The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-01-25
SOME ODD COURTSHIPS.
A QuaYtette' Of Love Stories Told
by Ministers.
Difficulty Men Experience in Proposing to
the Women They AdOre-A Young
Lady's Tact Enables Her Lover
to Make a Charming
Declaration.

evident pleasure when a reporter for
the Chicago Herald asked him for a
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
he wanted to marry a certain young
woman whose fortune was in litigation,
but he never could muster up enough
courage to ask her to be his wife. He
finally surrendered to another lady who
was willing to speed his wooing slightly,
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 90
to distant persons But No. l, as we
will call her, was sensible girl, and
when her lawyers had appealed from
the Judgment of the local to the Su-
preme 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. 1. His wife died
finally, and after a year of mourning
John renewed his attentions to No. l,
just at the time the Supreme Court
handed down a 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
10 Io l. g.
lawyer who had so pluckily fought and
won tho case proposed, was accepted and
married her. That was twenty years
ago. The lawyer died in 1887, and last
week | received marked paper from
Mount Gilead containing an account of
the marriage of John Blank and the
lawyers widow. Funny, isn't it, how
some unions are brought about" and
the Methodist laughed little at the
dilatory man who proved the proverb
that every thing comes to the man who
can wait.
cat the time of the Chicago fire." said
the Presbyterian minister, 81 was
preaching in Northern Illinois town,
and was visiting a sister who lived
then, as she does 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, a slight ac-
quaintance of my sisters husband, and
young woman whom my sister had met
at church sociables and such places, and
who was known to be wealthy. Both
had lost by the fire, and both had been
wounded in that awful crush by which
they had escaped from the sweep of de-
struction. The young man recovered
rapidly, and aided my sister in minister
ing to the wants of her patients. He
was particularly attentive to the young
woman l have mentioned, though he
had never before met her, and they be-
came very fond of each other. When
matters got slightly Strengthened out
the young man became 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 each
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 woman's property so we'll
that her wealth was doubled in value in
ten years. They often consulted to-
gether on business matters, and he Of
ten spent an evening at her home, but
he never escorted her to any place of
amusement or to chnrch, and they
after the fire. They are still in ex-
actly the same position. She has lost
her youth and he is gray-haired. She
has never received any attention from
any other man, and apparently he has
not thought or any other woman. When
accepted the call to my present church
L found them just so, and they are to-
day, after lapse-a courtship, might
sayCof eighteen years as far apart as
ever. III know there is mutual esteem,
may be love. l know they are we'll
fitted for each other. / know she is
rich and still handsome, and know he
is honorable; but never saw such stu
pid obedience, such prolonged, self-in-
hicted 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 at fair given
by the ladies for the benefit of soldiers,
for it was in war time. A 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 well as by
Rachael. As they grew up Abrams
came into possession of some good
property, but Rachael was left by her
parents with only a small fortune.
Abrams looked after her business, fiut-
tered around after her wherever she
went, kept himself in an agony
lest she should marry some of
the many young fellows who adj
mired and courted her, but could
never dare to secure her against loss
by proposing marriage himself. She