Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-09-25
JOHN RAYS. COuRTSHIP.
a Question Which Rather Surprised nm
OId-Time Methodist Ministar

a Question Which Rather Surprised An
Old-Time Methodist Minister.
Colonel John w. Ray, himself now a ven-
cradle gray-headed man, tells, IN the In
dlanapolis Journal, the following story Of
the courtship and marriage of his grand
father, Rev. John Ray, who figured largely
in the Methodist church in the latter part
OF the last and the early part of this
century, my father Joined the travelling
connection in 1907 said he, ''when there
were less than $50 ordained members in the
United States and but one conference, ex-
tending from Massachusetts, to Florida,
along the coast. His early work was in Vlr-
ginia and North Carolina, where he trav-
eled ten years, OF course single man, for
In those days to marry was to locate. He
travelled in 1900 the Tar River circuit,
which extended from the coast into the in
terror hundred miles or more. He was
thirty-two years old and had made up his
mind to marry and locate and go West,
which meant into Kentucky, his former
home: Among his st0pping-places on his
circuit was the plantation of q rich widow,
by the name of Lewis, well stocked with
slaves and the Injuries that wealthy slave
holder Of that period was expected to pos
sess. The widow had also grown daugh-
ter, who had made such an impression upon
the bachelor preacher that he had con-
Guided TO ask her to go with him, nothing
doubling that she would 90 and go on his
own terms, but he had said nothing to her
pa the subject until one evening, toward the
close Of the year, ne took scrap of papee
and wrote; Are you under obligations 70
any mani Are you in the spirit of slavery.
VIII you 60 Westl Will you 90 with mer
"He expected an immediate answer, and,
Of course, favorable one, for how could
girl refuse such mani But she carefully
folded the paper, put it in her pocket, and
5000 sfteg left the room, to be seen no more
until the next morning. TO the surprise
and perplexity of the lover, she appeared the
next morning in the family circle as merry
as usual, and went about the ordinary duties
Of the morning as though nothing pn-
usual had happened. The suspense became
painful and embarrassing, until he finally
got an opportunity to ask il she could now
answer the question he had propounded.
She asked for further time to consider.
N'No,' said he, Il must know now. am
going away to-day, and want to know be!
fore starting
"Well,' said she, Il have some questions
to ask before deciding. WIN you give up
your piper
1.-THE lover was dumbfounded. It had
never entered his head that girl had any
right to PROFOUND such a question on such
an occasion, but that the extent Of her pre-
rogative was TO say: Yes, sFith al ny
heart Presenting upon his own impor-
lance, and assuming that she would be only
too glad to say yes after this little episode,
he said: No. not for the best woman on
EARTH 1t was now her turn &c speak. and
she said. in tone that indicated earnest
ness: Then you can have my answer once
for all l will never marry q man who
thinks more of his pipe than of me- No
man ever did more thinking In few min.
utes than he did then and there She had
put the pipe question in new light. Think
more OF my pipe than of herr he soliio-
qulzed. Why, certainly not; yet it looks
ike 1t II can not give it up for her.
But there is another question; Shall girl
force me to do what four conferences have
Tailed to dos Can be happy without this
girl-happier without her and with nv pipe
than with her and without my piper and
the man found himself deeper in love than
ne had ever suspected, and ne was not long
Ia settling the question, II il Is q girl or .
pipe, farewell pipe, and he turned to her. as
she sat apparently as heartless as a stone.
and said: Wen, Elizabeth, If it is to part
with you or my pipe, give up the pipe for
ever
What followed Immediately = more
easily imagined than told In a few weeks
they were married. As soon afterward
as the papers could be made out all of her
slaves were manumitted. and the two went