Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1895-09-04

or heard OF that portion OF the repor!
and general history in which Ruth
| Temple was designated spinster, and
they nudged each other and nodded
significantly toward the Temple pew
and tacitly agreed that the theological
ammunication was intended for none
other than Ruth herself. There was q
bright red spot glowing in either cheek
as she walked out of the church at the
end of the sermon and her eyes had
taken on themselves an unusual bright
ness. Everybody wondered how she
would take it and they ranged them
selves along the edge of tho aisle she
would have to pass through and gath
cred in knots in the vestibule to see if
she showed any visible sigrs of per-
turbation. and their unanimous YER
dict was that "she was game"
There was On official meeting of the
various church boards and commit
tees the next Tuesday evening, and
just before their adjournment the
Rev. Israel Weston read to ail the pill
lars and lights there assembled let
ter from Ruth Temple in which she
formally expressed wish to sever her
connection with the Methodist Epis-
copal Church forthwith and forever.
They pondered the matter and set
forth all the reasons as to why they
should and why they shouldn't COM
ply with her request, and the upshot
of their deliberations was that they
decided to let her 60 her hereto way
in peace if she could give some we'll
grounded reason for Wishing to cut
loose from her present church rela-
tions. The minister was appointed a
committee of one to call on her and
probe her feelings on the subject. He
chose the following afternoon to per-
form the duty assigned him. Miss
Ruth sat by the west window, with
the report and general history in her
lap when Israel Weston, under the
chaperonage of the iandlady's little
girl, tapped at the door for admit
tance.
She laid the red backed book, open
at the Us in the membership direc-
tory, on the table, and let him in.
The minister rubbed the palms of his
hands together with gentle friction
which served as sort of lubricant for
the flow of his words, which never
came quite SO readily in house-to-
house visiting as in the pulpit, and
then he said, abruptly:
cat the meeting of the church di.
rectors last night presented your
letter as you requested. 1t is needless
to say that it produced not little
surprise among us ALL I have under
stood that your relations with the
Congregation were very pfea6sa6Tt..-
Nevertheless, we have decided to grant
you letter of withdrawal in good
standing ii you can give us satisfac-
tory explanation of this extraordinary
move on your part. Why do you
wish to leave us, Miss Temple?'
The crimson spots that had burned
in her cheeks the previous Sunday
famed into sudden life again and her
sensitive lips trembled.
"When woman whose only crime
is that she has never seen fit to give
herself wholly into the keeping of
any man is assailed promiscously by
both her pastor and his parishioners
tor that one grievous fault think it
is about time for her to cast her lot
with some other denomination which
will be willing to take her Just
as she is without constantly repri-
mauding her in public for committing
the error of remaining in single
blessedness.
The Rev. Israel Weston crossed his
long legs and coughed nervously.
Perhaps you aliude to my lost two
sermons, Miss Temple, @ he hazarded,
with an uneasy sraile.
'I do" was the emphatic reply.
"And this also," she added, taking
the red book froa the table and hold
ing it out before him while her index
finger again pointed to the tear-blotted
name, "Ruth Temple, Spinster.
"And you think" he commenced,
looking at her alf.wouderingly, half
pityingly.
81 think" she cried, letting the
book fall to the floor with O crash and
choking down sob of mingled grief
and anger, "that the committee that
get up this report are lot of precious
numbskulls. L may be unduly sensi-
tive about some things, but have my
reasons for feeling so, and I can't help
it, and I think you are equally obtuse
and far more unfeeling than they, for
you publicly set me up as on object of
ridicule because 1 hold station in
life the why's and wherefores of which
you nor anybody else has any busi-
ness to pry into"
The minister had arisen and stood
staring at her in silence at the end of
her impassioned outburst.
"But can't you see?' he said at
length picking up the book from the
floor and turning it round and round
mechanically, 81 thought you would
understand"
sI do see, she retorted; 81 do un-
derstand, and that is the reason I ask
for letter from the Methodist Episco-
pal Church"
His own face flushed family.
"You do not see or understand" he
said deliberately, "and for that reason
the letter cannot be granted. "
''But for all that am through with
both you and your church," she said
decisively, and there the interview
ended.
Ruth Temples name was not erased
from the membership list, but she
lived up to her hastily made VOW and
kept away from the Methodist Church.
Perhaps Israel Weston's sermons were
quoted more frequently and with more
accuracy during the following month
than they had ever been before or ever