Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-08-09
why They Married.
THE STORY OF A YOUNG CATHOLIC PRIEST
AND HIS WIFE.

We copy the following romantic story rom
the New York World:
William j. Sherman, the young priest OF
South Brooklyn, who broke his VOWS ano
| married pretty Tillie Mccoy, has obtained
nosition in this city with the wholesale house
of Stevens & Co. The firm has a branch
store in Philadelphia, where the ex-prlest VIII
soon have permanent position. he is al
present living in Seventeenth street, this city,
while his wife is stopping with friend on
Fulton avenue, Brooklyn.
Mr.. Sherman is little below the medium
height, and though he is but % years old his
hair is slightly tinged with gray. lie has
dropped his clerical bearing with his priestly
robes, and is raising mustache and side
whiskers World reporter paid the couple
a visit Yesterday afternoon and asked them to
tell the story of their courtship and marriage.
You tell him, Will, said Mrs. Sherman.
"No, you tell him. You can do it SO much
better than l." responded the husband.
"Well. as you know" Tillie began, 1--WE
have known each other a good many years
and used to go to school together in Degraw
street. When l was only l6 he asked me to
marry him, but mother said was too young
His parents had always been anxious for him
to study for the priesthood and he suddenly
decided that he would do SO. He studied
very hard and for time | saw very little of
him. He was ordaned-let's see, when were
you ordained, WHIP"
Will said it was about three years ago and
that he then became an assistant to the Rev.
VIM. j Lane at the Church of the Visitation.
Tillie continued
AFTER he became priest he began calling
on me quite regularly, but so did one or two
other gentlemen. l don't believe that either
of US ever thought of marriage then, but 1t
vas bound to csme some time, and 1t did w e
found that we loved one another long before
either of US dared to confess as much, and in
the end we decided to wed. We kept it to
ourselves, however, until short time before
the marriage, when we told our plans to Mr..
B V. Stevens, young friend of ours, and a
Miss Glenman, and asked them to stand up
with us at the marriage ceremony. We stayed
with relatives until the 4th of July, when
We went to Boston for few days. On our
return we went to my home, No. II Doug lass
street. Brooklyn. After that we went to live
| with Mr.. Joyce, my uncle, at No. COS Allan
tic avenue, although my grandmother wished
us to stay"
When asked how he came to disregard his
vow of celibacy the ex-priest simply replied :
"Human nature had its way"
did you officiate at Red Hook after the
marriage?' he was added.
81 did not" was the reply. They wanted
me to say vespers one afternoon, and to
avoid it stayed away from church. Very
soon afterwards was granted vacation and
never returned l am not the first priest that
has left his calling to be married. Why
don't the PAPERS hunt up FIR. Butler, who
married Miss Brady of Jersey City about
three months ago?"
Tillie remarked that mauy newspapers had
made false statements regarding herself and
Will, and the latter interrupted with: "That
penniless business killed me altogether. One
Brooklyn paper said | was without cent.
which was all wrong"
"And he never had a boat named after me,
as another paper stated put in Title.
They say, tOo," she added, ''that all his
friends are against him, but just the same a
lot of young men from Red Hook presented
him with a diamond pin worth Sll0 and
backed it up with a supper at Mouquin's, in
Fulton street. That don't look as though
they were against him."
1T has been announced" said the report
er. THAT you induced your husband to be-
come Protestant"
THAT is lie !" said Tillie, land a very sill
| ly lie at that. In the first place am myself q
Catholic, and so is my mother, although my
father died an Episcopalian. Will and l are
firm Roman Catholics still, and will remain
so till death"
Rev. William J. Lane, who presides over
the church in Red Hook, said Yesterday that
he thought the church would take no action
regarding Sherman. "His name has been
dropped from our records" he said, land he
has not bothered US in any way since. While
his marriage is not legal from our standpoint,
it doubtless is in the eyes of the law. l am
sorry to lose the young man, for he promised
to make his mark in the church."