Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1894-04-26

and school girls.
By and by whispered rumors were
set aAoat. The young minister had
paid particular attention to Miss
Green, he was seen out walking with
Miss Jones, he had taken tea thrice
with Mrs. Adams, who had two un-
married daughters in fact, he was
engaged in turn to every single lady
in the village, if report said truly.
Then dearest friend" became rivals,
and quarrels occurred which inter-
fered sadly with religious frame of
mind, and young farmers were jilted,
one and all, in the most ruthless
manner, for the fair-haired young
pastor, Who had no more thought of
aspiring to be king of hearts in Farm
ingvale than he had Of being million
aire, but was gentle and amiable to
all alike.
And so the weeks passed on.
Spring vanished, summer followed in
her steps, autumn came; and amidst
its balmiest days, when golden haze
hung over everything, and the or
chards were rich with ripened fruit,
and the moon seemed rounder and
more brilliant than it ever was before,
Arthur Bartlett took the train to
Portland one evening, and it was
known that there was to be strange
face in the pulpit on the next Sabbath.
There was a special tea-drinking at
Deacon Green's to discuss the cause
of this; and stories started, no one
knew when or by whom, were circu-
lated.
His mother was ILL., No; that could
not be, for Miss Wood knew that he
had lost his mother years before.
Somebody had told Deacon Green
that an old UNCLE had died, leaving
the minister a large fortune. This
was very favorably received and
gained universal belief 1t would
have been firmly established but for
Mrs. Thurston, who had neither
daughter nor granddaughter herself,
and who enjoyed being on the "off
side, saying, with wise shake of
her head, 81 don't believe any such
story. = It's nay opinion that the min
ister has gone to get married.
Mrs. Thurston's words threw cold
water on the enthusiasm of maids and
mothers, although they all declared
that "it couldn't possibly be SO.
1t was not the reputation of the
Rev. Augustus Dent that drew so
large congregation at the little
church on the next Sabbath. Curl
ogitv led most of the ladies thither,
and it was gratifed to the utmost for
II
in his very first prayer the old gentle
mar uttered an earnest supplication
for the pastor of the church, who dur
ing his absence would take upon him.
self the solemn obligations of married
life. Might heaven bless him and
the young and pious lady whom he
had chosen for his companion, ETC.
It was a prayer worth hearing, but
the ladies' of Farmingvale heard moth
ing after the wonderful revelation.
They were lost in astonishment, and
hurried away, after the benedictlon,
to discuss the affair by their own fire
sides And on Monday, when 1t was
known that Bridget O'Neil had been
engaged to scrub and Scour the par
sonage, and that a piano had arrived
the certainty of the awful news be-
came established. and Farmingvale
Joined in denouncing Mr.. Bartlett as
despicable hirt. "And," said the
indignant mamma of the five Misses
Marden, "of all men, a minister OF
the gospel should blush to earn such
a reputation. Why, I couldn't tell
which one of my girls he wanted, he
was so attentive to all of them. I'm
afraid he isn't such a man as we
thought.
The excitement lasted all the week,
and was still strong on the next Sab
bath, when young girl walked up
the church aisle with the minister,
and the Farmingvale girls looked up
on a face so lovely that none of them
could resort to the usual course Of de-
claring her mot bit good-lOOking.
They were decorOus and prudent in
Farmingvale, and complied with all
the forms of courtesy. Mrs. Bartlett
was called upon by all the ladies OF
her husbands flock, was invited out
to tea, and was favored with dOna-
ton party; nevertheless keen OBJ
server could have seen that something
was wrong. The ladies did not take
kindly to their pastors wife, and soon