Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1857-02-20
THE MINISTER'S WIFE.
BY OLIVER OPTIC,
CHAPTER I.

parlor.
What, Tom ?'' asked Sophia, turning
her languid gaze upon her brother.
MIR. Marsh is going to be married
next week" .H
" Gracious You don't say so p re-
piled Mrs. Wise, with glance of melan-
choly interest at her daughter. .1sa,
"Fact All the stories are true. You
have wasted your powder for nothing.
sophy."
What do you mean by that, Tom'?''
"Mean Oh, nothing"
-" OF course you don't"
''Mr. Marsh is an ungrateful fellow
ell, sis 90
elf you have got anything to say.
Tom. why don't you say it, and not keep
limiting ?'' :.
II haven't got anything to say" an
swered Tom.
But the mischief that lurked in his eyes
was quite enough to convict him OF bav-
ing something to say; at least Of having
something very roguish or funny in his
heart.
The Rev. Mr.. Marsh was young cler-
gyman, who had been settled in Freelawn
q year before. Young ministers aregen.
orally pale, cadaverous looking fellows,
who have used up some of the best years
Of their lives over the mustv tones Of a
dry theology; and it makes them look
very pale. and very gloomy-which is
not much to be wondered at. We some
times wonder that ministers will waste
their time, and destroy their compilations
over such dry study as heology.
Whether Mr.. Marsh had studied
theology or not cannot say. II he had i.
1t did not produce the usual effect, for his
form was well filed out, and his cheeks
were as rosy as plough boys. He was
the picture of health. bodily and there
was sunshine in his heart, for he could
laugh as merily. enjoy joke as heartily
as any man i'll Freelawn. SO that it was
certain that, if he had studied theology,
he had not permitted it TO sour his tenn.
per, or change this beautiful world which
God has created, into great tomb, where.
in should be nothing but weeping and
wailing.
About month after Mr.. Marsh's in
stallation. a certain Major Wainwright
had bought cottage and moved into
Freelawn. Now. the major hated theolo.
gy, and fully believed that it was an in
vention of the devil TO sour the faces OF
clergyman, and thus cause the people to
be diSgusted with religion. Perhaps the
Major judged theology by its effect. by
what it seemed TO be to him. rather than
by what it actually was. He had no re-
spcct for ministers, never went to church.
and claimed to take his religion directly
from nature and the Bible.
My private opinion is that the Major
was in the wrong in respect to theology,
the church, and religion itself: but he was
very clever man, good neighbor.
think theology. ministers and the church.
as the true instrumentalities of religion it.
self, would have made him wiser and bet
ter and in the course of events, the Ma.
jor came to think so himself.
The Major had wife and one daugh-
ter. AS our business is wholly with the
latter, we will not meddle with the old
lady. Margaret Waiuright was not the
prettiest girl in the world, though she was
we'll built, had pleasing countenance. a
very graceful carriage. She had been
we'll educated. was accomplished not only
in the ornamental branches, but, in the
real and substantial. She could read
Latin, talk French like native of Paris.
knew that the Green mountains were not
in Greenland, that the sum was bigger
than the moon, however, much appear
ances might sometimes indicate the con-
trary, and great many other things
which the reader would not thank me
for mentioning. Her conversation was
brilliant, witty, fascinating; and hei
laugh seemed like the key note of para.
disc, it was SO sweet and melodious.
Margaret was a mischievous girl, al
ways full of fun, could not refrain from
laughing even ON Sunday and in the pre-.
sence of the parson-for, notwithstand
ing the Majors dangerous proclivities, his
wife aud daughter were regular atten'
dants upon public worship.
Possibly the fair girls temperament
had been in some measure modified BY
her fathers views and daily life. She
was, before the minister just what she
was before anybody else-she was her,
self. She laughed on Sunday, even be
fore the minister's face. Why should
she not laugh? Her laugh was the sun
shine of her heart. The sun shines OF
Sunday-why should not her heart shine
on Sunday I?
/ Margaret went into society in Freelawr
that is, she went to the sewing >circle. anc
took Tea with her neighbors; but it i
quite certain. that on none ofthese coca
sions. did She gossip with her neighbors
If she heard bad story about any per
son she took no pleasure in repeating it
so the old ladies could never get an,
..news" out of her.