The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-06-18
BISHOP HURST IND HIS WIFI.

WASHINGTON. June 16.-An Washington is still
talking of the sad almost tragic separation of Bishop
John Fletcher Hurst and his young wife. The bishop
still holds his position of the few eminent lead
ers of the Methodist Episcopal church in America.
But his young wife and his three little children are
lost to him. So great has been the bishops devotion
to his life work. the founding of National University
of Methodism that his wife less dear to him than
this high project. The bishop is an old man. still
eading resolutey in the path he marked out for him
self half century ago. His wife, bride five years
ago. is young and filled with abundant joy in lv-
Ing The restrictions of life laid out for her by
man bound up in great religious ideal brought her
little by little to the point of open revolt. week ago
it became known that she had separated forever from
her husband.
The burden of all that is said here is 'the pity or
it." Sympathy with the white-haired bishop who
has felt the sudden wrench of the ties fe
is too great to permit any expression Of reproach
And for the beautiful young woman, who offered
self living sacrifice to her pety and sense of liaI
duty, only to be rewarded by saddened widowhood.
only pity is expressed.
Because Of their prominence, the Hursts' circle Of
acquaintance is enormous. And today everywhere
through Washington and the entire East there are
being recalled the events Of half dozen years ago
which led to the marriage Of Bishop Hurst then
widower Of ftyeight with three grown children ana
lovely twenty two year-old Ellen Root
Miss Root the daughter of the late multi-mii-
lonare, Francis II. Root. of Buffalo. Mr.. Root and
his wife. Mrs. Ellen Joy Root, jealous Meth
ediss, liberal givers to the church. and admir-
ers of the efficient bishop and supporters of his greaE
scheme for building American university for the
advancement of religion.
Great intimacy developed between the bishop and
the Roots who gave and more lavishly to the
church and the university fund One day the bishop
told Mr. and Mrs. Root that he would like to marry
their daughter and that he felt sure she was fitted
for great work in the church
The idea pleased the parents so much that the
daughter hardly consulted. Shortly afterwarn,
by her fathers deathbed and at his urgent request
she became the bishops bride Her widowed mother
turned millions to the bishop and the uni
yersity and built for her daughter and her husband
a magnificent home Massachusetts avenue ana
Seventeenth street.
Here Bishop and Mrs. Hurst lived until a year
ago, when Mrs Hurst took her three babies to Eu-
rope, ostensbly to educate them and cultivate her
own fine voice. She has returned. and week
ago the bishop decided the Massachusetts avenue
house to Mrs Hurst's trustees ~
The wreckage of the Hursts family happiness
was, according to the friends who knew them best;
Inevitable The young girl took up her marriage
spensiblities with the added burden of very great
wealth. 1t was the idea Of her mother and to a far
greater degree, of her husband. that this money
should flow into church channels The bride who
was religious woman, complied to such extent as
she thought advisable. But to her mind there were
other things in life. There were children whose
future must be considered there We're social respon-
sbilities, and, above ALL there such thing as
husbands entire devotion, something which this
mueh-admired young woman thought she had right
to claim.
Partly through the generosity of Mrs Hurst.s
mother. it has come about that the Bishop has one
of the finest libraries in the country. His absorption
in this only second to his passionate love for his
budding university, which to him meant a dawning
of the kingdom of heaven earth. The beautiful
Washington home was filled with these interests
which the bishop shared with mddle-aged scholars
There were no other guests
Stung with the knowledge that she was not firsf
in her husbands heart Mrs Hurst chose to spend
part of her life and fortune in social and inteI
leetual lines Of her choosing. Not however
without remenstrance from the bishop At length
each saw that remonstrance useless. They de
eided permanent separation and put the mat
ter in their lawyers hands Mrs. Hurst is now In
Paris with her sister and her children The bishop
is still engaged in developing the American uniyer-
sity
The outlines of the bishops career are familiar
He was born in Salem, Md. Aug. L. 1884 EARLY In
life he displayed the studious character that marked
him for the life he has followed He ,was therefore
early devoted to the service of his church. the Meth
odist Episcopal He studied both in America and hl
Europe. He developed a power for controversial
writing, and while still young man, in 1865 he
published his History Of Rationaisrn which mark
ed him leader of his faith
In 1871 he became professor of historical the
ology at Drew Theological seminary, at Madison N
j., whence he had graduated as a minister in 1s55
In 1873 he was appointed president of the same In
stitution which post he held until 1885, when he way
elected bishop of his church in Maryland He is n
man who has not walked through ordinary life idly
but the works of his hands mark his path as monu
ments. Besides his History of Rationalism. he
published in 1876 Outline of Church History" In
1884 "a Short History Of the Reformation" in 1887
"Short History Of the Medieval Church, and In
1855 ''The Success of the Gospel" He has afst
shown unusual literary power in writing of his tray
els in>the far East