The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-02-13
The So-called Scene at the Wheeling
Female College. p :.

Editors Of the Intclllgeneer - t -
On taking up your paper this morning
and glancing at the title Of the leading
editorial "a scene at the Female College, y
Twas surprised to learn that anything had
occurred recently at ourH Institution
worthy Of your editorial notice. On read.
Ing the article my surprise was increased
TO amazement when ! found that no
"scene" such as Is described in that arti.
Gle had ever transpired within our acade-
mic precincts.
1nasmuch as the article contains many
mis.statements and Is reflection on the
good order and polite behavior of our pu.
pills and the management OF the College,
and taken as q whole,is q wrong repre-
sentation OF the facts, / feel constrained
to reply by way OF correction and expla.
nation.
On Tuesday, not yesterday, two Friends
Asa Branson and Isaac Mitchell, from
near Flushing, o. ,)called at the College and
respectfully asked the opportunity to have
religious Conference with our pupils.
This was cheerfully accorded them and
nine o'clock yesterday morning was ap-
pointed as the time.
Alter few opening remarks by DR..
HALEY Mccoy and an interval of silence,
Asa Branson, who Is q minister in the
Friends Church, arose and addressed
himself TO the young ladies particularly,
The address IN general was on the sub.
ject Of the vanity Of this life as com.
pared with the joys and blessedness OF a
life in Christ and in the world TO come.
At no time did he speak Of the indifer-
ence TO religion that characterized board.
ing school LIE, while he did throughout
his discourse urge on them the duty OF
paying more attention to their souls. At
one point he casually referred 10 modern
amusements-the theatre, opera, and instru.
mental music, in way thatIcaused many
to smile, but l assure you there was no
improper leyity or discourteous conduct
on the part Of a,single pupil! so far as the
teachers observed, toward the speaker.
The address was characterized by the
simplicity and directness of speech ne.
culiar to the Friends, and was interspers.
ed by frequent and opposite quotations
from the Scriptures, and how his plain,
sincere and affectionate enreaties could
be called by any one present the canting,
whining and pharisaical style Of the.
Caudle lecture, passes my understanding.
l wish 1t distinctly understood that
there was no unseemly levity and that the
Friend did not therefore find It necessary
to reprimand our pupils, and II he had I
with all the Faculty would haye been ex.
ceedingly mortified. The further state.
ment that he accused the young ladies
Of trying TO persecute him. Is simply n.
dioulous; as also that the young ladies took
fright at the prospect that the speaker
might attempt TO martyr himself, right
then and there.
In regard to the reIoinder by the gen.
tleman named in the article, ! will only
say now, that was whollyuncalled for
at the time and was wholly unauthorized
by Us. This was explained to the Friends
BY way Of apology for the unseemly In,
terruption in their religious interview
with our school. ., .,.
The Friends then departed as they
came, as sincerely believe In the Spirit
oi the Gospel Of Peace and with q sincere
desire to do good. Nv. Il. MORTON.