The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1890-07-03

ty years a leading member Of the free
Christian church Of that village and
class leader and exhorter. His wife
was not a communicate Of the church,
and rather ridiculed the methods of
the denomination. One day in 1880,
after Mrs. Wales had made some
sighting remark about her husband s
religious professions, he told her he
would never speak to her again ntil
shesaw the error of her ways and be-
came converted. He kept his word
in spite of the appeals and remon !
strances of his pastor and fellow
church members. All communication
between him and his wife was carried
on through their son, a young man
of 20. Mr.. and Mrs. Wales had been
married twenty-one years, and had
lived happily up to that singular
break in their relations. Mrs. Wales,
who is a most estimable woman,
deeply grieved over her husband s
strange freak, and at last, in Deem
Der, 1889, she resolved to abandon
her own ideas and seek conversion
at the free Christian church, in order
that the shadow on the house might
be removed. In the above month a
great revival ofreligion was in pro-
gress at the church, and Mrs. Wales
attended the meetings regularly, and
was at last converted according to
the methods of the sect. The night
she was converted her husband arose
and said:
ssFor six years I have been a wild
over. Now, thank God, / have a
wife!''
He moved forward to where his
wife was kneeling, and she arose and
astounded the congregat ion by say
ing, with great frmness:
81 do not believe that any man
who is truly a Christian can deliber-
ately ignore for six years the wife he
swore to love and protect, and I ask
thatspecial prayers be offered for the
true conversion of my husband
She then turned to her husband,
who was standing in the aisle paral-
yzed with astonishment, and said:
''Uriah, get down on your knees,
be awakened to the error of your
ways, and ask for forgiveness for
your sins! IWilllead you to the Lord
myself" Nd.
She walked toward him. He turned
and rushed out Of the church. He was
notseen or heard of for just month
to the day, which came on Sunday.
1T is the custom of the free Christian
church to hold a prayer-mee Getting or
love feast after the regular Sunday
evenings services. On the Sunday
mentioned, while the prayer-meeting
was in progress and the congregation
were singing a hymn, man entered
the church and walked to the pew
where Mrs. Wales was standing. He
was Immediately recognized as the
missing Uriah Wales. The singing
ceased, and Wales entered the pew
where his wife was, and before she
could recover from her astonishment
he embraced her, at the same time
exclaiming:
"The Lord has forgiven me all, and
| am Christian at last!''
The scene that ensued was declared
by those who were present to have
been Joyous )" To all inquiries as to
where he had been, however, Wales
would simply reply that he had been
"communing with the Lord" and
that is all that was ever known as to
where he had been for a month in
hiding. Mr.. and Mrs. Wales were re-
united and lived happily again until
two years ago, when Mrs. Wales be-
came mother for the second time
since her marriage. From the birth
OF the child Wales became gloomy
and Respondent, and much Of his
manner toward his wife that he had
manifested during his six years Of ST.
lence returned. He would give no ex-
PLANTATION to any one ofhis strange
conduct, but ut the prayer mee ting
in the church last Sunday night ne
arose and said that he could torbear
no longeE and declared that he had
been for two years bowed down by q
burden that was crushing him. He
closed with the solemn affirmation
that he was not the father Of his wife's
second child. After making this as
founding declaration he rushed from
the church as he had done on the
previous occasion, and lie has not
been seen or heard of since. Wales
declaration caused a great sensation
in the church, but that there is the
slightest foundation for it's truth not
one mber of the church or person
in the village for moment believes.
The general opinion is that Wales is
insane, and that he will return, as he
did before, after s'communing with
the Lord. =
Changed His Swear.
Until recently Chauncey Depew all
Il n