Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-19
GENTLE LADY ABBESS
Marriage ofthe Accomplished Daush'
ter of Horace Greeley.
HER BEAUTIFUL LIFE Of CHARITY
The Groom the Able Rector Of the Oldest
Church In America.
RICH GIFTS FROM GOOD QUEEN ANNE
ESPECIAL TzLKGRAM TO THE DIsPArcH.I

ment at the close OF Lent that Miss Gabr1elle
Greeley is to end her days of retirement and
devotion by marriage greatly surprised her
friends in this city. Miss Greeley's life at
the old farm at Chappaqua has been con-
slant ministration of charity. The farm
house, long the home of her illustrious
father, Horace Greeley, has been her habita-
ton for ten years, and the poor and destituts
the country round have known withoutceas-
ing the goodness of her heart and gentleness
of her spirit.
Her charms of person and mind have
subjected her 10 constant demands from So
ciety. But these demands she has stead
fastly resisted, preferring the simple pleas
ures and duties of country life. The
church Of st. johns parish, at Pleasant
vile, two miles from the Greeley farm
house, is her especial charge, and so tireless
has been her attentions to the needs of the
parish that she is known throughout the
church as the Lady Aobess of Pleasant
ville." The news of the marriage has not
checked the demands upon her charity and
thessmany obligations that remain to be per-
formed.
Her Work VIII Not End
Fortunately for the poor the change which
is to take place in her life next Thursday
morning will greatly enlarge her opportuni-
ties of work. The groom, the Rev. Frank
Montrose Clendenin, is clergyman of un-
usual attainments. He is the rector Of st.
Peters parish at West Chester, n. Y, the
oldest church in America. In this pulpit
the young orator has made a reputation
which has extended even beyond the seas.
A book OF his sermons, unusual IN the case
of preacher so young, has reached a second
edition. He Is the son OF George Clendenin.
His previous service has been in Anglican
churches in Illinois and Ohio.
There is a romantic side to this engage
ment The young orator has passed more
than a dozen years of activity in half
settled conviction that clergymen should
not marry. Years ago he heard OF the
Lady Abbess and her work. This awaken
ed an interest in the woman and stronger
sentiments soon found lodgment in his
heart. SIT was not long after met her, ;"
he said, that my mind became settled on
the question of marriage, and thereafter
devoted myself to the business of persuad-
ing her to my way OF thinking"
It VIII Be Love in a Barn.
The two are devoted to the work of the
church and the arrangement is that part
of each of the coming years is to be spent at
Pleasantville. For their use while here the
stone barn at Chappaqua finished by Horace
Greeley, Just before his death, is to be fitted
up as a dwelling house. The simple rustic
furniture that served the family in tie
Greeley farm house is to be arranged in the
stone barn. and to this retreat the West
Chester priest and his wife are to come for
the summer months. The sick and the dis
tressed ofChappaqua will thus still have the
kind, patient heart Of their patron saint to
which to carry their woes.
The ancient parish OF St. Peters Is to be
the scene of their active labors. The old
rectory in which several generations Of
priests have lived and died is to be the home
OF the young couple. Preparatory to this
use, the yestry of the church has ordered
thorough overhauling of the house, making
it suitable to the wants Of modern families.
The rectory is a century old and abounds
with relics Of former years. The style with
its seven severe gables, cherries pointed
arches, frowning windows and uninviting
portico does not belong to this age. A
large grove of stately trees hides the rectory
from view. This is the 20 acres glebs
granted by the County of Westchester to
the church 200 years ago.
The History of the Church
The great interest in the parish is In the
church itself. Services have been held there
regularly since November 9, 1702 The first
Anglican priest sent by the Crown to the
colonies, and assigned to this parish by
Governor Cornburg, began his psstorate on
that day. This was the Rev. John Barlow.
The first Anglican Bishop of America,
Samuel Seabury, was rector here for ten
years. The original building, raised BY a
donation of R40 from the freeholders of
Westchester, in 100, is still standing in
perfect preservation, being used BY parish
ioner as stable for his horses and cows. 1t
served the colonists as parish home for 80
years.
Down the road past the old churchyard
and its hundreds of forgotten graves is the
rectory. Across the road from the church
is the parish house, also a relic of bygone
DAYS. There are the old headstones of an
other century, the quaint stone fence sur
rounding the churchyard, the storm-beaIen
church itself, the old sexton, Isaac Butler,
who reckons time by the graves of rectors he
has made, and but a moments walk away
the ancient church of the Quakers which
has stood the storms of nearly 200 winters.
An altar set and a communion service, the
gift of good Queen Anne, are priced treas
ures of the church. The latter is of rare
silver and quaint workmanship. Upon the
chalice and paten are engraved the words
"Anne Reginae, Z" with the date 1706. To
preserve these against loss for future genera
tions, duplicates have been made by Tiffany
and these are now used except on occasions
of state. Handsome bronze memorials,
stained glass windows and frescoes mark the
interior of the church and remind the wor-
shippers of some one distinguished in ante
Revolutionary days.
The church has enormous wealth in landed
possessions down town. It is said Of the
congregation that each Sunday $50, ,000, 900
marches up the aisle and out again. Collis
P. Huntington, G. Bruce Brown, John G.
Furman, Henry A Costar and other we'll
known New York fnanciers are vestrYmen
in the church.
The Wedding Ceremony.
The marriage takes place on the morning
of st. George'ssDay, Thursday, April %, al
st. Johns Church, Pleasantville, at
o'clock. The Rev. Benjamin 7. Hall, priest
of the parish, will administer the Holy Com
the forms of the Anglican Church. Within
the hour the marriage office will be read by
Rector Hall, In these ceremonies the sur,
accompanied by organ and harps, will
assist. As maid of honor, Miss Chamber
laine is to attend the BRIDE. and there will
be no bridesmaid. The trosseau is rich bus
simple.
The altar and chancel are to be banked
with flowers from Miss Greeley's own hot
beds. The Rev. Alexander Mcmillan, as
sistan. rector of st. Peters, will serve the
groom as best man. The gentlemen will
wear the black cloth garb peculiar to the
clergy. No invitations to the church are
out. Only the bridal party and the many
charges of the Lady Abbess are to be ad-
mitted to the ceremony. After the wedding