Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-09-27
A BROKEN PROMISE,
Some Chronicles of Saltford.
L0aGOR SOcisty.
CHAPTER /

maids and its churches l put the old maids
first, because, Of course, they were 20 tre-
meRdOusly in the majority; and not out Of
disrespect to anybody or anything | an
sure, bgSsimplY IS stating fact.
Stafford was such curious, slow, duh
little town, not At al unlike Ms GaskslPs
Crawford" which indeed it always remind
ed me Of, onlj larger with four long streets
running essI, west, north AID south of 3
splendid old market cross-the only really
beautiful and interesting object to be seen
there-beneath which old men and women
gathered for gossip and other delights, and
other delights, and the carriages and pairs
OF the country families would dash around
with great eelat and exhibition Of horsem an
ship. The town population was about eleven
thousand and the number of churches twelve
some of them positively minute aud built next
door to each other, so to speak There was
St. MsEy's, the parish church, large and i'm
posing looking, as became the mother (sc-
Realistically speskiDg) of Stafford, where
flowers bloomed on the altar st all times o.
the year, and q cross blazed in earbuncle
and gold glories This Was the fashionable
resort heed not add, where the sristocrscy
d the town we're wont to repair, and where
here Wss tolerable organ, and at any rate
boys in SUPPLIES, to whom great Difference
vas paid by the congregation. Next came
St. Johns, quite at the other end of the
town. in q oy street, that had the misfortune
Of being extra parOchiaI, which reduced St.
Johns to the i2digBity of proprietary
chapel. and caused considerable robbery Of
other churches
It's ministers used to come and go like
BE waves OF the sea; and, after enjoying
in msnse popularity for a time both from
4be shareholders and the rest Of the cougre-
cation, would suddenly depart without
rbyms or reason save q mysterious whisper
q given vent TO By each n turn, that they
we're not going to find themselves high aud
a dry at ST. Johns some morning, an sllu-
zion to the insecurity TO their income, which
nobody was supposed to understand. IL
was huge octsgonsl building, hideoIs to
behold both without and within. Old fash
Toned galleries ran all round the interior,
and the three deckor pulpit was so giddly
\ high. the preacher, as he climbed up and
8up he winding stairs thltherssrd, seemed
4 rs if be might be ascending into heaven.
u 81. Johns was as low church IS st MsrT's
was high" in fact, next door to dissent,
many people declared kind of missing
4 link between church and chapel. There
were Toomy, shelving Pews, snd the yestry
door opened into the communion rails bY
some UNIQUE Coutrivsnce. A mus'y COM
Portable sort Of atmosphere perVsdet the
whole; the singing was hearty enough, II not
\ harmonious from the mixed choir of men,
Awomsn and boys and the only time ever
[,Ipent to ervce there two things struck me
S.vsry forcibly-one was that the three priu'
: SScIpal performers we're, or had been strangely
and similarly sfl cted The preacher,
gifted, eloquent msn, had once been an IN
mate Of sn asylum; the orgsnlst, who was
q dentist In private life, Was known 10 Do
subject to its of insanity, which sometimes
came on in the act OF extracting tooth,
fancy wet he had the largest practice 10
Stafford, not EithstAnding), and the organ
blower was an idiot Of malignant and terri
tying aspect
The other very different thing was the
rspt face Of laboring man rs he joined
fsrvently in the hymn:
Come ys sinners, poor and needy.
I can see his beaming smile OF content
now, as with carefully adjusted horn spec
taclss he sang:
Let not conscience max you urgsr;
Nor OF HISS fOndlY dream
All tbs fitness he Tequtreta
Is to feel Ens need OF Hin
His happy, restful eouutensnee Pho.o-
g1aphed Itself on my memory for years 80
come.
Well, then, the next in order of seniority
came St Patricks, sanding on the outskirts
OF the town. A sturdy, sohd little ehurih
neither high nor low in is yieWs-a msdi IN
in fsct-slwsys filed with earnest dsy "a
NoTshipfrs, and possessing q hard work ng
energetic rector who managed the worst
and lowest quarter OF Stafford, tuil OF tramp
lodging houses and dark smelling alleys "A
hopeful patient lsborer in most unpromls-
ing vineyard, but whose motto and that OF
his Wife's WAS continually: Faith, no
sight These we're the dear trends WITH
whom / used 70 visit, and naturally his was
the church | always attended. These three
churches were the principal ones in Stafford,
"a have said. The rest grew smaller and
smaller in size, squeezed Iuto out ottheWay
places between houses, or up un grated
passages | could never understand where
their congregations were collected iron, and
always pitied their ineumbents with ali my
heart.
And discussing churches brings me back
10 the FIRST named celebrity tor which Salt
ford wss famoup, and really most noted, It's
single ladies.
The town society was limited to the clergy,
few doctors more or very much less emf
pent several decidedly shady lawyers, and
the old maids OF course l do not mean
10 assert that there were no wives residing
in Stafford; far from It. All the clergy TO
man in the town were married. Mr.. BRIT
4 ton the minister of St. Johns, was the
only bacelor among them; and IS be lived
4 two miles out in the country, and had q
! connie of dear old maiden sisters hvIng
4 with him. perhaps be would hardly conns.
4 He was very rich, and the klndest OF men,
though full of mortal dread of women out
4 side bis own family; and was given to gan
lie pups. one OF which quite shocked the
4 Bishop of the diocese once, who, when on
inouiFipg as to whether Mr.. Britton was
4 hlsssed with a wife, was answered blandly
with. 81 am q Mennonite, my LordI
And the LAWYERS we're married to long
suffering, illused wives. who looked hike for
horn thread papers, and we're not uaaccls-
tomed to beatings, some of the spins,sr Ia
( dies ayerrsd. That's what comes OF be-
40 married. jamie, love, you sesF' they
..euId remark with q wise nod a. M. aud
4 flushing indignantly, would return, " TIA
should ike 10 see the man on earth who
touId dare 10 beat me- and Why did the
Z - .k;r..a nav b he heakan. and no have