The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-04-29
Sad Sequel Of a Joke.

Who would think of unearthine a
thread of romance in scrap-bagl And
yet a few days ago busy housewife,
putting together one of those treasured
mosaics yclept a "quilt," overturned a
shred of silk whereby hung tale of no
ordinary interest. 1t was scrap of
satin, of the finest quality, once white,
but now yellow and time-stained. Here
is it's history:
About twenty years ago st. Pauls
Church ia Louisville rejoiced in the
possession of a pastor who was the idol
of his congregation. During his minis
trations he lost his wife, and conse-
quently became an interesting widower.
Among his most devoted admirers,
though personally unknown to him, was
maiden lady of uncertain age, many
peculiarities and Independent circum-
stances. The fact of her intense adj
miration for man to whom she had
never spoken became known to many,
and party of young people laid plans
for what proved to be heartless hoax.
A letter was addressed to the lady pur-
porting to come from the reverend gen
tleman, containing professions of adj
miration and esteem, asking for a cor
respondence, and requesting profound
secrecy. The victim fell into the trap
at once, and the correspondence thus be-
gun, continued until the pastor accepted
a call TO church in Savannah, when it
eliminated in a proposal Of marriage
This, of course, was readily accepted,
and the final letter, announcing his ap-
preaching departure and still enjoining
secrecy, from unavoidable circumstances,
also declared his probable return at any
moment to claim his bride
Never did a happy hearted girl set
about the task of preparation with more
delight than this truating deceived
woman. The greater part of her COM
potency was expended in the purchase
of bridal luxuries, complete and elabo-
rate outfit, from the heavy satin and
costly lace of the wedding garment
down through every item of elegant and
dainty apparel. In the meantime, the
minister, soon after entering upon his
charge in Savannah, died in that city of
yellow fever. and the authors of the
cruel jest, satisfied with its success,
dropped the matter. But nothing
could shake the confidence Of the expec-
tant bride; her friends tried to 1eason
her out of her infatuation members of
the church visited her and endeavorsd
to prove how impossible it was her
hopes could be fulfilled. She triumph
antly showed her letters, and refused to
credit her lovers death or anything
other than the belief that he might a.
rive at any moment to claim her. AS
time passed she lost her friends, and
her property dwindled to a mere pit
lance. She was thrown among strang-
ers, but wherever she went she carried
her trosseau, taking it occasionally from
the trunks to air it, and packing it mp
again with jealous care.
At last her mental and physical in
firmities became more pronounced. She
kept her room and admitted no one but
her landlady On her death bed she re-
qpested this attendant to inform her
lover of her death, and to robe her for
burial ir the bridal death. When it
was taken from the trunks it was found
that these trappings were too CHASTITY
for the corpse of white haired woman,
and they gradually found their way,
piece by piece, into other hands.-Let-
ter to Savannah News.