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Yatman purchased some smelling…salts at the shop； and afterward
appeared at the circulating library to ask for a novel
descriptive of high life that would amuse an invalid lady。 It has
been inferred from these circumstances that he has not thought it
desirable to carry out his threat of separating from his wife； at
least in the present （presumed） condition of that lady's
sensitive nervous system。
THE SEVENTH DAY。
FINE enough for our guest to go out again。 Long； feathery lines
of white cloud are waving upward in the sky； a sign of coming
wind。
There was a steamer telegraphed yesterday from the West Indies。
When the next vessel is announced from abroad； will it be
George's ship？
I don't know how my brothers feel to…day； but the sudden
cessation of my own literary labors has left me still in bad
spirits。 I tried to occupy my mind by reading； but my attention
wandered。 I went out into the garden； but it looked dreary； the
autumn flowers were few and far betweenthe lawn was soaked and
sodden with yesterday's rain。 I wandered into Owen's room。 He had
returned to his painting； but was not working； as it struck me；
with his customary assiduity and his customary sense of
enjoyment。
We had a long talk together about George and Jessie and the
future。 Owen urged me to risk speaking of my son in her presence
once more； on the chance of making her betray herself on a second
occasion； and I determined to take his advice。 But she was in
such high spirits when she came home to dinner on this Seventh
Day； and seemed so incapable； for the time being； of either
feeling or speaking seriously； that I thought it wiser to wait
till her variable mood altered again with the next wet day。
The number drawn this evening was Eight； being the number of the
story which it had cost Owen so much labor to write。 He looked a
little fluttered and anxious as he opened the manuscript。 This
was the first occasion on which his ability as a narrator was to
be brought to the test； and I saw him glance nervously at
Jessie's attentive face。
〃I need not trouble you with much in the way of preface；〃 he
said。 〃This is the story of a very remarkable event in the life
of one of my brother clergymen。 He and I became acquainted
through being associated with each other in the management of a
Missionary Society。 I saw him for the last time in London when he
was about to leave his country and his friends forever； and was
then informed of the circumstances which have afforded the
material for this narrative。〃
BROTHER OWEN'S STORY
of
THE PARSON'S SCRUPLE。
CHAPTER I。
IF you had been in the far West of England about thirteen years
since； and if you had happened to take up one of the Cornish
newspapers on a certain day of the month； which need not be
specially mentioned； you would have seen this notice of a
marriage at the top of a column：
On the third instant； at the parish church； the Reverend Alfred
Carling； Rector of Penliddy； to Emily Harriet； relict of the late
Fergus Duncan； Esq。； of Glendarn； N。 B。
The rector's marriage did not produce a very favorable impression
in the town； solely in consequence of the unaccountable private
and unpretending manner in which the ceremony had been performed。
The middle…aged bride and bridegroom had walked quietly to church
one morning； had been married by the curate before any one was
aware of it； and had embarked immediately afterward in the
steamer for Tenby； where they proposed to pass their honeymoon。
The bride being a stranger at Penliddy； all inquiries about her
previous history were fruitless； and the townspeople had no
alternative but to trust to their own investigations for
enlightenment when the rector and his wife came home to settle
among their friends。
After six weeks' absence Mr。 and Mrs。 Carling returned； and the
simple story of the rector's courtship and marriage was gathered
together in fragments； by inquisitive friends； from his own lips
and from the lips of his wife。
Mr。 Carling and Mrs。 Duncan had met at Torquay。 The rector； who
had exchanged houses and duties for the season with a brother
clergyman settled at Torquay； had called on Mrs。 Duncan in his
clerical capacity； and had come away from the interview deeply
impressed and interested by the widow's manners and conversation。
The visits were repeated； the acquaintance grew into friendship；
and the friendship into loveardent； devoted love on both sides。
Middle…aged man though he was； this was Mr。 Carling's first
attachment； and it was met by the same freshness of feeling on
the lady's part。 Her life with her first husband had not been a
happy one。 She had made the fatal mistake of marrying to please
her parents rather than herself； and had repented it ever
afterward。 On her husband's death his family had not behaved well
to her； and she had passed her widowhood； with her only child； a
daughter； in the retirement of a small Scotch town many miles
away from the home of her married life。 After a time the little
girl's health had begun to fail； and； by the doctor's advice； she
had migrated southward to the mild climate of Torquay。 The change
had proved to be of no avail； and； rather more than a year since；
the child had died。 The place where her darling was buried was a
sacred place to her and she remained a resident at Torquay。 Her
position in the world was now a lonely one。 She was herself an
only child； her father and mother were both dead； and； excepting
cousins； her one near relation left alive was a maternal uncle
living in London。
These particulars were all related simply and unaffectedly before
Mr。 Carling ventured on the confession of his attachment。 When he
made his proposal of marriage； Mrs。 Duncan received it with an
excess of agitation which astonished and almost alarmed the
inexperienced clergyman。 As soon as she could speak； she begged
with extraordinary earnestness and anxiety for a week to consider
her answer； and requested Mr。 Carling not to visit her on any
account until the week had expired。
The next morning she and her maid departed for London。 They did
not return until the week for consideration had expired。 On the
eighth day Mr。 Carling called again and was accepted。
The proposal to make the marriage as private as possible came
from the lady。 She had been to London to consult her uncle （whose
health； she regretted to say； would not allow him to travel to
Cornwall to give his niece away at the altar）； and he agreed with
Mrs。 Duncan that the wedding could not be too private and
unpretending。 If it was made public； the family of her first
husband would expect cards to be sent to them； and a renewal of
intercourse； which would be painful on both sides； might be the
consequence。 Other friends in Scotland； again； would resent her
marrying a second time at her age； and would distress her and
annoy her future husband in many ways。 She was anxious to break
altogether with her past existence； and to begin a new and
happier life untrammeled by any connection with former times and
troubles。 She urged these points； as she had received the offer
of marriage； with an agitation which was almost painful to see。
This peculiarity in her conduct； however； which might have
irritated some men； and rendered others distrustful； had no
unfavorable effect on Mr。 Carling。 He set it down to an excess of
sensitiveness and delicacy which charmed him。 He was
himselfthough he never would confess ita shy； nervous man by
nature。 Ostentation of any sort was something which he shrank
from instinctively； even in the simplest affairs of daily life；
and his future wife's proposal to avoid all the usual ceremony
and publicity of a wedding was therefore more than agreeable to
himit was a positive relief。
The courtship was kept secret at Torquay； and the marriage was
celebrated privately at Penliddy。 It found its way into the local
newspapers as a matter of course； but it was not； as usual in
such cases； also advertised in the _Times_。 Both husband and wife
were equally happy in the enjoyment of their new life； and
equally unsocial in taking no measures whatever to publish it to
others。
Such was the story of the rector's marriage。 Socially； Mr。
Carling's position was but little affected either way by the
change in his life。 As a bachelor； his circle of friends had been
a small one； and when he married he made no attempt to enlarge
it。 He had never been popular with the inhabitants of his parish
generally。 Essentially a weak man； he was； like other weak men；
only capable of asserting himself positively in serious matters
by running into extremes。 As a consequence of this moral defect；
he presented some singular anomalies in character。 In the
ordinary affairs of life he was the gentlest and most yielding of
men； but in all that related to strictness of religious principle
he was the sternest and the most aggressive of fanatics。 In the
pulpit he was a preacher of merciless sermonsan interpreter of
the Bible by the letter rather than by the spirit； as pitiless
and gloomy as one of the Puritans of old； while； on the other
hand； by his own fireside he was considerate； forbearing； and
humble almost to a fau