Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-02-17
TIE MINISTER'S DISAP-
PEARANCE.
JY C. G. HAHN.

Arthur Dana was minister in the
little village of Grove City, seven miles
southwest from Columbus, Ohio. He
was young, unmarried, we'll educated,
and poor. Notwithstanding the latter
qualification he was looking forward to
marriage, and was engaged to young
lady in his parish, Kate McNiel, by
aame.
The Rev. Arthur Dana was, inasmuch
as he knew, alone in the world, 80 far
as relations go. Both parents were
dead, and the only relative he had ever
seen was brother Of his mother,
James Tredennis, who had gone on a
voyage to South America when Arthur
was 10 years old. and who had never
been heard from since. Tredennis had
never been known to marry, but there
were rumors current, when Arthur was
q boy, that his uncle had been infatuated
with creole woman whom he had met
in New Orleans. Some said that he
had recently married her; others, that,
because of his love for her, he would
always remain single. However it was,
Tredennis became godfather to the
young Arthur, and frequently
stated that his nephew should
be his heir. When he went
upon his voyage to South Amer
lea, he left fine estate near Grove
City, which was rented for term of
years, besides considerable property
in the capital city itself. But as the
rents of these we're collected by his
lawyer regularly each year, and Ire
dennis name was never mentioned, the
man, in time, became nothing more
than memory to his old friends and
his nephew.
One Saturday morning, when the
minister entered his study to put the
finishing touches upon his Sunday SER
mon, he found letter upon his desk
from lis uncle's lawyer. 1t stated that
John Tredennis had recently died in
South America, and that he, as next Of
kin, was heir to his large estate.
Arthur Dana's first act was to thrust
his newly-written sermon into the
stove. He then sat down and wrote q
note to his betrothed, and another to
the session Of his church. By noon he
was on his way to the city. His inter-
view with the lawyer was satisfactory,
and from the latter's cf1ice he
went to a hotel. In the dining
room he met an acquaintance, o
man of fashion, wealthy, and one
whose reputation so far had been that
of a lover Of games of chance more than
of business. 10 the newly-released
minister, he was the impersonation of
that delightful free-and.easy, uuregen-
crate world which the former was about
to enter Their intercourse heretofore
had been of the most distant character,
for the Rev. Arthur Dana had care
for appearances. But that evening
there was nothing to restrain him. he
informed Mr.. Worthington that he had
given up the ministry and was about
entering the world. Mr.. Worthington
was glad to hear that such a talented
young man had decided not to bury
himself beneath q musty D. D., and in
vited Dana to spend tho evening with
him and q few friends. The invitation
was accepted, and for the first time in
his life Dana played cards for money.
The game fascinated him as nothing had
ever done before, and before the
evening was over he had ex.
tended an invitation to each one
of the party to visit him in Grove
City the following week, when he hoped
to be settled in his old home.
When he returned to the village his
first visit was to Kate McNiel, and in
answer to her inquiries with regard to
his future, he said:
Kate, was forced into the ministry
"a calling I never liked, and calling
for which was never fitted. T have
always felt like prisoner; now I feel
free-like man. No, shall not con-
tinue in the church; have preached
my last sermon"
"How long have you felt this?"
Ever since I began my studies.
Preaching was never to my taste, but
you know it was both fathers and
mothers one desire that I should be-
come minister. I followed their wish,
but have known all along that I was
untitled for the work.
"Then why did you not give it up