The Curate.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 10501, 23 November 1901, Page 1 (Supplement)

The Curate.

% **V jaiierc-w^ groat excitement when it to vu3 rumoured throughout the parish pa that we were to have a. new curate. Iffi/ifesgiteinent increased when, the P 1 rector hinted that the new curate was ™ £ JQJ»ng,«Uid unmarried man, and that hu Hacf but lately returned from . a mis- it( stou station on the West Coast of Af- uo 3Jpaj3>,l'.l It was about this time that Helica, IS| v/Iy_had just taken up parish work <" "with the greatest enthusiasm, was busy ox jrith .Wjjrks— clothing,*^ feeding, h( andVisitifcgjjthe poor, and admonishing m , tbe^inregenenJei I was*ciassld itmongst tho latter, partly because lam a great g* smoker, partly; because ,X,; am ,jm^jaie- *• -Ch'usfaai where the game of billiards is ts concerne.d. . x » tt"A T©Mclfca" liadQnrt'mfld^'tli* 1 discovery « that smoking and billiards are both jeyil in , theiri influences"-* on '"mankind, •' and, after a series of very serious lee- ** turps jipon the subject, .she had called S' in Miss Bessie Millward, Dr Millward's k' pretty _ daughter, .tor assist her in ad- " intfnisfeg l"nfol "nfo 'against {hVsnareii of tho tobacco-jar tho^biiyard-table. . P fl<Ti«^c&pt B lsltaoMng guiltily in..™ the conservatory for tho good of the *■* plants and the satisfaction, of the ga'rdpner, and slipping my pipe in my ™ F -pocket JSwns prepared to hear ft homily " L'lJoVtt/e wic&dVicss of my Bhiftless ° ways in gcnoral, and of the vice of *' pips-smoking in jjartipular. ,-.\ ti , >v "J r< Itrwas certainly 1 ' 'air-inspiration on" my * part that led mo to start the , convorsn- " tion. My shortcomings wero forgotten " in tho, discussion of the possible virtues of our rector's new assistant that fol- w lowed.- ' "I do hope he will be nice !" said t: Hilica. - * "Ho cannot be nicer than Mr Honey-. ,x, x man !" sighed Misß Millward, who had * cthe-^departed-curate'sTnoßtf^ * "consistent admirers. . . _ l( ,_ <- r * '1 think' 1 he .can bo ajgreat o?al,nicer. _ I th^n M^j Honeyman!". replied Heliea.; f !r "tliero'niB: plenty of. room for 'improve- 1 * men*.- Mr Honeyman was^arflfxt'.". .__ „' II Fox'some reason of other, Mr Honey- „ £ " mau"Jhad novcr been a favourite ■ with ' Hiltca. .- '■ '-. - r ' '''„-''' 1 " "I'm sure l ;he r wa»,'not a Bitt, "dear," 1 '' protested M^bVMillward. "The atten- ,], ] tions 'he 1 received.' from Ithe parish peo"pie. spoUed' him a= little. • Iha't was' all:" < •' ' "Well; th«y -won't' make n^¥odl l of -the ''■ "next one, anywa^l ' { The' Vector say»;thafc • "he isn't' a bit 'good:looldng,", answered .- k" "I, am Ibo BOtry!" said Miss Millward. 1 "! thought 'Ke waa'gbujg'.ft'te awfully ' '^good-looking^ and bfonaedby the tropi- ■ i Mcal'sun and ail that, dott'fc tyou, know. '"'Perhaps you can persuade " him 'to take : ''"thenpWt'of'Calibtti in" the 'Tempest 1 '! t»Dl[efcnix"at 1 Christmas. ' I am going to "be JCrinda/f you know." , r . . ■ (t "Perhaps .he '.would object," said Hil!l ica," thougntfnllT. -"Why don't you aak' : "■ f 'Billy" Skeates "to take the'' part?, Billy . ~] isn'tLaJoJtLpWJid.^smd Jieis. awf uliy.f ond ... 1" of making ugly faces." r , «" i "Billy is-4'uite'aTiice^lrfokiiig 1 Woy," de"clared Miss Millward, "when he doesn't ' wear"' "thoso ' turn-over 'collars'," pr"part '"Ms Tiair'down 'iu'tf .centre. He "does not, 'smoke' 1 or play 'billiards', 'at any rate," tinned. v '' ii.iT Tfiejci' i saw' that my turn was coming, ■' and'.l'fled'.' The fact was,' Ihad prom-" | 'isedßilly'tbdrbp in'and smoke a cigar |" ' with 'him just about that time.. , ' ' Wtiich "phow's that no woman ever r ' : learnV'ttfe 'baseness', of man's character : sWnia|ries : him;.as Miss Mill r ; ;> ward"aiterwards married Billy., ," ; ; At" thC&me' h6 smoked li& a chim-' l ney, and was , liappjr, unless ho r had a ; TjMiw<l-cue i; in his Band.' ( . ... :-»ifT Nowf TJeBsio'' l^keates l ailowB,h'dr hiis^. 