The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1879-07-11
= A Iowa Story from Port jervis.
From the Port Jervis Union, June II.

|
T A little more than four years ago gen.
tlemaa of this village, then about % years
of age, fell in love with q young lady, aged
/ about 19, also OF Pert Jervis. She returned
his affection. and for time all went along
smoothly. The lady was a daughter of
pious parents, and although she was not
connected with any church, was a firm be-
iisver in their tenets, and looked with q
feeling akin tohorror ON anything approach
ing skepticism or doubt. But the time
came when she learned that her lover was
a deist: that he disbelieved in revealed
religion. had no veneration for the Bible,
and took no interest In churches, seldom or
never attending them save as her escort.
She was deeply panied by the revelation.
She sent for her lover and endeavored to
convince him Of his error, but he was not
satisfied with her arguments. and refused
to Aaccede TO surrender of his principles.
The more the lady pondered the more her
duty seemed clear to her. and she finally
decided to renounce her love. She accord
ingly wrote to him long and tear-stainei
letter bidding him good bye forever. The
gentleman again and again urged her to
reconsider her determination, but she was
obdurate, and separation took place. He
was deeply grieved. but although he was,
as he thought, badly used, felt that she hau
acted up 70 what her convictions of right
demanded. He could not as easily divest
himself of his love, and after few months
he left this village and engaged in business
elsewhere. The lady mourned, but tried to
satisfy herself that she had acted correctly.
Two years made hei more liberal than she
had been. and ahe began to study on the
mbjeet. The more she read the more she
discri1sted her former decision, and she
Snally became quite as liberal as the lover
she had discarded. Whether the logic of
the books she read or the promptipgs of the
old love had most to do with ,his change it |
would be hard to tell. The lover too, had
undergone a change. The fact that his
creed had cost him his sweetheart annoyed
him. and, struggle as he would. he could |
not Danish her from his memory. Last
winter revival OF religion took place in
the city in which he was engaged in busi-
ness. At the solcitati ms OF friend be |
was induced to attend. As in the other
case, it would be hard to tell whether the,
change vas brought about by the argn.
nents of the preacher. by the excitement /
which prevailed, or by the memory of bis |
old love. Suffice it to say that he united |
with the church, and in short time be came |
a z"alous member. He thought over the |
action Of his former sweetheart IN discard |
ing him for his infidelity, and wrote her
brief note asking the privilege of once more |
calling on her. She responded in the affirm |
ative. The gentleman came. and when she |
timidly apologised for her previous dismis-
sal Of him. he, to her surprise, defended |
her conduct, said she had been in the right, |
and IN her place he would to-day do the
same. Her heart sank at these words. She |
marfcs, Tfsfs usrug = rirrn believer In the
Bible, she had discarded It, and With 1. her
belief IN any revealed religion. It was nov
the gentleman's turn to be Mortified. He
pleaded with her, urged everything he could
think of to induce her to change her mind. |
She could not, and told him He felt |
that he must NOT DO " unequally yoked With /
an rnEelever.' and, taking counsel of his |
religion, gave her mp. /