Hepsey Burke

tle building with a curb roof, pointed at both ends like a Noah's Ark; and the visitor felt that if he could only manage to lift up one side of the roof he would find the

bus won't be down till the next train: bu

d. "I think I'll wait for the

sengers goin' West, and wait for a lot o' women that forget

of the situation. He gazed about curiously; but there was nothing of any special interest in sight, except, painfully conspicuous on the face of a grass terrace, the name of the village picked out in large letters composed of oyster-shells and the bottoms of protruding beer bottles stuck in the ground. The stranger found himself wondering where a sufficient number of bottles could be fou

with all its busy competition, with all its absorbing activities, the companionship of the men he loved, and the restful, inspiring intimacy with a certain young woman, he felt, for the moment, a pang of

the station-master, who suddenly appear

l take you up; that'll be a dum sight

of a whirlwind along the highway, from which there gradually emerged a team an

jumped out of the wagon with remarkable agility for one of her size a

At first glance there was nothing striking about her appearance; but there was a subtle expression about the mouth, a twinkle about the large gray eyes behind the glasses she wore, that indicated a

pression that you were being "sized up" by a very discriminating individual; and when he smiled, as he did frequently, he revealed a set of very white and perfect teeth. When he was silent, there was a little

downcast, meekly submissive air, probably the depress

ere but the man on the suit-case; but as he rose and

ive on this train. You haven't seen anything that looked lik

ng man

got off the train; and though I'm a clergyman

ard with a jerk and settled them firmly back again on the bridge o

the usual symptoms--collar b

Madam, but I never travel in cl

rsons, if I may say so. Maybe you're the

and I am sure you

." They walked round to the front of the station. "This, Mr. Maxwell, is Jonathan Jackson, the Junior Warden; and this is my son Nicholas, generally known as

u get into the back seat with Nickey, and Mr. Maxwell, you sit with me on the front seat so that I can talk to you. Jonathan mean

as he got into the wagon, w

when Hepsey drives; and we have to ho

nathan would probably hold on with both hands if he lay flat on hi

with a cluck, she turned

when you were comin', but I didn't get down to the station in time, as the men are kill

the trouble of coming at all. I

after the visitin' parsons, and I'm quite use

ughed as h

weren't always a p

etty much of a lottery, and it is generally my luck to draw blanks.

a rather doubt

n, women, and parsons; and I like a parson who is a man first, and a parson after

walk up the hill, the slackened reins held in one hand; in the other lolled the whip, which now and then she raised, tightening her grasp upon it as if for use, on second thoughts dropping i

f rolling country, tilled fields and pasture, stretching on to distant wooded mountains, spread o

p here! You must have

--once after each meal, once before goin' to bed, and repeat if necessary before mornin'. I won't say but it's pretty good medici

silent, felt it incumbent to break into

never been up in t

ed to come up during the season for a little hun

The most I recollect was that two city fellers shot a guide and

is face, and Hepsey chuckled. Keeping her eyes on the horses as they trotted along at

you what we wanted in the s

hinted a f

week, and know just when anyone is sick without bein' told a word about it. He's got to be an awful good mixer, to draw the young people like a porous plaster, and fill the pews. He must have lots of sociables, and fairs

e contract!" Maxwell

x hundred dollars a year, and you'll have to ra

the Junior War

se of upsettin' the young

ing people together that wouldn't meet anywhere else if they saw each other first. Then when they've bought a chance on a pieced bed-quilt, or paid for chicken-pie at a church supper, the

ssed of a talent for inventing new and original entertainments each week

, you know, and borrow eggs of his wife as easy as of their next door neighbor. But the young reverends expect too much of a country parish, and break their hearts so

don't believe in taking life too seriously; it's bad for the nerves and digestion. It wi

t, so they make up by talkin' about it, especially when it happens to be a new parson. We've been havin' odds and ends of parsons from the remnant counter now for six months or more; and that's enough to kill any parish. I believe t

Wardens to help me out," he said. "You must

runnin'," she replied, cracking her whip. "You'll need to g

made life easy for his predecessors, and his superior's exhortation to firmness and tact, to the end that he, Maxwell,

rned off the road, and drew up by a house standing some d

ace, you know. All the summer visitors in Durford have names for their hou

lence during Hepsey's pointers concerning hi

you know it. I always tell her, Mr.

s to myself, I'll explain the whole matter to you. There isn't any cliff, and the house wants paintin' and looks like