CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1902-09-18
A STRANGE
MARRIAGE
GOriginal.l

congregation of Puritans was assem-
bled for divine worship. The minister,
Obediah Armstrong. n young man of
Cromwelrs army and had led his men
to battle to the music of psalm
rather than the drum. the fife or the
buglc.
Suddenly the door opened. and Il
young girl rushed in among the wor.
shippers with every appearance of dread
excitement.
..How now, Mistress Aseueth:" said
the pastor. Why do you titus disturb
our worship with your unholy inter
ruption:"
THE Indians.' gasped the girl.
''They are coming
The men OF the congregation We're
about to rush for their weapons, which
stood against the log waills Of the
church, when the pastor stopped them.
LET there be no unseemly haste in
the temple of the Lord" he said. III
what Asenetl Gwynne says is true,
we may soon appear before the hcav-
enly throne. 1t Is not meet that we
should go :herc after showing II
cowardly haste to save our lives.
Rather should we be dillgent In saving
our souls. Let us sing the one Hun
dredth Psalm
The psalm WAS sung, the men set
ting their jaws and believing what
was really Il defiance to the slyagps.
the women singing In trembling voices.
The eye of the parson lighted lis it had
lighted on the eve OF Marston Moor.
and while he sang he looked upon the
comely face and figure of the damscl
who had brought the warming When
the Inst stanza had been sung. there
was a movement in the congregation.
but the pastor raised his hand.
THE doxology." he said.
At the moment there was blood
curdlinG whoop without. but the holy
man did not heed IT, nor did his con
grcgation fiinch The doxology i,ivc
vent to final defiance to the red men
whose arrows were now patteriag
against the walls OF the church Ike
the first drops of thunder shower.
When the last word had been sung.
the pastor said:
ut is now meet. brethren. that
should command You in battlc rs
have commanded some OF you who are
now here. We viii sinite the heathen
scalplocks MS we once smotc the cav
alters with their essences and unholy.
sensual curls. TO your guns
Selling the great sword which he had
welded so well in England and had
brought with him to the wilds OF
America. he went about among his
men, each ut his loophole. firing every
one with his own zeal. embodied in
some text from Holy Writ.
The mntchlocks of the Puritans with
stood the inferior weapons of the saw
ages, but the latter. seeing that they
could not carry the little church by
assault. mnde preparations for burning
the building. The rear stood against n
low bank, between which and the edi-
flee was well. The savages made
a rush, getting sufficiently near to
throw burning brush against the lat
ter. 1t was then that the pastor cc,,sed
to exlIort and. seiZing a bucket, was
about to open rear door and go out
for water when Aseneth Gwynne
stopped him.
THAT is certain death" she said.
"If you die. this congregation will be
butchered II 1t is not burned. Give me
the bucket"
II, n captain In that war which sent
a king to the block. give place To wo.
man. Stand asidc"'
There was n savage yell without.
and the parson turned away. The In
dians were coming to rush the build.
ing. doubtless To so engage the English
that they would not he able to put out
the fire. The parson threw open the
door and. seizin. II gun. led his men,
firing AS he went. Meanwhile Asenetll
opened the rear door. drew a bucket Of
voter and t,oi,,,, throurh n alo,ver or