| quiet and unassuming people. Mrs.
Smith said very little and sighed q good
deal, and Miss Smith, though a fluent
and agreeable speaker. as he could
Judge from the little she said, spoke
| only in answer to his questions, and
kept her eyes fixed on the ground the
whole time that he was talking to her.


Something queer about these peo-
ple," said the Rev. Charles Grosvenor
| to himself. 81 wonder what it is.
| must draw them out"


His notion of drawing them out was
to engage their services in his parish
work. The old lady sighed and con-
| sented. The young one colored, cast
down her eyes, and said that she was
not fit for such work. Not religious
enough, she meant.


The Rev. Charles Grosvenor was
much distressed to hear that Mics Smith
| was not religious. Here, at last, was a
task congenial to his soul. He was
quite willing 10 convert farm laborers
and to reform market gardeners, but
when a demure looking young lady,
| with an agreeable manner. offered her.
self, he could not refrain from looking
forward to the prospect of higher and
nobler work.


He talked seriously to Miss Smith,
and Miss Smith listened seriously-so
seriously that the curate was taken by
surprise. He was almost alarmed al
the terrible earnestness with which the
girl spoke of religious questions, asked
for spiritual consolation and argued
with him on the dread subject of the
sinners fate hereafter. The earnest
ness and the vehemence of his parish
ioner, however, only increased his
interest in her.


Now, when Miss Smith called herself
miserable sinner, the Rev. Charles
Grosvenor thoroughly believed that she
was one. He accepted her confession
in the same sense that he would have


accepted it from the patron of his living


or his mother, or any of his lady parish
toner's. We are all miserable sinners


and being enjoined to say so, clergy
man cannot, for the sake of being com
plimentary, refuse to believe q young


lady when she affirms that she is M


exception to the rule.


But as to attaching any really seriou
: import to the confession of Miss Smith


that never occurred to HIM fol a mo
ment. He soothed her, offered he
such consolation as he could, though
she was q most pious and interestin,
girl, and fell madly in love with her.


From the moment he made the dis


covery his conduct to her altered. HI


tempted her to talk less about hersel


and to be cheerful. He didn't wan


the girl he was in love with to be to
persistently a miserable sinner. Sh
was so charming and so nice that h


felt she might very well keep that i
: the background little.


A white tie and q clerical coat do nc