The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-10-09
Looking for a Wife.

He had completed his fifty years in
the itinerancy. l had just commenced
to "travel," consequently his expert
ences and advices were very important
to me, as he thought, and as 1 ought to
have thought.
must confess, however, that made
liberal discount on his words, in view
Of the progress of the times, mentally
maintaining that the Methodist preacher
of to-day was a different species from
hespecimen similarly labeled fifty years
ago.
The kindly but somewhat forgetfuI
old worthy, after tangling up my name
and personality with four or five other
pin-feather dominies, at last succeeded in
placing me, and then said he:
"Well, Brother ", let me see, are
you married YETI"
OF course / promptly responded In
the negative, without saying a word OF
my prospects. Perhaps there was some
thing mournful in my tones, which led
him to continue:
well, brother, time enough don't
be discouraged. Trust in the Lord: he
will bring ii shout all right. You know
Solomon says "A good wife is from the
Lord and | know that's the truth.
Matilda and l have lived together, man
and wife, fifty years come October, and
she's been a good wife. Why, once |
wanted To locate, and says She, NO,
samuel. | married you for u travelling
Methodist preacher, and / don't want
you To stop now We've moved thirty
umes-thiuk of that-and tot a word of
complaint has she ever utteredn
And the good old mans ewes filled
with tears, aud his voice grew husky as
ne thought OF the long and toilsome
years oi his pilgrimage, frightened by
the presence of his noble uncomplaining
Wlte. Then he chuckled, as old men do
when some favorite, well-tried form oi
thought or expression strikes them.
why, | kHOtO she's good wife, for ]
tell the store-keepers that anything they
can sell to her I'll pay for-shes so eco.
nomical and careful, you see. Aud she
always was. / noticed that more thar
fifty years ago, when first met her.
had been sent to NOrwalk circuit, and
put up the first year at the house of 8
proud sort of woman, who was dread.
fully down on the Methodists, as people
often were in those days. You see She
mad two or three young daughters, and
was wondrOus 'fraid the young dominic
might take notion to one of her girls.
So she kept talking and limiting and in
sinuating and disparagipg, and at last
one day said, says she, 'pd as lief one OF
my girls would marry dog-lOhipper as
Methodist preacher / couldn't keen
still any longer, so l spoke right out:
They'd make better wives for a dog
1Chlpper than for a minister. / would
not marry one of your daughters unless
you gave me thousand dollars 4 wear
to keep her and then l went out. We
both felt relieved.
well, next year, after was ordained
deacon, stopped at the house of NIatiI-
ga 5 father. He had several dauhgters-
Matilda was the fifth one. I never
talked much with any of them, for |
was very strict about keeping the rules
for young preacher in the discipline.
especially about talking sparingly and
conducting prudently with women ,
Dut noticed that her father set great
store by Matilda. She seemed kind of
responsible like, always working around
ana looking after the children and such
IKE ana when / see how much conf
uenee her father placed in her, the
thought came to me that n hnshend
might trust her too. Still. mind Won
ha9 no thought Of marrying, YOU know.
head. 0"io iiito my
~ ell one evening came home from
Elsi1lhgi ana found all the young folks
nAu gone out for sleigh-ride. Caleb
benedict, a nice, smart young fellow.
had taken Matilda, her mother said. So
we had prayers aud 1 went up TO bed.
Ihere was window right at the foot of
the bed, and through it / could see ont
into the road. 1t was bright moonlight.
and somehow every time heard sleigh
bells l would sit up in bed and look out
to see who it was. Don't You see, |
wanted to see Matilda when she came
back? The truth was, was under con-
cern OF mind about Matilda, don't you
see ?" And his eyes sparkled, and his
mouth pursed up as be thought of that
night when he first found out he was
under concern Of mind about Matilda.
We'll" he went on, az thought I'd
speak to her, so the next day, as / was
reading, and she was tidyiug about the
room, said, says /, Matilda, / would
IKE a lew moments conversation with
SoI sione. Can l have them% She
Ja,- iesi' ana do you believe it, to this
~ sue says she thought l wanted 10
"a, TalK with her about the state of her souI
;. "hen We were alone, | said. think
ny h1out Caleb Benedict All tba ,i,,,a
1e'iioa' are you Keeping comDanx, ,rith
any young mauH You sac I -, =. :, - "
make that sure before went anv rar,t,,s ~
90 she said, NO, she WASN'T taa,Iie....
otn ~. pay Win any young man, The9 /
leIt better, aud proceeded, iDid @ vo,,
ever say you would never marry NsS,bI SIu
oIIst hlnlster" She was ali taksn
abaek, and said, NO, she never had JaAsli sHil
So" n'u said
Then" interposed I, "you did soo,
very special pleading, imagine. - tl,inLr
ing he might go into interesting ana
Instructive details; but he was too
weary.
"Well," continued she, tive talked
matters over, did Matilda aud I, aud AT
last proposed. Then she said 1 must