The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-17
PASTOR ARTHUR'S PLIGHT.
ALE GOOD HILL WAY oRN UP DYER
HIS STRANGE A~FFLIOTI0N.

VI CoOoh, LyLhk oNoE ~ iLiu ouOu I'M Wdyt
twelve miles from here, 10 full OF troubles.
The Rev. c. NJ. Arthur IL the pastor OF the Nor
field Congregational Church. Norleld lies half
way up Good uill. ana 10 q part OF the town Of
Weston. Mr.. Arthur came to Norleld about q
year ago. The church there had had trouble
with It's two former pastors, and the church
people heaved a sigh Of relief whom Mr.. Arthur
along. He was about 40 years old, was
married and was an eloquent preacher. he
camo from the West. from the State of Michigan.
He had also preached In Wisconsin, and he was
engaged 10 preach.
For ton months the Norfeld church prospcred
az 1t had never prosperod before. and then came
q clap Of thunder that destroyed ~brotherly feel
ing. and Weston has been full Of trouble since.
with tho pastor and his wife when they oame
to town was Miss Blanche Harrison. the sister
OF Mrs. Arthur. She became engaged to
DO married to Frank Lane. q prosperous
young farmer and one Of the deacons
Of the church 90 we'll as superintendent Of the
Sunday school He was younger than Miss
Harrison and was highly respected. Their on
gaRement was suddenly broken, and at the
same time o story got about tow that the
fault was all Mr.. Lanes. and that the affair that
led to tho breaking Of the engagement had 90
CURED in tho psrlor Of the church parsonage.
Lane did not start the story; neither did. Miss
Harrison.
Tho story finally reached the cars Of tho other
deacons OF the church and there was o meeting
at the homo of Deacon Ebenezer Fitch. The
pillars OF the church were there. The story was
discussed. Deacon Arthur Bradley made some re-
marks that reflected on Deacon Lane, and Sister
Lane. the deacon's mother. who 10 q high
spirited woman. replied to them. After this
the meeting adjourned without any action. The
talk was bad enough beforo this. 1t was
worse afterward. and It amounted to . scandal
Wa" ISter s 81 q p church u prayer 1nyS 81. Meeting me- M. arthur patSsS;
announced that there would DO o business meet
ing Of the church At the conclusion Of the prayer
mitted. Mr.. Arthur at that time made q few
radical remarks. When the business meeting
no might have been indiscreet, but nothing
deacon ann and 'a as su spe1Glea en- o os'i sho sOnds ~
end Of which Mr.: Arthur. Who Dreaded. moved
and the Incident closed. 30 far a. ofdoiaI action
But Of course tho stories. didn't down and the
trouble In Weston simply increased. The church
s sen fsPs Sls @ al%Gs' :RR1as: F RiaSSn w saa' along h5%;
Ss~ ,tssis: Ts5s started; Thss I'D q do %Si!S
West Minnistsrisi Association. The story vent
shs' A slsisI I va: pastor ssa MF IL %is e sss p ans N WE %is'
e eon n and the talk was based on tho
EsRas' these he was rspli sass we're she she hf fep t'I prstsI
won 70 herself, but he IinistoriSl Associstioh
heard Of them and hen began talk ef making
based on statements on tho strength Of. which
church. Back Of the alleged statements there
was another story Of the reasons he had left the
.siesa .S SSs Gn%n GS sSs Eli Il S S.t the and S9 s5Sod shM1pl lNI
Itself teemed with 1t, Naturally the Persistency
with which the stories circulated. affected Mr..
He got nervous and irritable, His family no:
ticed that he was becoming absent-minded. and
his wife worried about him. She did her best to
cheer him, but It was without success.
has. : gn 80 shs a' Nh. zrt isss; S %.a . sss.S Y Ia
one moving about tho room: It was 8 o'clock
band Ssd arisen. she haif sos out Q, BED. saS
why. what are you doing r. she asked.
%9h, you keep s!ili:" he replied; I'm going
to M Ms~ A xqEai SAW r% s sSss . to get Gns st ss 1h1s;' wa.
s sssd Rf sss h1 ana ss9 Eo' hn sa G slip before on sf his se eon'
oonvsrss.!S SSeA Sic SSd siIpPod on ns : wrap sas
direction Of Nelson Crossman's house, which
l. a0 Sait the d eSsa { sim pssee's but sh he '1 paid nc se
attention to her. and he. was going SO fast
that she bee could a, hSSEdly catch up nth him. v sh.
and saw her and without a word he leaped ovel
into t the Fi isgqS e.S woods LHS Which skirt III the rosd
In the direction of David Cooley's house. She
CroSsmSn's house and SWofo him. He hustled
around and. got Oscar Budd and Deacon Arthur
Bradley andthey started out TO ind the minister
d day 1, ssD'a and sdaff ms can't ss'f they IL med II.
S ssaFehinR party 81 81 eis 2.sisSk had IL S ses R Rosssn to :
eether. Included In 1t we're Deacon Ed
fPs1sF FITCH Fitch. af gaEsu. Ali Sssr. Fred ara Rsaks
Adam.. ssmue, Fanchsr. Elmer hui. ye
rome .a Smith a1,,rd Horace s,nrI HurlS butt; Frank Ep1saa Fer Fer
Deacon Ebenezer Fitch. Who was the Oldest on
u. and ne s{ Ps5ssdi ' aox NJ 10 e. h road h'f tSw sPd T paSi'
Cooley,s house. There had been ,seaEchers dow
s eSaipp naal himself %ns : s'1 %i,s and a big saf Sor OF :. the ihR PtsFSi;;
could notify tho others in case of any importan
The party had been at it scarcely half an hou
when a horn began to toot in the direction tina
Deacon Ebenezer Fitch had taken. The deacon
Of David Cooley house. He was wet and some
what bedraggled;
TO get in and ride. Still there was n
response. Then the deacon pulled up alongside
and, Jumping out, Of his wagon he too
hold of the minister's arm and urge
him to get Into the wagon. Mr.. Arthur locke,
at him. but there was no recognition In his eye
For a moment he tried to pull away, and then h
changed his mind and climbed into the wagon.
The deacon footed his horn some moro and go
answering blasts. and then he started for tn
ministers homo. Some of the party got Their
ahead Of him. Mr.. Arthur was taken into tn
house. He had not said a word from the time b
hadbeen found. He did not speak to his wife. !
doctor was sent for and two or three Of the me-
volunteered to stay with the minister and hel
his wife and sister-in.law care for him.
1t WAS about two hours afterward that Nj
Arthur got mp from the seat on the porch wher
he had been sitting and walked back to the we
house again and into the yard. He heade
when George Allen, who was one Of tn
volunteer watchers, succeeded In c. tchinR him
They w~restled u minute and then both tumbled
The minister was underneath and he got q bs'
shaking up. Allen, with the assistance of tn
other men, got him back into the house and the
kept watch Of him there I'll day; Tho docto
nervous, collapse and fixed up medicine tina
he threw q glass OF his medicine away, glass an