Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-07-23
HOW HE WON A WIFE.
The Question That AstOnished Pioneer
Methodist Minister in His WOoing.

From the indianapolis journal.
Col John W. Ray, himself now q venerable
gray-headed man, tells the following story of
the courtship and marriage of mis- grandfather,
the 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 1880. said he, ''when there were less than
$50 ordained members in the United States and
but one conference, extending from Massachu-
sets to Florida, along the coast. His early
work was in Virginia and North Carolina where
he Travelled ten years, of course a 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 interior a
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 stopping places on his circuit was the
plantation of a rich widow, by the name of
Lewis, well stocked with slaves and the lux
urles that wealthy Shareholder of that period
was expected to possess. The widow had
also grown daughter, who had made such an
impression upon the bachelor preacher that he
had concluded to ask her to go with him. moth
ing doubling that she would go, and go on his
own terms. but he had said nothing to her on
the subject until one evening, toward the close
u
Are you under obligations to any man? Are
you in the spirit of slavery? Will you go west?
Will you go with meP
He expected an immediate answer, and. OF
course, favorable one, for how could girl
refuse such a man? But she carefully folded
the paper, put 1T In her pocket, and soon after
left the room. to be seen 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 unusual had happened The
suspense became painful and embarrassing
until be finally got an opportunity to ask if she
could now answer the question which he had
propounded- She asked for further time.
- No. said he. Il must know now I am
going away to-day, and want to know before
starting
"'Well,' said she, have some questions to
ask before deciding. Will you give up your
pipeY
The lover was dumfounded. 1t had never
entered his head thata girl had any right to
PROFOUND such a question on such an occasion
but that the extent of her prerogatiye was to
say Yes, with all my heart Presuming upon
his own importance, and assuming that she
would be only too glad to say YES after this lit
tie episode, he said: No. not for the best
woman on earth 1t was now her turn to
speak and she said in a tone that indicated
earuestness: Then you can have my answer
once for all. | will never marry a man who
ever did more thinking in few minutes than
he did then and there. She had put the pipe
question in new light. Think more
OF my pipe than of herT he solil-
oiuized. why, certainly not; yet it
looks like it if cannot give il up for her. But
there Is another question: Shall girl force
me to do what four conferences have failed to
do9 Can be happy without this girl--happier
without her and with my pipe than with her
and without my pipe? and the man found HIM
| self deeper in love than he had ever suspected
and he was not long in settling the question.
II 1t is girl or pipe farewell pipe, and he
turned to her as she sat, apparently as heartless
| as a stone, and said Well Elizabeth if il is
To part with you or my pipe l give up the pipe
| forever
What followed Immediately is more easily
| imagined than told. In few weeks they were
| married. As soon afterward as the papers
| could De made out all OF her slaves were manu-
mitted and the two went west which meant
Montgomery county, XIV. There INV father
was born and there my grandfather spent many
years as a local preacher, rejoiEing the Con-
| ference In lsl9. moving later to Indiana, where
he died near Greencastle in 1887 He never
resumed his pipe. His plucky anti-pipe wife
survived him several years"
4 ---->o~-
Clerk-"Mr. Hardman, will you give me leave
Of absence this afternoon to attend the frneral
| of dear aunt?'
Mechanically, certainly. II YOU hayen't
/ a good hook and line of your own, Mr.. Fisher
stop at the house and get mine. "-Tme
| The people who get the greatest pleasure out
| OF the travelling season are the servants Win
stay at home.-Fltgend Batter.
| What brand of cigars do you smoker
"Oh, anything my friends happen 10 offe,
] me."-LosoeQ Cifisen