The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-05-18
A Missouri Clergyman Ac-
cused.

An old lady came up to the office
Wednesday. She was worn and tired
from climbing the winding stairs, and
she sank almost breathess into the waste
basket, putting the poems and stories it
contained to the only press they will ever
know. There was a troubled, anxious
look on her face, a pair of green spectacles
on her nose, and general air of sorrow
aud exhaustion about her that appealed
at once to our tenderest feelings The
feelings answered the appeal and stepped
respectfully forward. After the aged
female had recovered her breath, she
asked
"Is there a loryer's office in this build.
u'?"
We answered in the affirmative, but
were sorry to say that the legal gentle.
man was out of town.
"Out Of town, eh ? Well l s'pose III
have 10 find some other loryer. | KEN
in town on purpose to have this thing fix.
ed up, an | amt going back onti
know whether there is any law an ekeity
in this country"
We ventured to remind the dame that
lawing was losing business in the end,
and should be resorted to only in the
most aggravated cases.
aggregated cases." she screeched
and the manuscript in the basket ratified
violently. "Young man, it is the most
aggregated case you ever heard of. You
ken never know the anguish Of mothers
heart when her only dorter goes astray
an follers after false idols"
"Your daughter has had trouble then" 4"
"No, it's me what's hayin' the trouble;
but she's causing it-she and that tar.
nal sheep.faced preacher
"AL a minister in the case | think
| understand. Such things are becoming
too common alas ! too frequent. The
cloth is being brought into disrepute by
such scoundrels, who steal the livery of
heaven to serve the devil in. Poor girl"
"Pore nothin' She's brazen huzzy
to 60 back on her mothers teachn'. Lord
knows I've allus tried to raise her right"
"But you must consider, my good wo.
man, that your daughter had peculiar
temptations. You must make allowance
for the fact that the tempter came to her
in holy CART, imposing upon her confidence
in The assumed character of O spiritual
adviser, silencing the voice of her con-
science with cunningly chosen scriptural
quotations. You must not be severe on
her."
"Well, Hammer was 'bedient girl till
ne KEN foolin' around. He KEN to the
house purity often, but didn't think moth
in was wrong till a week ago, when Han.
ner tole me- Then | guv him a mighty
big piece of my mind
"lie denied it, Of course ?"
mo, he didn't. He said he had done his
dooty as a Christian, An his congrega.
tion are all tickled over it, an that's
what makes me bile"
"Wby, that is an aggravated case
That he should be guilty of such thing
is bad enough, that he should call it the
performance of duty is worse. and that
his congregation uphold him in such vile
practices is beyond belief"
"Well, it's so, an want to get lor.
yer to issoo a conjunction or injectment
or somethin to stop it"
81 fear there is no legal redress, unless
it is matter Of very recent occurrence
A bill has passed the legislature govern.
ing such cases, but it won't work back
ward"
"What is in that bill ?" asked the ole
lady her face lighting up with new
hope.
ut makes it obligatory upon the mar
to either mary the woman or support
the cti-"
"What - shrieked the woman. spriog
ing up with suddenness that sent ths
basket Of uuacknow edged genius hal
way across the room. "You barril .headec
idyot My girl amt no such fool a,
that You editors think you're mighty
smart, an you're allus sposen thing
wusser'n they are. I've been lifelong
Methodist, and I've tried to raise my
dorter in the same faith, but that tarna
'Piscopalyum preacher has got her t,
gree TO jine his church. I'm her natera
garjeen, an | amt agoin' to low her t.