Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1902-04-25


information direct from Mrs. Vane,
who had it direct from Mr.. Morton
himself
cit will break up Marble Square
church, that is ALI" Mrs. Rice said,
decidedly. GA thing like that is too
serious a social departure for even
Mr.. Morton to make. AS much as
people like and admire him, not even
his great talents can excuse such a
great social blunder."
sThey say" Mrs. Wilson suggested
in hesitating manner, that the girl
is really well educated, and not just
an ordinary hired girl. You know
Mrs. Ward has told us something
about her going out to service in or
der to help other girls realize its Dig
nifty and-and so forth"
s'It makes no difference!" Mrs. Rice
replied sharply. "She is known as
hired girl. The idea of being obliged
to look up to her as our minister's
wife! Will you submit to that?"
''Supposing she proves worthy of
her placer" Mrs. Wilson suggested,
feebly.
''It's out of the question:" Mrs.
Rice answered, positively. 1.-THE
whole thing is awfully unfortunate
for Marble Square. If Mr.. Morton
had only chosen some girl of good
social rank, Miss Dillingham;, for ex-
ample. But, as it is, for one
Mrs. Rice did mot finish what
seemed like threat, but scores of
other women in Marble Square felt
and spoke just as she did, and the
outlook for a great disturbance in
the parish was very good.
When Sunday came, Barbara pre-
pared to attend service. She had not
been for several Sundays, not since
the time of the scene at the Endeav-
or society. Mrs. Ward wondered at
her lack of nervousness. There was
self-possession about Barbara, now
that she had committed her future
to the young minister, that Mrs.
Ward admired. She began to have
real respect for her in addition to
her affection.
When Barbara went down the aisle
with the family and entered the Ward
pew with the rest, it is safe to say
that every eye in Marble Square
church was directed toward her.
What people saw, very many of them
to their great surprise, was a lovely
face, free from affectation or super
fetal prettiness, without bashful con-
seriousness of her prominent position.
Every woman in the house could not
help acknowledging: "She looks like
lady" Love had done much for Bar
bara. It is a wonderful power to dig
nifty and bless.
There were hundreds of people in
Marble Square church that morning
who had just come from the perusal
of one of Crawford's most sensational
Sunday papers, which with cruelty
that was actually Satanic, and
coarseness that was actually criminal,
had printed what it called, in startling
headlines: ga Spicy Tale of a Hired
Girl and a Preacher. The Rev. Mr..
Morton, of the Fashionable Marble
Square Church, to Wed a Hired Girl.
Full Particulars of the Engagement.
With Snapshots of the Parties"
There were two columns of descrip-
ton that were worthy of authorship,
from the lowest pit, accompanied with
what purported to be relia BILE pictures
of the two lovers. And it was from the
perusal of all this horrible invasion
of every sacred and tender private
feeling that the human heart holds
dear, that most of the men and wom-
en- had come into church that morning
to add to the sensation by almost as
heartless and cruel a scrutiny of Bar
bara and Mr.. Morton.
Barbara did not know all of this;
but, even if she had, her love was so
pure and great that it is doubtful
whether anything could have obscured
her perfect happiness. When her
lover rose up to preach, she never felt
more pride in him, or more confidence
in his powers.
He fully justified all her expecta-
tions. Unlike Barbara, he knew quite
fully all the venom and vileness of the
paper in question. On his way to
church, grinning newsboys had faunt-
ed the pages in his face and shouted
| their contents in his ears. From all
that, he had gone into his room, and
after the sustaining prayer that had
refreshed and quoted his soul he had
gone out to face the people. But he
had first faced God. He was not in the
least afraid of the people after that.
It is doubtful whether Marble
Square church had ever heard such
preaching before. It is doubtful
whether Morton had ever before had
such vision or delivered such mes
sage. The spell of his power was on
all the great congregation. Hearts
| that had come to criticise, to sheer, to
ridicule, were touched by his words.
Members of his parish who after read
ing the paper had fully made up their
minds to sever all connection with the
| church changed their minds during
the wonderfully sweet and helpful
prayer that followed the sermon.
All, Barbara and Ralph! The Spirit
of God is greater than all the evil of
| men. If victory comes out of all this