The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1870-10-14
A woman goes Five Thous md
Miles TO Marry a Man She
Never Saw
From the Beverly IN. J) Visitor.

rum tne beverly IN. ID NlSltOr.
Many years ago the Rev. II. S. Mac
lay was sent by the Board of Missions
as missionary to China. He was rca.
sonably successful, but felt in need of a
wife, and wrote to the Board requesting
them to send him one from America.
The Rev. DIR. Pittman, then Secretary
of the Board, being a man of very fine
feelings, wrote to Brother Maclay that
IL was a very delicate and difficult mat
ter to select a wife for another man, and
advised him to defer marriage until "a
moro convenient season." when he
might be permitted to return to his ma
tive land and make a choice of one of
its fair and worthy daughters. The Rev.
DIR. Kidder, a member of the Board,
had more boldness, however, and set
about the work of wife-selecting with a
zeal worthy of the most ardent lover.
lie directed his attention particularly
to a Miss Sperry of Brooklyn, N. Y,
then on visit to Newark, N. j., whom
he knew to be every way worthy the
confidence ard love of any man, but
more especially of Christian minister,
being a lady of picty and culture; but
he was somewhat doubtful whether she
possessed the selfsacriflcing spirit of a
missionary-to leave her relatives and
friends and all she held dear, and travel
thousands of miles to land of straf1-
gers, where she was not acquainted
with living soul, not even the man
hn tn ic etv 10
asked her to become his wife. After
the first surprise, the lady asked time
to consider, the result of which was ac-
ceptance, and she set about preparing
for the long journey.
Mr.. Maclay was written the state of
the case-there was no telegraph in
those days-and it may be just at this
time he may have had some misgivings
of his mode of action. Here was lady
coming thousands of miles to marry
him, whom he had never seen, with
whose disposition or temperament he
had no knowledge, and all he had to
rely upon was the recommendation of a
brother minister! There is not man
in thousand who would be satisfied
with such choice. But then she was
pious and seif-sacrificing-oh! how self
was completely thrown in the shade
by her acceptance of such an offer and
her going upon such mission. This
was the comfort, the consolation, and
the harbinger of love and happiness.
And how was it with the young la
dy? Was she not equally exercised
about her position? Did she not fire.
quently, during that long and hazard
Gus journey, question herself as to her
prudence in accepting the proposal of
marriage in such second hand way?
She never saw the man that was to be
her husband; she only knew him by
reputation she might be unattractive
TO him, and he repulsive to her, when
they met for the first time.
AT length she arrived at her destina-
ton in China, and the marriage took
place at the house of brother mission
ary, and ever since they have not only
lived happily together, but have been
eminently successful in their mission.
AIRY work. The two eldest sons of that
romantic union are now students in the
Wesleyan University at Middletown,
Conh., having graduated at Pennington
Seminary, N. j., about a year ago.
They are both destined for the minis
try.