Year: 1875

A Clerical Episode.


cts a very disagreeable duty"
thought the Rev. Mr.. Thornton, as he
entered Mrs. Mason's parloB, "but as
I've been thoughtless enough to make
the promise, there's no way of avoiding
it. MIR. Thornton was a young and
rather handsome gentleman, whose
thorough earnestness and sincerity,
joined to fair share of mental ability
and q very large amount of kind-heart-
edne' s, had made him extremely popu-
lar with the people of the country town
in which he was located, and with no
one more so than with the lady whose
house he had just entered. She con-
sidered him almost perfect, aud would
have been deeply insulted if she had
heard anyone rashly calling in question
the soundness of his judgment on any
subject. On the present occasion he
had come to fulfill a promise to her
that he would call and have an inter
view with her niece, Miss Hattie Hal
lowell, who was spending a few weeks
at her house.


Miss Hallowell was one of the reign
ing bellies of a neighboriDg city, and
her manner toward gentlemen, though
not actually unlady-hke, was far too
free and uneonstFaiued to suit her
aunt's old-fashioned and rather narrow
minded ideas of propriety, and the lat
ter had begged her minister to give the
Young lady some wholesome advice on
the subject. After promising to COM
ply, Mr.. Thornton had become more
and more conscious that he had placed
himself in a very awkward position, and
that the only result likely to ensue
from this undertaking to advise Miss
Hallowell was a great deal of displeas-
ure on her part. And though unwilling
to give way TO what he feared might be
a mere want of moral courage, he was
a good deal embarrassed when the time
came for the duty to be performed.


His embarrassment was by no means
lessened when Miss HallOweu came
into the room, looking really lovely in
her handsome, dark blue mOrning-dTess,
which enhanced, by contrast, the
brightness of her blonde complexion
and beautiful light hair. The truth
was, she had made up her mind some
days before that the minister was 6 the
only civilized man in the whole stupid
little town." and had taken some pains
that morning to appear at her best be-
fore him.


y >
as he noticed how frank and pleasant
her manner really was, he was troubled
by still greater uneasiness about lee
turing her on that point. But after
some preliminary conversation-durin
which she noticed that he was very
nervous and i'll at eRse-be made'a a de-
termined effort to get through with his
disa 7reeable task.


" Miss HalIowell," he said, " I am
sure you know what high regard /
feel for you, and how very much inter-
ested I have become in you since YOU
have been here.


"Pm very glad, indeed, that you like
me so much, Mr.. Thornton" she an
swered, with charming smile.


He found it impossible to say any
thing more at first, and there was an
awkward pause. Then, under a sense
that something must be said, and not
knowing exactly what it was to be, he
went on in a strain that was rather
stronger than the facts of the case
warranted.


"I feel as if 1 were more than {
friend to you," he said. Indeed,
haven't seen anybody for a long time
who excited my interest as you have
done"


Here there was another pause, during
which be became more embarrassed
| than ever, while his companion begaI
to entertain 8 certain idea about hi
meaning.


"I want to ask you something" h'
said finally, in a hesitating way, " In
afraid you'll think it very strange In me
to say such thing to you when I've
/ only known you a few weeks but
I 4 Hnv,n -
Here he came to a dead stop and wal
| entirely at a loss how to go on.
But before he could put an end to hi
! hesitation the lady herself suddenly
| brought matters to a climax in a wa,
that put a very different aspect on thi
affair.


''Mr. Thornton" she said, with
| manner in which kind feeling was com
bined with decisive firmness. q" I thinl
I know what you want to say to me
and I'm sure it will be better TO stoI
YOU before you say it. 1 believe yOl
were going to ask me to marry you.


can always esteem and honor yOu yer,
much but it would be impossible 70
me to be more than your friend, even


] wished TO, for I'll tell you frankl


that I'm engaged to some one else.


If Miss Hallowell had suddenly spo
ken to him in pure Sanscript or th


choicest Iroquois, Mr.. Thornton coul,


not have been more astounded. He sa


for few moments In silent amazement


But the utter righteousness of tn


thing soon came to him In its full force


and, without any pr,smOnitory symp


toms. he fell into a violent paroxysm Q
laughter. His efforts to control him
self were quite useless. and one or tw
faint attempts which he made TO speal
were instantly smotbered II q fresl
outburst.


Miss Hallowell's astonishment was, a
first, as great as his had been. She
too. soon recovered from that feeling


but, instead of being succeeded b


mirth, it was followed, IN her case, b
a passionate fit of anger. With loo


of ineffable scorn she got up, Wake


ont of the parlor, and went straight t


her own room. Mr.. Thornton left th


house feeling unable to make any ss
plauation at that time. In the mean
time Miss Hallovell indulged IN numel


Ous rather Wild plans for being revenge


upon the man who, she thought, ba


treated her so shan-efully in return 10


her consideration and kindness. BU


st last she found relief IN a food q


tears, and soon afterwnrd was half-iI


clined TO laugh at the whole affair he


self.


! She returned to the city few day