'i'band harfan oufice l! of 'tobaccopetweck^ ■''imd\BeB.hiß''pet < bilHa:rd-k:ue.to light h -and '{uV'off iho gas in'the hall. , , >»• '•• Sobn'li happened that, the new curate r. , 'Mi . -^ ! ' • ' * * ; icame. r ■ ,> . ■ *.•**'* Contrary' to the 'vi'ripus 'expectations *• <ldf thq,>'di"es J of"the 'parish he was not m ektraofeijy^ugly^ „ abnormally i l' f good-lqpla4? He was a thin, (t nervoi^ J" looking liftle and W P - 'eH bY 'the' ■Vtfest-ltricanj'sun, with 1^ by'thoso f ■QV cfeep "lines. wfech-'come'toaUjjnen whose U< calUrigs'tak^them.'intp the .fierce sun- , X light^of 'th'e.tfonic^,.', , ju „? W' " ' Hia W4g Summertpn,: and •to , i T most' l of-,,the,,;adics. of the 9 .,ia«sh i) ,hg, 1 f--'"cW,pB,':'a,.dJ(9apßointmeat, alter the ' • !! poetiq :^nd,septim(}n,Jal Honeyman., , .. „, """""He hacUjiot'thet power. of.9ay*ngV">th© ; 1 '"^right/.ttiiiig.iat^tliel jrighfc momen.t,,ithat. y j7 wa» Mr.Honeymnafp.-lHeshad no .tricks « of eyea' andtrhwnds.'fand .wos^giyieji; to fr' rI hacki»e> tribot invitations >to>. afternpon ft.'^as x.^it»e(.ple* ;i of Mtendipg j*«,- Ms ■^ijoparochiaUlptivs.;. » •■■' ;"• ' !: : " .IIJ. llJ ' n ". "TiHe conia noti«ing'sentimental difties; gB "'and he fiad?ho Siitertest ;iil ■ other folks' TKT K *"»««■ wto-'to «**.%»«'*> ;,; * ni ; <>?*'. .FurVv*W^» althouglx'ne was shaken fev4' ; acquired %o4% o4 «ie rde^ly Weg ';*- Coasf,' Ihg-Wof:flghtjng1 hg- Wof: flghtjng stuf/i.majang li.J^-.'tWhen'Mrg Bumbjpleigh, the, ( imporV f '.';ant bvßterioal .wife of.jhis ,W>rslup thp w.;;^mayor,- tried to. (interest; t him... in;. ( th^ qonditio.n cjf her nervous.,^*

ami he was "bold enough, to advise her 1 effect of a little *work, and t :o'-!think less of her email aches ana >ainB. ; '' " , ' "The 'very treatment I should .have : described myself I"-' declared Dr Mill- 3 yard, "if -I dared.V But they're worth i my pounds a'year to' the practice/ and i ts no gooJ honding 'ent over" to that 1 lomoepathic. chap !" Amongst the lesser lovers of thfe par- i ah he was greatly beloved. To hear i jf hia virtues, it was necessary to seek i jut' the charwomen of, the neighbor- ■ liood, and -those supported by chair- i nending,' step-cleaning, or plain sewing. , Amongst these . the curate was re- : jarde'd .with. a\ reverence that was near . a&in.' to idolatry, -and' many were the tales. that, were told of hia charily, his sympathy, and his'small fear of ,'infec- , tioua 'diseases. ., , - n.-. n ' ■• It ,wa? the curate who kept Mrs Budd »nd-;her. expensive family all through bhe-long -winter,' V^en Budd, a jobbing gardener of, weak lungs and, heart, was gasping his life out in the infirmary. It was'the' curate of his own pofcker," saved, Biddy , JS&ilono's .poor, worn-out' tody from that last horror of Ihe deserving poor, «v parish funeral. • It was whispered, that the man whotnrashed': Nick~O'Brady, ' the "wife^bcat: ing, loafing house-painter, was none . other than the. qurate.; end tcxthis dayfolk willpoint to Nick, who io now a' respectable house-decorator in ,a . fairway of business, as ; a .sample of tho.curato's work in the way of saving » man from himself and the drink: ■'••'■ Above all,- it was the curato who, when Mrs Biggs' little boy was choking with diphtheria, > cleared ,the mlyer - tracheotomy rtube which Dr Millward had placedi-m the child's throat at the. risk of his' own Hfi.'a jdeed which Br Millward '^declared, worthy of the .Vic-' toria .dross, if they- were only given to th« h'eroes'of'the back-streets. ' Tho curato'' did f Tiot get diphtheria, so'we'.'lhisiric^er charges, hoard nothing of' his doings. : ■ ■ Although the curate was not a, social success amongst t the ladies, the men liked hun.' He was .little more than a • hoy,' for he was. twenty-six years old when ho confessed to his birhtday, yet ' his travels abroad had aged him heyond his yoars. Ho was a clever- and interesting talker, too,, telling of the deeds 'of other men rather than his own. So,< although ho did not appear at the aftcr,i\oon teas of tho women, ani was seldom invited, to uic more stately festivities of the place, -ho was always welcome should he drop in to smoke a pipe