Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-02-02
THE STORY OF A VALENTINE.
BY EDWARD EGGLEsToN.

BY EDWARD EGGLESTON.
Hubert said might print this story if
] would disguise the names It came out
quite incidentally. We were discussing
the woman question, am woman
Fighter" Hubert-the Rev. Hubert Lee,
] should say, pastor of the First Church, T"
and, indeed, the only church in Allenville
lis not, though fiatter myself I have
made some impression ON him. But the
discussion took place in Hubert's own
house, and wishing to give pleasant turn
at the end, I suppose, he told me how, a
year and half before, he had "used up y
one woman's rights man, who was no other
than old DR.. Hood, the physician that
has had charge of the physical health of
hubert and myself from the beginning.
Unlike most of his profession, the doctor
has always been radical and even the
wealth that has come in upon him of late
years has. left him quite as much of a
radical, at least in theory, as ever before
Indeed the old doctor is not very incon-
sistent in practice, for he has educated his
only daughter, Cornelia, to his own pro-
fession, and believe she took her M. d.
with honors, though she has lately spoiled
her prospects But socially he has be-
come little more aristocratic, seeking an
exclusive association with his wealthy
neighbors. And this does not look very
well in one who, when he was poor, was
particularly bitter on "a purse proud
aristocracy." suppose Hubert felt this.
Certainly I did, and therefore enjoyed the
conversation that he repeated to me all the
more
1t seems that my friend Hubert had been
away at the seminary for three years, and
that having at last conquered in his great
battle against poverty, and having gained
an education in spite of difficulties, and
having supplied a city church acceptably
for some months during the absence of the
pastor in Europe, he came back to our ma
tive village to rest on his laurels few
weeks, and decide which of three rather
impecunious calls he would accept When
just about to leave he took it into his head
for some reason, to =" drop in" on old
Doctor Hood. 1t was nine o'clock in the
making morning calls while the old gentle
man sat in his office to attend to any that
might seek his services. This particular
morning happened to be an unfortunate one,
for there were no ague-shaken patients to be
seen, and there was not even a case of minor
surgery to relieve the tediousness of the
morning office hour. Perhaps it was for
this reason, perhaps it was for the sake of
old acquaintance, that he gave Hubert a
most cordial reception, and launched at
once into sea of vivacious talk. Cor
nelia, who was in the Office, excused her
self on the ground that she was examining
for her final examination, and seated her
self at window with her book
% am afraid take your time, DOCTOR u
said Hubert.
go no, I am giving up practice to my
partner, DR.. Beck, and shall give it all to
him in a year or two"
TO him and Miss Cornelia?" queried
Hubert, laughing. For it was currently
reported that the young doctor and Cornelia
were to form partnership in other than
professional affairs.
Either because he wished to attract her
attention, or for some other reason, Hubert
soon managed to turn the conversation to
the subject of wOman's rights, and the old
doctor and the young parson were soon
hurting at one another all the staple, and
now somewhat stale, arguments about
woman's fitness and woman's unfitness for
many things At last, perhaps because he
was little concerned, Hubert said:
Now, doctor, there was queer thing
happened to- a student in my class in the
seminary. I don't suppose, doctor, that
you are much interested in love story,
but l would just like to tell you this one,
because | think you dare not apply
your principles to it in every part. The
ories often fail when practically applied,
you know"
Go on, HUI, go.on; I'd like to hear the
story. And as for my principles, they'll
bear applying anywhere!" and the old
doctor rubbed his hands together con-
fdently.
"This friend of mine, Henry Gilbert" !"
said Hu, "was, like myself, poor. A long
time ago, when he was boy, the son Of
poor widow, the lot on which he
lived joined at the back the lot on which
lived Mr.. Morton, at that time thriving
merchant, now the principal capitalist in
that part of the country. AS there was
back gate between the lots, my friend was
the constant playmate from earliest child
hood of Jennie Morton. He built her
play houses out of old boards, he moldsd
Clay bricks for her use, and carved tiny toys
out of pine blocks for her amusement.
AS he grew larger, and as Jennie's father
grew richer, and come to live in greater
style, Henry grew more shy. But by all
the unspoken language of the eyes the
two never failed to make their unchang-
Henry went to college early. At vaca-
tion-time the two met. But the growing
difference in their social position
could not but be felt. Jennie's
friends were of different race
from his own. Her parents never thought
of inviting him to their entertainments is.
And If they had, rusty coat and lack
of money to spend on kid gloves would
have effectually kept him away. He was
proud. This apparent neglect stung him.
1t is true that Jennie Morton was all the
more kind. But his quick and foolish
pride made him fancy that he detected
pity in her kindness. And yet all this
only made him determined to place him
self in a position in which he could ask
her hand as her equal But you do not
understand, doctor, as do, how irresisti-
BILE is this conviction of duty in regard to
the ministry. Under that pressure my
friend settled it that he must preach. And
now there was before him good ten years
OF poverty at least. What should he do
about it?
" In his extremity he took advice of a
favorite theological professor. The pro-
fessor advised him not to seek the hand of
rich girl She would not be suited to
the trials of minister's life. But finding
that Henry was firm in his opinion that
this sound general principle did not in the
least apply to this particular case, the pro-
fessor proceeded to touch the tenderest
chord in the young mans heart. He told
him that it would be ungenerous, and in
some sense dishonorable, for him to take a
woman delicately brought up into the
poverty and trial incident to a minister s
life. If you understood, sir, how morbid
his sense of honor is, you would not
wonder at the impression this suggestion
made upon him. To give up the ministry
was in his mind to be traitor to duty and
to God To win her, if he could, was to
treat ungenerously her whose happiness
was dearer to him thousand times more
than his own"
"I hope he did not give her up" said
the doctor.
Yes, he gave her up, in double spirit
of medieval self sacrifice. Looking
toward the ministry, he surrendered his
love as some of the old monks sacrificed
love, ambition, and all other things to con-
science. Looking at her happiness, he
sacrificed his hopes in more than knight
ly devotion to her welfare The knights
sometimes gave their lives. He gave
more.
IN