The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1871-11-03
TFrom the ST. Louis Times.
ANOTHER BE4ACA SHEEP.

How n Fsechorous Elder Created
Trouble. sn g Sf. H.ouis Church
a Weak Sister Dishoa0Fed and
Expelled ia Es;sgracc-A Curious
Code Of Morality.
Among the various religious de-
nominations in this city is one rejoic-
ing iii the appellation of the Gov
enanters, although notso designated
in the public lists of churches. The
peculiar tenets of the Covenanters
seemed to show that their church has
inherited something of the proverbial
strictness of old Scotch Presbyterian-
ism, tempered With a healthy flavor
of Yankee shrewness. The members
of this church are not allowed to .ex-
ercise the right of suffrage, but are
allowed to hold Office, and several OF
them rejoice in snug positions under
both the, city and county govern
ments. Some time ago, sou of one
of the most prominent members, com
ing TO manhood aid feeling the ne
cessity of doing something to give the
event proper significance, cast his
vote at the last election like an honest
citizen, and was promptly excomma-
nicated. A daughter of the deacon
who married without the pale, suffer
ed a like fate. Shll other regulations
are in vogue whereby the exclusive
spirit of the creed is manifested.
The practical results of this seela-
sive faith do not seem to be Just all
that the believers expect. The con-
gregation and the whole neighbor-
hood, heretofore severely proper,
have been not little shocked by
recent developements. There are
two spinsteT sisters of high respecta-
bility who have managed neat little
millinery establishment on Market
street for the past ten years, and who
have also been staid and sober mem
bers of the "Covenanters. The
neighborhood was not a little shocked
and scandalized few days since to
hear that the maid had become a
matron without having been properly
conserved by matrimony As soon
as the poor girl had sufficiently recov-
cred from the effects of her coniine-
ment, she was summoned before the
Council of the Church aud Il stormy
scene followed. Finally one of the
members. with much more zeal than
reverence, abruptly asked the erring
milliner If the event was tue result ci
some special providence and miracle
or whether it coaid be attributed 10
natural causes. fhe girl. driven 10
theslast extreme by the cruel aud
harsh questions OF her inIuisiJurs,
de6artly answered that sac w;gs I
aware that there was auythfag mirac-
ulous about her little one. AMI If the
members insisted she would tell them
plainly who was the prosenItor OF her
offspring The querists insisted
The girl then boldly informed the
congregation that II was no less than
Elder 80, man of means. and one
of the pillars of the church. 1t was
plain that there was necessity for
decipline- Somewhere, aud acting
upon this evident requirement tue
pharisaical couaciiinen dl-cfJine /
the woman, expeiiIns her IN dis grace
In certain circles this bit OF scan,Its
has excited no. little "a K, and the
young nlllner finds plenty of sympa-
thy. Strange tales are told OF other
unseen Y acts of the same amorous
elder with other lady members OF The
church. Some even go SO far as To
charge him with having stolen 81 800
FROM a poor widow, u sum which
constituted nearly the whole estate
thesp woman obtained from an
insurance policy on her husband 5
hfess The elder IS known TO. have
gone to. her house on the night OF
the robbery, and the next norni &
the rified treasurebox was found In
thesBaek yard of the church. The
onlysfact which serves to initiate
against the suspicion, is that the box
was. broken IN a bungling manner, as
if by an inexperienced hand. Not
long ago, it was only by the exercise
of womanly strategy and most per-
sistent repulsion toward this high
churchman that the wife of Main
street merchant saved herself from
dishonor How long he will be al
lowed to carry on his deeds of evil
under cloak of hypocritical right
eousness is a question now agltating
the neighbors and the society te
which he, in name at least. belongs
Meanwhile, the milliner boldly faces
the world, tends to her shop an6
nurses her child, without attempting
to conceal or pallitate her error.