with tho men. I was always proud to think it was my own company, armchair, and' to-- ' hacco-jar that' appealed most Btrongly ' to the curate, and as' time, went on ho became a regular visitor. •: At first Hilica was inclined to turn •up her nose at him, for he smoked. •' Presently, however, her heart softened towards him, and she repented of "several unkind things 'she had said about him; bo that one Novemher evening, when tho raw, damp 'air- hadwaked the fever in him, and she saw him White' and shaking, she rushed down to €he kitchen, and brought him a cup of steaming cocoa made with her own hands. ' „ .•■ .• , Our lato Mr Hbneyman would, have accepted this slight service with a languid smile and an easy' grace asa 'fit and proper "tribute to his dignity. Nof so,. the' curate.' He stammered painfully, blushed uncomfortably ; thena piteous look atole into his eyes, as "" though ho would cry were, he not grown ' up. 1 Ho was 'certainly unused to such attentions'. - No woman had ever gone out of her way to spoil him. Then Hilica insisted that ho should sit nearer tho fire, and, all tho woman ' awake in her!, by reason of a touch, of pity, she shook up a pillow for his head, ' stirred .the fire to a cheery blaze, and insißtcd on measuring him out a. dose of medicine from Lucinda's homoeopathic medicine-chest, which was not likely to /So him 'any Harm, if it did him no '"good. ' , , ' ' And, after that tho curate's eyes, fol- ' lowed her about tho room with a duml " wistfulness mingledwith awe, as though ' ' ho were gazing upon au 'angel. >! " "Thank" you so much for your kind ''" ness," stammered tho curate that.nigW U '" when; ho left us. "I am afrnid I hav< ' • "'given Miss Gray . a grent . deal o :rt tfouVle.", ,< -„. . ' ',„ >:r::>i « <Thafc t, o y,, wa nte 'mothering,' - ew ' r "Helical 'when 'at breakfast' tho ncs 1 -'inbrning the 'conversation turned » 'tne ourate. '1 .don't believe. he got 1 -enough -.to, eat, at, that horrid plac 5 where he lodges. That landlady of hi l! '_- Mrt Brown I—is1 — is a sanctimonious ol '■'Vskinflmt, and— l hate her!" " '* .^""Hilica," .ejaculated. Aunt .Lucindi 1 i '"1 ani surprised !" n ""''""I should'bo surprised if Mr £vii ,V- inerton' g^te fed aecen.tly.hy^that^ g '"o\& womaitr.iretorted Hilica. Tre lQ "'dy," flho' continued; appealing to m ;* ' "jj>u. mnsiJ asK him to dinner and lun< | 0 ' \fJpfteh.". , „ ,- • . Tho./ia'ino idea had suggested Use (.ftp m< s:* So.that-very day I sought o io ,tho curate., ' ~ . •,->•• i, „,;i found-him looking white and wa fc.- for l&tiA'**P''s*&S : * * 3 nlg C1)1j 1,., ' .o-' -' -"-1"

the bedside of a sick man who was afraid to die a lonely death. I brought him back with me to dinner, and afterwards, in the drawnig- t room, filled with soft-shaded lights, Hilica played and sang to us, so that a the strained, hard look was charmed away from the( curate'B face, and he t looked almost a'boy again. Hilica had never looked prettier than t she did that night, seated at the piano, i arrayed in all the glory of. her new x pink silk dinner blouse. I am certain that I have never heard her sing more i sweetly or play with greater' brilliancy j and Ido not wonder' that the curate c fell in love with her. After that night he came often to ( luncu and to dinner, but lam afraid j that his eyes were more. often bent^ on t Hilica .than on his plate, for, .notwith- , Btanding Aunt Lncinda's hospitable at- \ tempts to "feed him up," as she expressed it, he grew thinner and paler. ( Hilica, repentant, made much of him, i and often with, hSr own hands would s , prepare dishes to tempt_his appetite. , "I am- sure 'Mr Summerton is ill, -reddy," she declared "one day; "he j does not eat enough to keep a bird alive!" I laughed, and quoted the song, of "the. poor, palp young curate.", Butjbhat nlgttt when.l' 4sketl Dr MiJlwafd^epn-. cefiffiig tho'ljurato, he, shook his ( head. • - -''He's down in hod 'sa?d the doctor. "And, to tell tho truth, I don's ..know,, what-to, mako ,of him". lam gor, Ing to call in a manafroßU