Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1902-07-17
A Difference in Usage.

BY wARDON ALLAN CURTIS.
Copyright, 1902, by Daily Story Pub. Coz
The Rev. Philetus Carson of the
diocese of New York had at last Sc
cured a parish whose income made
him feel warranted in asking some
one to share his lot. 1t had been a
long time coming, this parish with a
comfortable salary, twenty-five years,
and Carson was now forty-four. There
was no time to be lost. I'm fact" said
Carson to his friend, the prebendary,
81 already feel the habits of bachelor
growing on me and fear that IL 1 do
not marry soon they will 30 far have
fastened themselves on me as not to
be shaken off"
Eyes, l think they will begin to
grow on you quite soon, now" said
the prebendary, who had been married
twenty years,
Almost coincidentally with Carson's
investiture in his new parish, came a
diocesan convention at Saratoga,
which in those ante-bellum days was
the summer social capital of the coun-
try, and the unnumbered rivals that
have arisen since were unknown. Car
son came to this scene of gaiety. with
his heart f1uttering like a girls,
dreaming of meeting his fate there
among the throngs of women from all
over the land. 1t was on the second
day that he met Miss Miriam Mani
gault of South Carolina, who attended
all the sessions of the convention, a
devout churchwoman, whom the bish-
op, apparently divining the matri-
monial aspirations of his now eligible
subordinate and resolved to further
them, had taken particular pains to
introduce to Carson.
Carson fell in love at once. Not
quite at once, but after not over five
minutes debating with himself
whether a native Of anti-slavery Yer
mont ought to marry South CAROLYN
ian and thereby lend countenance to
the continuance of black bondage.
Why did it devolve upon him, one per-
son, to endeavor to put down the Pc
culiar institution? Answer, Miss
Manigault was perfectly charming.
" 90 IAO ANOA III AA6AS, Va ShS OO0SA
Answer, Miss Manigault was lady
to her finger tips. Might not all the
trouble be due to Northern ignorance
of Southern conditions? Answer, Miss
Manigault dressed with daintiness
that was exquisite. Furthermore,
Bishop Hopkins of his own Vermont
had but lately published a book prov
ing that the institution of slavery pos
sessed Divine sanction, and to COM
plete the chain of argument Miss Man
igault was apparently thirty-six or
seven, just suited to him in age. By
the time the minute hand had moved
five spaces after the bishop had ut
tered the words of introduction the
Rev. Philetus Carson was in love with
Miss Miriam Manigault.
The convention was over, and still
Carson fingered and sat on the broad
piazzas with Miss Manigault and talk
ed day after day. There came the
afternoon of the last day of his stay.
1t was now or never, if he was to
learn the state of Miss Manigault's af-
fections. He talked of his approach
ing departure and studied her bending
over her sewing, to observe the effect
of his words.
81 reckon I'll be going soon, too"
said Miss Manigault. my people will
want to see me again. My boy Ike
will be awful anxious to see me-"
Carson almost fell from his chair.
More to cover his confusion, his agi-
tation, than anything else, he blurted
out, you have a boy Ike?" and he
heard himself add, Mrs. Manigault?"
Was she wife or widow? The bish-
op had surely not said Mrs"
Miss Manigault, if you please.
have always been Miss Manigault.