Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1865-09-14
MoraI GaI..
The Reetor's Love.
By MRS. pKNyIsoy.

You need this discipline my dear
child it is fitting you for something
better ard holier, for a purer fife. /
trust"
! threw the letter across the floor nd
far as it would go. was never SO
angry in my life. Why had written
to Ellis Sumner, my fathers friend ?
What perversity of intellect had
prompted me? could see him As he
read my letter, which must have teen
childish and silly in. the extreme
read it, no doubt, in haste and ennui
and then in return had given me a
short sermon. | had once rejected
him no doubt he felt that in INV cir
cumstances he could enjoy sort of
revenge, and punish me by bis lordly
assumption.
The circumstances of the case verc
simply these. had been rich-I was
now poor. From being a wealty mer-
chant, my father had been stricken
with sudden poverty, and, after dam
gerous illness. with almost imbecility.
We were now staying with my aunt
until we could make arrangements to
do something by which | could COM
fortably support my father and my
self.
Ellis Sumner, three years ago. had
been an intimate friend in our family
lie was then about taking orders
past thirty, a calm, reflective, sad-eyed
man, unmistakably noble in manner
and appearance not haudsome-bet-
ter than that. He was originally a
teacher, had travelled much, was one
Of the best scholars of his age IN the
country, and "driven into the minis
try" as was coarsely said by some.
ON account Of disappointment in
love. only sixteen, had been very
fond Of him-childishly SO and he
had, in his quiet way, appeared to
take great pleasure in my society.
When he was ordained | was present.
and wept unrcstrainedly. could not
have told why, except that he seemed
from that moment set so far from me.
Indeed, there was solemnity in his
manner, grandeur in his face. that
awed me to tears. Naturally impres.
s'ble and reverential, though quick,
passionate and high-tempered, could
think OF him only as great, high an
gel, immeasureably above me.
And when few days after was
seventeen years old, he told me in a
low voice that he loved me, quite
frightened him by my fear.
- Oh \ ipI,ol A. S,- 0V.y
trembling from head to foot, Il like
you very well, but / never dreamed Of
such q thing, never couldn't-po-
| never could be a minister's wife I'm
altogether another sort of person
pray, pray, don't ask me-" Tie silli-
est speech / ever made in my life.
batting its truth.
lie looked at me in strange way,
that discomposcd me sadly. I thought
ne grew pale. even to his very lips
but he smiled a. he said Il was
foolish to ask you, my child but you
have Frightened my life for a few
brief years, and made the coming
crosses lighter, perhaps. Forgive me,
III never speak of it again"
When he left US to accept call in
another part Of the State, thought Of
hun regrettully. There was a sense
OF pain caused by his absence which
would have hattered him if he had
known II, but the world began to take
| up the chiefest Of my attention and.
his immage became only a pleasing
memory.
was never made for the quiet Of
personage-gay dresses, gay orna-
ments, tritiing conversation, elegant
young men, waltzing, opera-going-
these formed my enjoyments, and /
was completely happy.
IL is not true, as some reIigionists
say, that there is no happiness in the
world. OF its Kind there is none
greater to the thorough wording. 1t
is feyerish, unsatisfying in the end
fatal. perhaps, TO all its developments !;
but there is happiness--careless,
thoughtless, unreasoning, and really
dangerous--but still happiness. / do
not remember one dark day, one sun
less hour, till my father failed. l had
everything wanted-an unlimited
wardrobe, plenty Of money to spend.
horses. carriages, jewels to my hearts
content, and my temperament seemed
made expressly to enjoy them. But
oh /! the terrible reaction of finding
myself utterly stripped Of all Joy, ali
pleasure F! The gloom Of the grave sur
rounded me. The loss Of all my beau
tiful things, my accustomed pleasures,
almost paralyzed me. To say to N.Y.
self, " am poor there is henceforth
only darkness along my path l shall
be Stunned as if were leper; my
fine dresses are but mockery now I;
some other, as lighthearted as was,
sits in our carriage the box in the
theatre, in the opera, will no more be
occupied by me /; l shall be deserted
as this OF that one was my former
friends will forget me, will pass me
coldly on the stretch hate the
world, | hate myself l hate every.
body"
!, True, Aunt Jenny had opened her
house to US. had always looked
J down upon her l am afraid sneered
ut her in my heart She was little
queer in her notions, very strict in her
| religious duties, and had often lectur.
ed me till could have cried with i'm
patience, and even anger. upon my
[ love of the world. But oh rarely
she proved her Christian benevolence.
: Her income was very limited, yet she
) came for us, took my poor sick father
i to her little home, bought my piano
forte and several articles of furniture
, which she knew | priced because they
| had been my mothers, selling some
: rare old jewels, heir-looms. that she
J might aid us then.