Nebraska advertiser., 1877-09-20
Miss Wilson's Leg.

Twenty-seven years ago Miss Will
son of Pineyille, North Carolina, lost
her rightleg. She was then young and
pretty, and had she merely mislaid
her leg every chivalrous Carolinian in
the country would have Joined In the
search for it. Unfortunately her loss
was an irrevOcable one. Having un-
Intentionally inserted her leg under
the wheel of heavily loaded wagon,
she found that the once shapely limb
was so completely ruined that she
consented to have 1t cut off and
thrown away. Its place was in time
supplied with cork leg, and Miss
Wilson sorrowfully resigned herself to
limping through a loveless life to a
solitary grave.
There never has been any active de-
mand for women with wooden legs.
A man with a wooden leg suffers q
certain amount of Inconvenience, but
he loses nothing In character or popu-
larity, whereas wooden-legged wo-
man is, whether justly or unjustly,
under social ban. In fact for wo-
man 10 lose leg is ordinarily to lose
all hope of marriage. A man who Is
about to marry cannot be blamed for
preferring a whole wife to one partial
ly made of cork-especially as the for
mer costs no more than the latter. a
superficial thinker might, perhaps.
fancy that a husband whose wife had
but one original leg would save fifty
per cent. in the price of striped stock
ings and kid shoes; but little refec-
ton will show that cork leg requires
as much clothing as the usual style of
leg, and hence is not as economical a
contrivance. OF course 1t is mean and
selfish in man to permit the presence
or absence of mere trifie of leg to af-
feet his feelings toward an estimable
woman but human nature is weak,
and he would be bold man who
could calmly look forward to marry
ing a woman who might some morn
ing interrupt him while shaving by
asking: James would you mind
handing me my leg? 1 think you'll
find it behind the rockingham.
1t is alleged by Miss Viii.
sons neighbors that as she grew older
she became hard and synical. This
was, perhaps, to have been expected.
She saw herself ignored by all marry
ing men, while girls with half her
beauty and whose sole superiority con-
sisted in larger number of legs, cap
tured husbands withoutany difficulty. |
Gradually she became embittered |
against her biped fellow creatures,
and the local Baptist minister was
probably right when he characterized |
her as hard-hearted, worldly woman.
One day, however, Miss Wilson at |
tended a camp meeting, and was soft
ened by the eloquence of the preacher
and shouts of the worshippers, and |
soon after Pineville was surprised and |
pleased by the announcement that on
the next Sunday Sister Wilson would |
be baptized.
Now, the public performance of the
rite of baptism by Rev. Mr.. Waters, of
Pineville Eleven Day Baptist church |
always drew large audience. That
powerful and agile preacher was ad-
mitted to be without a rival as q rapid |
and effective baptiser. On one occa-
sion. when a Presbyterian minister
preaching against baptism and INNER
sion showed that st. John the Baptist
had once baptised a multitude of per-
sons at the rate of two men and half
per minute, and that hence be could
not have immersed them. Mr.. Wa
ters publicly baptised twenty-five
persons in eight minutes, thus beating
st. Johns best time by two full min
utes. aud completely overthrowing
the Presbyterian's argument. With
all his unequalled rspidity of execu-
ton. he was never careless or ineon-
siderate. There was rival Baptist
minister in the next county who
would sing an entire verse of long
metre hymn while holding convert
under the water; and although astal-
vart teamster who was thus treated
once fell from grace, and upsetting his
minister in the water held him under
nntil he was nearly drowned, the rev.
erned enthusiast was not cured of his
habit. When therefore. Miss
Wilson consented to be baptized by
the PineviIIe minister she knew that
she would be treated in considerate
and skillful manner, and the public
knew that the spectacle would be well
worth witnessing.
Itis very easy TO say, new that the
affair is over. that Miss Wilson ought
: have left her cork leg at home. In