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