Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-08

but launching glance toward Constance
moved glibly into his vicarious undertake
ing. The people listened with uncOn-
/ cealed eagerness.
Our pastor and BROTHER he began.
does not feel equal at the moment to the
discharge OF his painful duty. Christ
whose cross he bears in these regions sees
NJ 70 chasten ham, and he does not enjoy
the health that most OF our dear brethren
and sisters are blessed with"
His look dwelt with unconscious COM
placency for an instant on his own sleek
form; then he pursued 1uently:
The conference had a hard question
brought before it at its last meeting. l
( suppose we might say it is owing TO the
/ presence Of a stranger in our settlement"
( 4 hutter of excitement passed over the
+ congregation, 70 whose subtle hattery Ed
eT Weiss vas not dead. "We cannot
blame him, y he went on, apparently find
inr the orators reward in his work. Il
should suppose we hardly had the right.
He Is probably ignorant of some features
OF our system and we ought to give him the
benefit Of the doubt. We are taught that
when circumstances brings to our knowl-
/ edge one of Christ children he should at
once become estimable and dear to us.
/ But Of course we must protect ourselves.
I That we shall do by measures among our
flock. AS for him. said the elder, large
/ ~, ''We desire only to state the facts, be-
I ieving that he will feel to do the right
I thing" Then pausing a moment to re-
I cover from the cOllOqUial lapse on the last
clause. "But our chief business on this
/ eve ef our Saviour's resurrection is not
with him. Sister Constance Van Cleefp
( he commanded, raising his voice and
( throwing into Il an awful reprOof, "you
/ will please rise"
Constance, who had been regarding
him in amaze, now stared at him in help
L loo h. l.. \
The instant during which he hesitated
seemed to March an eternity. He expect
ed her to rise and leave the church. He
could imagine how she would do it. In
/ stead he saw her slip off the mantle with
which she had again covered herself as if
she had taken a resolution and rise me-
chanicallv out OF its folds. The calm.
steadfast gaze with which she confront ed
/ Elder weiss seemed to March exquisite.
The elders demand was stricken under
I it with commonplace. 1t might have been
( a tragedy. but her passionless face seemed
/ TO say that she had been advised. that she
/ had come prepared for just this ordeal;
nothing else supported this superstition,
I however, ana March knew sadly its error.
/ When the elder had first called upon her
/ he had not obeyed his inclination in keep
/ ing his seat; and he beheld marveling
/ those proud motions OF the girl which
/ made assistance ridiculous. An! yes;
/ Lady Amprey &as right. Sine knew very
/ well WHITTIER she was going. the elder
/ stood hesitating before her manner and she
/ glanced swiftly over the large gathering.
! The people met her gaze with looks of
T mingled accusation and pity, and she
turned lit once from them aad waited for
F.. the elder % 90 on with still hauteur. Be-
/ fore this the company visib!y bumbled.
/ She was indeed a sumptuOus figure as She
Z stood m-ti0uless IN the van glare OF the
7 lamps above her. Her erect, dauntless at
I tituue clothed the society garb for the mo-
4 r1ent with an especial dignity and Signif-
I canoe. and March, VINO had once SAID to
1 himself that she was not pretty, wonder
F.. ed at hss fdtuity. For the space Of the
I few rauid seconds that passed before Ed
( er Weiss continued she was something
. infinitely finer. She seemed to him SIM
. PLY admirable, and, forgetting her posi-
ti0n a moment, he instructed himself that
I after an there is no beauty but that OF
character.
1T is upon you, Sister Van C'pef, pur-
sued the elder, ''that reprOol fails. W e
cannot expect so much from stranger,
though we mean that he shall understand
our rules: but those within the fold can
not plead ignorance. 1t is with them, and
I with every one of them, that the cause OF
Christ here upon earth in however small
degree rests; and they cannot eyade their
Z sacred CHARGE The elder warmed with
! y
/ but IL has its responsibilities. one Of
these we understand is obedience to the
church. The church's laws spring purely
I from Che word Of God. They aim TO full
I ill His VIII here in this
/ temporary state as TAR as
we can learn it, and you, sister, however
you may have fallen into the wrong. viii
not deny that it is your duty to obey your
Sayiour's commandments. A whole Sc
ries of these as the church interprets
I them relate 10 marriage" His hearers
. started. II shall speak plainly. The
/ concern and even tue presence Of
/ stranger must not affect our usual way in
Z these matters.
"Wheu your father, Brother Van Cleef,
who we learn with regret is unweI, re-
I ceiyed Mr. March''-a keener culver Of
agitation ran through the assembly at
I this open mention OF the name and Con-
/ stance shuddered uncOntr0ila0ly-"int
/ bis house as guest" pursued the elder,
I placidly, 1--WE did not object. Our theory
4 as to strangers and respecting the proprie-
/ ties of hospital lily partly restrained us.
/ I'd your own position toward the church,
I however, Sister Van elect, had teen more
clearly defined, we should not have hesl-
4 tated. These cons ider3tIOns would have
i been overridden. and Mr.. March would
/ have been taken 10 the tavern or permit
! ted % dwell for the time with some BROTH
! or not having young woman IN his
T household"
1 The elder paused as if to emphasize the
crudity of this mode of statement, and
I here and there a head turned and glanced
sympathetically at March. When this
I eX0rdiUm had begun ne had sat listening
I tearruliy with a memory OF COnTad's
warning; as he named him To her he
I clutched his companions knee IN silent
anger. He heard him now through Spe-
/ cies of stupOr in which he could not com
mand his immobile limbs, nor tdrn away
/ the ewes which bent upon the elder in
4 concentrated Outra re.
/ you have declined" the elder went
+ on. ito associate yourself with the choir
+ Of single sisters; and though you are
I probationary member of the church and
I wear our dress. You do not regularly at
4 tend our meetings. You have, therefore,
not been held by the conference 10 as
strict accountability as our dear sisters
+ Of the fun communion. Your association
I with the young men OF the settlement OF
( your own age has not been especially
Z hindered except by your fathers judS-
ment, though in this We must fairly own
I that you have not OVerstepped. But Tor
our own protection, as l have said, we
must set a limit, and in the case as to
which I am now speaking, we have felt
I bound 70. Our dear PASTOR" said he.
turning to Dir. keatOr, whose face, how
Z ever, was hidden by his hand and VINO
stretched one arm towards him implor-
/ iugly, was instructed by the conference
I to warn you. This. as you know, he did.
/ You have fully understood, and you have
/ gone on persIstently. audaciously, may
say. in the face Ofthe church's commands.
We have no alternative. Your relation
with this young man NAV mean nothing
I or not: we do not know. But the example
which ii holds up before the young peo-
pIe''-here ne turned to the class desig-
mated as they sat grouped on either side
the aisle behind her-'.is dangerous in the
( extreme Moreover, the church has espe-
/ ciaI ordinances. as you know. applying to
strangers. One &c these torbids the mar
riave of member Of the society with
I stranger, another clandestine betrotnals.
I Now we
The girl, who up to this time had stood
I braveIy confronting him with haggard
I tixity, sank abruptly in an impOtent heap
/ totac bench. "Ob OBJ hr' she moaned, in
anguish. The elder paused in impatient
surprise. The congregation waited
GREATNESS. Her head fell forward aud
some Of the sisters near sprang toward
/ her c0mpassiCnatelY, thinking her faint.
/ As they clustered about the bench, how
{ ever. she leaped up with hard, dry sob,
and waving them off with broken queen
Iiness took her way swiftly down the
-,-.4.4 aiaTa I'm the stems without she