1 should have fallen asleep but my
attention was attracted to a rustic
beauty in a neighboring pew 1 am
not generally at all susceptible to fe
male charms but (his girl's face struck
me at once I do not think that it
ronformed to the proper canons of
beauty Rat 1 cannot be sure 1 was
conscious of two glorious eyos, of a
sweet expression thereupon reflected,
hut ol nothing else, it created rather
an odd sensation If you believe me,
it raised something like a lump in my
throat
I told Raynor about it some lime
afterwards. He did not call me a sen
diuctiial ass, as any of my Oxford
cronies would have done: on the eon
nary he smiled on me very Kindly
My dear boy." hi' said, "a quarto
volume might he written on the lull
male connection between the beautiful
and palhelii I am inclined to think
that there Is something touching In all
line loveliness. Be thankful that true
beauty in am of Its shapes ts able to
call up In you thost' higher seusa
t lons "
UR I service was over Raynor and I
stood wailing outside the church door
it was his custom, ho told mo. to have
the vicar and his family In dine with
him every Sunday, and limy always
walked back together
"W’l- are very Intimate," said Ray
tier "1 am godfather of two of his
children They legat'd me quite as
one of tho family "
I looked toward the church porch I
scarcely noticed die others My eyes
were lived op one face So, my rustic
beauty was the vicar's daughter, and I
was about lo make her acquaintance
I believed I raised my lull with due
formality when I was presented to the
'bar's wife 1 it collect murmuring
sonic observations lo her. which may
or may- not have boon coheront II
was not until we wore well upon our
h imi-wnrd walk dial I roiurnod '> dm
region of complete consciousness. Site
was very young sea reel y IS, | should
Imagine, and rather shy She did not
look al me mudi. and dial gave me
the heller oppoi’lunitv of Inspecting
her.