London* to"morrpw." • • . . I- said nothing to Hilica, but when tho doctor from London had como and gbno I mado enquiries,- and heard that - lie, too, had shaken his head. Tho following day tfilica came to me wide-eyed and breathless. " "Oh, Freddy," she exclaimed, "Bessie .Mitlward-has been here, and she says that Mr Summerton is very, very ill , indeed! Ido wish you'd go ' and «co him, and try to cheer him up. Bessie says that he is .lying in such a nasty, poky little hole of t^room; • and that horrid old landlady of his grumbles at everything she docs' for him, and Dr • Millward is going to. fiend Nurso Edith down front tho infirmary to look' after ' him!" " "I'll tell John to put Gladiator in the dogcart at onco," I replied, feeling-a little bit guilty that I had not called ' ■< at the curate's lodging before. •I—l've a milk pudding in the oven. - now," continued' -HSlica, with something like a sob. "It will bo'ready-in a minuto or two, an' —an' the doctor, says he may take it, if—he can; an'-^an' I'm going to get some flowers and send them too." She dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief, and I walked out' to the stable " yard to wait for the pudding, feeling . very low indeed, for I, too, had grown < very fond of the curate. It did not' take Gladiator long to cover the mile that lay between my house and tho curate's lodging; but I only'succeeded in forestalliriff by a few minutes a faster traveller than man or •' horseflesh. Doctor Millward had just come down " from his patient's room. He glanced • at Hilica's pudding, and he shook his • head. „ . \ , . "He won't eat any more -pudding, 1 poor boy!" said he. "You can go np , and see him: He was asking for you 1, ■ just now." So I took Hilica's flowers and went L to the shabby little bed-room under the ' l' roof. ' . " 1 • The curate lay on a small, unepml fortable bed, that was crowded into a I corner of the room under the slope of - tho ceiling. •' ' , ! .' j * His dying eyes were fixed upon,.a -photograph of a group that', stood upon I the small table by his bedside, and I 1 saw that one of the most prominent f figures in the group was Hilica. There was no need to toll him who i had sent the flowers, and as I placed a then W his wasted hands a gratefnl o bh-.:;o lit r."r his pinched face. 0 "Tell her," he whimpered, "tell her— 0 But the effort to<speak- was too much r for him,-and he could say no moro. I- But the light that lingered in tho dim b eyes till, half an Eour later, .they closed h for ever, gave me .the text of the curate's last message." f _ ' it "Ho was so young—too young to die," ro 'sobbed Hilica. . . _ . ■ • of" , "Ho died happily," I answered, at a ' ..loss for conßoling words, "holding the id flowers yon sent him in his hnads.' I st ' think ho was very fond of you, Helvca. m Did you caro for him?? I added. t» -. "Oh, Freddy, I don't ' know/ wept cc * Hilica; "but"l am beginning to think iis that I did." >ia' ' And, as was her custom when overtaken by troiiblo, she hid her face on la,' her gnardjan's shoulder.. i

How to Care for the Ears* Never put anything in the -ear for the relief of toothache. , > Never wear cotton in' the ears if. they ' are discharging. ' ' x Never attempt to apply a poultice to { tne inside of the canal of the eat. ' . Never strike or box a .child's ''ears;', this has. been known to' rupture the drumhead, and cause incurable . deaf- | ness. . ] Never scratch the ears with anything if they itch. Dtf not use the head, of .'a pin, hairpins, pencil tips, or anything of that nature. ' . j Never put milk, fat, or any oily sub- ( stance into the ear for the relief, of . pain, for they soon become rancid, and tend to incite inflammation. Warm water will answer the purpose better than' anything else. - .1- „ j Never be alarmed if, a' living insect enters the ear. Pouring warm water - into Hho canal will 'drown it, when it will generally come' to the surface and can easily be removed by the fingers. A few puffs of tobacco smoke blown -'^ into the ear will stupefy the insect. .