Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1900-07-19

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my poor friend going.
At Links Mills, where the Will
iamses were stationed during the year
1898, the condition of affairs had, as
usual, been bad. The old parsonage
had burned in October, 1897 and
after the fire it was discovered that,
owing to the neglect of the church
stewards, the insurance had been al
lowed to lapse months before.
Yet during that year Jackson Will
Jams had contrived to get snug little
parsonage of FIVE rooms built and
paid for, at cost of only five hun
dred dollars besides his own labor. On
the other hand, when he went to at
tend the annual conference at Lancas-
ter on April 4th, his salary was fully
five hundred dollars in arrears.
Mrs. Williams stayed at home to
care for her family, in some faint hope
that they would not be sent to anoth-
er circuit, since they had but recently
moved into the new parsonage. These
hopes were short-lived.
On the evening of the seventh
letter from Williams informed his
wife that she must again pack their
household goods. But We have not
far to move this time, he added. at
is only five miles. They are going to
send me to Marston, down at the foot
of the lake. But the church there
has no parsonage" he added, "and l
suppose that we shall rent house
until I go ahead and build one, as l
did at the Mills"
1t would be difficult for any one,
except an itinerant ministers wife, to
realize the bitterness Of soul which
fell on Mrs. Rosy Williams as she re-
folded her husbands letter. But as
calmly as possible she explained to
Dolly, aged fifteen, and Jackson, Jr.,
aged thirteen, that they must stay at
home from school on the next day to
help her in packing.
Dolly burst forth in lamentations.
"Our new, pretty house that papa
made Have we got to leave it,
mother?" she cried.
eyes" replied the mother, sadly
land leave the most of your fathers
salary, too, fear"
"And live in some old dirty place
down at Marston, as we did year
ago at Simonton ~ cried the little girl.
81 don't care think it is too bad
think this house belongs to us-or
ought to-
Mrs. Williams thought SO, too.
Something of her girlish spirit sud
denly revived, and it bore fruit that
evening in an exploit which will not
soon be forgotten in that part of the
State.
The weather was still very cold.
Snow lay on the ground, and the two
feet or more of ice on the lake had
not as yet been broken up, or thawed
perceptibly. Just across the the lake
from Links Mills, crew of loggers
with their teams were "browing'
spruce logs. At sunset they were not
a little surprised to see the minister s
wife approaching on the ice. Her
errand was soon made known. She
wished to hire them to draw the new
parsonage to Marston, and she want
ed to have the job done before six
o'clock on the following morning
The foreman of the crew laughed,
and returned an evasive answer. Find
ing that the men could not be induced
to attempt such queer and doubtful
job, merely for hire, Mrs. Williams
then told the whole story, and ap-
pealed to them to help her through
with her project. This appeal put
different complexion on the affair. 1t
tickled the humor and, no doubt,
touched the hearts Of the lumbermen.
"Well do it, ma am - exclaimed the
foreman, grinning broadly. "YOu get
your crockery down of'n the shelves
and your stovepipe cool. We'l be
over by nine or ten, and fetch chains
and skids and couple of logs for
shoes to haul it on.
The church at Links Mil stands
little apart from the village proper,
and is separated from the rest Of the
place by pine grove where there is a
cemetery. The new parsonage stood
few rods beyond the church. If
passers along the road saw teams ar
irving there late in the evening, they
paid little attention. Loggers' teams
often passed.
The lOggers worked quietly and
quickly. Before eleven clock the