The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1890-12-19
A MYSTERY.
A Minister with g Secret Attached
to His Life.

''Dld you ever pump up against an IN
dividual who baffled your curiosity by
drawing n vail of secrecy over his past?'
qucried the young doctor when it came
his turn to contribute story to the gen
eral fund. II used to think" he con-
tinued, that such characters emanated
solely from the fertile brain of tho fic-
tion writer But l was mistaken. Not
many years since l formed the acquaint-
ance of man who was harder to make
out than the most ingenious creation of
anovelist could possibly DO. A regular
human enigma in short, and he wasn't
obliging enough, you know, to clear up
the mystery before he died, either.
at was early in the SOS" began the
doctor, lighting 4 cigar, and l had
just finished my medical studies and
was trying TO pick up = little practice
in a pleasant village in the southern
part OF Wisconsin. Business didn't
flourish by any means, but as l had
friends there, and was too poor, besides,
TO think of establishing myself in
large city, | was very we'll content 70
remain there, for awhile at least
There were several churches in the
town, but at the time of which l speak,
the Congregationalist pulpit was empty.
Numerous applications for the position
appeared, but none suited. until at last
one OF the trustees arrived home after
a short trip and announced that he had
found the very person. a Rev. Mr..
Ramsay it was whom he had run across
quite accidentally, and who though
travelling for his health, had finally con-
sented to come out and preach trial
sermon, and 70 remain indefinitely If
his hearers were pleased.
''Wcll, in due time Mr.. Ramsay ar
rived and delivered 4 discourse which,
for cloqucnce and logic, | have never
heard excelIed. You may be sure tho
church lost not a moment in engaging
him, and they marveled much at their
good luck, wondering that so talented
man should wish to stay and bury his
gifts in such a small, obscure town.
The new acquisition speedily rose to
the place Of first favorite in the ranks
of the minister His sermons fairly
scintillated with brilliancy. and we
soon found that he certainly possessed
remarkably fine education in the bar
gain. Though he never spoke of the
past, his conversation gave evidence of
his having travelled extensively in
pretty much every country on the face
of the globe. Moreover he was young,
anu ouCA d BCll4d4s " al al bCA AC44O"
that every body liked him at first sight.
They couldn't help it.
But, as l said, he never alluded to his
former life. For aught We knew he
might have been bishop or high
wayman, an American gambler or the
son Of an English duke, but the church,
members were too proud OF the prize they
had captured to be very curious about
ia Y,raVinnG rornr1 an1 10 ~
mystery clinging to him only rendered
him the more attractive to US. For my
part, thought the strangest thing con-
cerning him was that he seemed never
to hold communication with anybody
outside the town. A fellow so engag-
ing and companionable must have made
friends wherever he went and vet so
long as we knew him he didn't receive
one letter or telegram from abroad
not single message OF any kind.
Ramsay and 1 got to be quite init
mate after awhile, and many were the
walks and talks we enjoyed together.
But he wasn't any more confidential
with me than he was with others, and
of course | asked no questions. Only
once did he say something which might
be construed as bearing upon the secret
l was convinced that he had. 1t was in
this way:
Ramsay had dropped into my Office
and we fell to conversing about heredi-
tary disease. II grew out Of some case
/ was treating then-I don't remember
what Ramsay, IN his brilliant, earn
est fashion, began to inveigh against
people who married and brought into
the world children cursed with the seeds
of some dreadful malady.
Let me tell you a story he said,
and 1t will show you how many lives
may be ruined by one such deed. The
facts came to my knowledge years ago.
Once there was boy-never mind his
name-who, his friends said, showed
exceeding great promise in his youth.
His mother, widow, seemed utterly
wrapped up in him. She travelled with
him in foreign lands. sent him to the
finest schools, and spared neither pains
nor expense to improve the talents
nature had bestowed upon him. He
was hopeful and happy, and one thing
)nly troubled him-he used often to
wonder about his father, whom he
couldn't remember, and his mother was
,eticent upon that point, and replied TO
III his questions scantily and vaguely.
They were living in England at the
ime, having come there from America
lfter the fathers death, and being in
'asy circumstances financially the fu-
ure looked very bright and glowing in
Iced.
"'In due time the young fellow grad