Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-11-18
Gales ano Sketfbes.
sfoRY OF 4 PRElCIER's TRIP.
By JANE GRAY SwIssHELM.

NIFTY, there lived IN Franklin Co., "a,
young man named Jack Merritt and nj,
sister, Emiline, who had lost their fathel
and found a step-fafher. quite early in life
They inclined to resent the acquisition
and this resentment aided Jack in the boy
business of governing his sister, accord
ing to the rules Of masculine superiority
and greatly forwarded Miss Emiline''
studies in the arts of feminine subsection.
When Jack locked her up in large house
alone, to keep her out of harms way. be-
cause she was only girl. while he sum-
moned his dogs and disposed Of Deacon
Mirth's trespassing pigs, or blew TO pieces
with powder the logs he had been re-
1uired to prepare for use on the kitchen
Are, Miss En-. might cry flor what else
could you expect of girl p but she did
not question Jacks right TO take care OF
her in his own way.
Jack having no brother TO educate. and
his class of boy pupils being limited to
those of his school district, he gave pro-
per attention to the training of the young
LADY, he governed for her own good
taught her to ride and drive to harness a
horse and mount one, with or without
help to row and run and climb and throw
stones like bov. His success in this last
branch of a polite education was such as
to cast doubt on the assertion that wo-
mans shoulder or elbow joint is so con-
structed as to prevent success in throwing
at a mark for Miss Merritt's proficiency
became SUCH that no boy would have
risked giving her serious offence, if there
was a stone in reach, and once. when
temperance meeting was being held in the
schoolhouse. in the light of four tallow
candles in tin scOnces, and large, mel
low apple came from among group oil
school girls back in a corner and broke
into many pieces on the bald head Of the
speaker. the boys united in declaring that
En-. Merritt must have thrown that apple,
since "no other girl and mighty few boys
could have made such a centre shot"
One would not now like to charge that
piece of total depravity on Jack Merritt's
sister. thu Gigniiied woman, who might
be a grandmother. and who fills so large
a space in society; but to look into the
merry twinkle of her gray eyes occasion
ally. one might even suspect.
As for the domestic virtues, no one in
that day thought of teaching them to a
girl in the rural districts of northern or
western Pennsylvania, any more than
they thought of teaching babies to creep.
A girl learned to cook and bake and sweep
and sew and wash and iron and pickle
and preserve. as a matter of course. II
she was of respectable family, she learned
the contents of the Bible, the Shorter
Catechism in the same way. and went to
Presbyterian church.
The young Merritts. belonging to a
family of wealth and influence. were Pres
bvterian, as a matter of course; for in
those days all respectable people in west
ern and northern Pennsylvania were Pres
byterian. Methodism had taken firm foot
hold among the poor and uneducated of
both town and country. and in cities the
butterflies of fashion said their prayers in
Episcopal churches but the pillars of So
ciety rested on the Westminster founda-
ton.
In the fiftieth year of this century there
were many sanity girls in Franklin coun-
ty; but, from that blindness of mind and
hardness of heart which can only be &C
counted for on the ground of original sin
and total depravity, the young preachers
OF that region did often overlook their
charms and cast longing eyes on the for
hidden fruit or the reigning belle of that
region. Her pomp and vanites. her
sparkle and dash brought motion into their
humdrum lives, and they came. like moths
TO a candle, to be scorched by her keen
wit or fattered by her smiles. But her
clerical admirers were of her own church
and social circle. until young circuit
rider of the Pittsburg Conference met her
in the house of brother host. at quilt
ing, and threaded needles for her. and
hnr hnr clx tntA q
inward resolve to capture the gay bird and
cage her.
When Nature began him. she laid SUI
perb foundation for a physical man-gave
him six foot frame of strong. well-joint-
ed bones; rugged them with sinews like
cast-steel. covered them with an abund-
ance of fine. sensitive skin. but left out the
flesh usually furnished on such occasions
gave him well formed head. and crowned
it with plenty of shining auburn hair. with
n slight inclination to curl.
A six-foot country boy (tor this preach
er was not old enough to vote) is good
subject for ridicule; but when he lacks
flesh and has red hair he is peculiarly vul-
nerable. and the young lady did not spare
him. As he WAS the especial charge of
all the mothers in Israel and all the
daughters. he did not lack champions !;
but. alas it was soon discovered that he
was bewitched. and many prayer was
offered on his behalf.
His presumption was at first an object
of ridiculc to the young lady's friends and
admirers; but that something which
packed every church and school house
when he preached in them and got up re-
vivals by magic soon began to tell in this
case. and the ridicule rose to serious OPP
position. When the crisis came and Jack
gave his opinion. he simply said;
I'm. if you must marry preacher.
take Thomas. He's man."
This verdict grew out OF the fact that
the despised lover, being Virginian. had
learned, in his native state. to shoot. to
ride, to row. to walk. When his host
was pressed to get in hay, and the preach
or took off his coat. few men cared to
come in competition with those long. thin
arms. He rode any horse; and shot
squirrels for sick folks when common
marksmen failed. and so won the respec,
of men and boys. "a we'll as the admira-
ton Of women and girls.
In due time Miss Merritt packed her
trunks. sent them out of her step-father'
house; went with her gaunt lover. to
a squire's office: had the nuptial knot
tied: started. with her new husband. to
one of his amendments, stopped at a