Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1877-10-26
A Bishops Wife,

A correspondent of the Chicago
Times, in a letter from Ocean Grove,
wherein he discusses some peculiari-
ties of the Methodist people, tells
this interesting little story: "Inever
see Bishop Simpson but l recall an
incident concerning his wife. Mrs.
Simpson is very elegant in appear
ance and dress, accomplished and
stylish, as we'll as religious. A num-
Der of years ago there was a reunion
of the four Methodist conferences of
Illinois, in Bloomington. 1t ehsnced
that a Presbyterian banker who
lived near the Methodist Church Of
fered to maintain the Bishop at his
elegant home. 1t was necessary for
the transaction of business that the
Bishops lodging should be near the
place of meeting, and, no Methodists
living very near the church, the
banker threw open his doors. The
hostess had a very sneering way of
speaking of methodists. She thought
them illiterate, plain people, and the
higher their place in the church the
more holy and consequently ignO-
rant they were. She expected to
meet a woman in well-worn bomba-
zine, a linen collar, pinned by a
common brass pin, hair twisted in a
pig-tail on the back of the head, a
scoop bonnet and cotton gloves.
The hostess was a kind-hearted little
creature. She did not wish to over
awe her plain guests. Being busy
when they arrived, she sent ser
want to show them to their room.
When the dinner, simply served to
meet their guests old-fashloned
way, was ready, she twisted up her
hair in a tight knot, took off her
rings, wore big lowered tycoon-rep
wrapper and a white apron thus
appareled took her stand in the par
lor. A rustling of silk was heard,
and tall, stately woman in black
silk, ruffled to the waist after the
fashion of that time, with expensive
Iaces and jeWelry, with hair done in
the latest style, swept down the
stairs and into the parlOr. While
the hostess was faltering 'Good-day,
Sister Simpson, the Bishops wife
was making her hostess an elaborate
bow, but was unable to conceal her
surprise at the strange dining dress
of the lady of the house. 4 was
simply overwhelmed, said the lady,
telling me about it afterward. 4
concluded a Methodist Bishops
wife was somebody. l knew she
thought / had not half sense. l
couldn't talk to her. Everything l
said said wrong. In the evening l
put on silk as fiae as hers, and got
out my diamonds and my best Chi
ma, but I felt mean and little. l
never recovered my self-posession
while she was there. She was the
most splendid talker / ever heard.
She was visited by the rich people of
different denominations. She charm
ed everybody, while l sat like min
ny in the corner. The Methodists of
these days are up with the times.
Now that the Bishops wives wear
silks and diamonds, have been in
Europe, and can play, sing, paint,
speak IN ever so many different
languages, know about art and liter
ature, you can't give them a
boiled dinner, nor receive them in
slouchy morning wrapper without
feeling belittled."
"Mrs. Simpson is not a woman de-
voted to fashion or frivolitY. Her
good deeds are unnumbered except
by the recording angel of our lives;
her benevolence is constant, her pie
ty sincere. She uses the good and
beautiful things God gives; her
tastes are refined, her mind cultur-
ed"