Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-02-13
ODD COURTSHIPS.
A Quartette, of Love Stories Told
by Ministers.
Damculty Men Experience In esoposing e
the Women They Adore "A Young
l.ady's Tact Eaable. Her Lover
tO Make y Charming
uscla ton.

4 toc8of 4tIOn
The Methodist minister was trying to
read a poem entitled, The Sling of
David" and turned from the task with
evident pleasure when q reporter for
the Chicago Herald asked him for
story.
| There's the marriage of John Blank,
| an Ohio man, that l might tell you
about" said he ''John WAS wealthy
young fellow, and = member of the
church at Mount Gilead He thought
be wanted to marry q certain young
woman whose fortune WAS in litigation,
| but he never could muster up enough
courage to ask her to bc his wife. He
finally surrcnder'.d TO another lady who
was willing to speed his wooing sligh tly,
and was married in the church. in the
| presence Of his first love. whose case in
| court was the same day decided against
her and her wealth seemed likely to 60
| to distant persons But No. 1. a. We
will call her was sensible girl. and
| when her lawyers had appealed from
| the Judgment of the local to the Su-
prernc Court. She went on as usual. sup
porting herself by teaching school She
| was handsome. and seemed TO the bene-
dict Blank to grow more beautiful every
day. He was good To his wife and all
that, but We could see he still kept his
| sweetest glances for No I. His wife died
| finally, and after a year of mourning
John renewed his attentions TO No 1,
| Just at the time the Supreme Court
handed down decision in her favor.
She did not repulse him. and every thing
seemed to be going swimmingly for
Blank, although he had not asked the
| woman to be his wife. when the young
lawyer who had SD pluckily fought and
won the case proposed, was accepted and
married her. That WAS twenty years
ago. The lawyer died in 1887. and last
| week l received marked paper from
Mount Gilead con tanning an account of
the marriage of John Blank and the
lawyers widow Funny, isn't it,. how
some unions arc brought about" and
the Methodist laughed little at the
dilatory man who proved tho proverb
that every thing comes to tho man who
| can wait.
"At the time of the Chicago fire." said
| the Presbyterian minister, 81 was
| preaching in 4 Northern Illinois town.
and was visiting a sister who lived
then. as she docs now in Chicago Her
house was just west of the line of fire
and was filled with refugees for the first
few days after the catastrophe Among
them was young man. n slight ac-
| quaintance of my sisters husband, and
q young woman whom my sister had met
| at church sociabies and .snch places and
who was known tn he wealthy Both
had lost by tho fire, and both had been
| wounded in that awful crush by which
they had escaped from tho sweep OF de-
struction. The young man recovered
rapidly, and aided my sister i'm Minister
ing to the wants of her patients lie
was particularly attentive to- tho young
woman have mentioned. though no
had never before met her. and they be-
came very fond Of each other Whom
matters got slightly Strengthened ont
the young man bcrarnc a real estate
agent on his own account. and among
other business handled the estate. of his
fair fellow-victim. She was an orphan
and he had no family connection TO
speak Of. They seemed suited To zach
other, and my sister in writing to me
often mentioned them and reported the
progress of what She Thought was their
love affair. The young man managed
the young wonian's~ property SD well
ten years They often consulted to-
gether on business matters, and tc Of
ten spent an evening at her home. but
he never css:ortad~iier 10 any place of
amusement TO chnrch. and they
seemed no nearer a nniOn than the day
after the fire. They are still in ex-
actly the same position. She has lost
her youth and he is gray-haircd. She
h a ros.oivad apv attention from,
any other man, and apparently he has
not thought or any other woman. When
l accepted the call to my present church
l found them just SO. and they are to-
day, after a lapSe-a courtship. / might
say-of eighteen years as far apart as
ever. I know there is mutual esteem,
may be love. I know they are we'll
fitted for each other. l know she is
rich and still handsome. and I know he
is honorable; but never saw such stu
pid diffidehcc. such prolonged, self-in-
flicted misery, such wasting of two good
lives, and trust never may again."
This courtship long drawn out" said
a brother Presbyterian. reminds me of
Rachael Dewey. girl who lived at my
boyhood home in New England At
five years of age she sang al a fair given
by the ladies for the benefit of soldiers,
for it was in war time. man named
Abrams had died in the hospital Of the
army at Frankfort. Ky, and his son. ten
years old visited the fair and was
petted by the women. As we'll as by
Rachael. AS they, grew up Abrams
came into pusseasiun of some good
ptopefty. but Rachaf.l was left BY her
parents with only . small fortune.
Abrams looked after her business. fut
tered around after her wherever she
went kept himself In an agony
lest she should marry some of
the many young fellows who ad-
mired and courfed her. but could
never dare TO secure ber against loss
III pPlastus masria6 n5psan sfe