South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1892-04-08
rHKlNTELLlGENCER


congregation; he Is % approac ha-
bIes % kind. % pleasant. 90 sym
pathixing. Everyb body likes him
the young and the cid, the rich and
the poor. And he 10 such an els-
quent preacher. In all his private
relations, - we'll a. his public min
istries, he seems a. near perfection
a. can be hoped for on this earth.
new this is saying good deal for
our minister.
But there is no unmixed good in
this world. We are not permitted
to enjoy orr minister without the
accompaniment Of some unpleasant
drawback. Mr.. Gilmore has q wife,
and q minister's wife, it is we'll
known, is not usually perfect in
the eyes Of the congregation. There
was no exception to the rule in our
case. Mrs. Gilmore was no favor
tie. What the trouble was l did
not know from personal observa-
ton but no one seemed to have q
friendly feeling toward her.
When / say no one, / refer to the
ladies Of our congregation. When
Mr.. Gilmore was the subject of con-
versation you would be almost GER
tain to hear the remark, "Ah, fit
wasn't for his wife,"
Or, "What pity Mrs. Elmore
isn't the right sort of a woman"
Or, "1sn't it a shame that he has
a wife SO poorly fitted for her po-
sition."
So the charges rang. Mr.. Ell
more had been our minister for over
year, and during that time very
little had been said of his wife in a
social way. The ladies of the con-
gregation had called upon her, and
she had received them kindly and
politely, but with certain differ
ence in her manner that repealed
rather than attracted. In every
cnse she returned these calls. but,
when repeated, failed in that
prompt reciprocation which her
visitors expected. There are, In
oil congregations, certain active,
patronizing ladies, who like to man
age things, to be referred to, and
to make their influence felt all
around them.
The wife of our previous minis
ter, o weak and facile woman, had
been entirely in their hands, and
was, OF course, great favorite.
But Mrs. Elmoro was a different
character altogether.
You saw by the poise of her head +,
by the steadlness Of her clear dark
blue eyes, and by the firmncss of
her delicate mouth, that she was a
woman of independent thought,
purpose, and self-reliance.
Polite and kind in her inter-
course with the congregation, there
was withal a GOODNESS of manner
that held you at a certain distance
as surely as If a barrier had been
interposed.
1t was serious trouble with GER
tain ladies Of the congregation, this
popularity in the minister's wife.
How he could have married a wo-
man OF her temperament was re-
garded as mystery. He 80 genial
she 30 cold he 80 approaohab
by everyone-she so constrained
he all alive to the Church, and she
seemingly indifferent to everything
but her own family. If she had
been lawyers wife or the doctors
wife, or the wife OF merchant, she
might have been as distant as she
pleased (; but for the ministers
wife.
Oh dear? IL was terrible I
had heard so much said about
Mrs. Gilmore that, not having met
her familiarly, or knowing anything
about her from personal observa-
ton, took for granted the gene.
raj impression was true.
Last week one of my lady friends,
member of Mr.. Elmore's congre-
cation, called in to see me. ask.
ed her to take off her bonnet and
sit for the afternoon. But she said
"No; have called for you to 20
with me to Mrs. Elmore's."
81 have not been in the habit OF
visiting her." was my answer.
"No matter" was the reply.
"She's our minister's wife and it's
your privilege to call on her."
cit might not be agreeable" ]
suggested "yOu know she is pc
culiar."
Not agreeble for the minister
wife to have lady of the congre-
CATION call on her 70 and my friend
put on an air Of surprise.
"She's only woman after all, "
/ remarked, "and may have her
likes and dislikes, her peculiarities
and preferences, as well as 9TH
or people. And / am sure that
j have no desire to intrude on her. +"
Intrusion. How you do talk
An intrusion to call on our minis-
ter's wife Well, that sounds
beautiful, don't it? / wouldn't
say that again. Come put on your
bonnet, / want your company and
/ am going to have it,"
made no further objection, and
went with my lady friend to call on
Mrs. Gilmore. We sent mp our
names, and were shown into her
neat little parlor, where we sat