The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1905-02-22
4 Forgotten BEGINNING.

The Chicago Association was holding its
annual session with one Of the churches
which had grown to strength in dozen
years. and were happy in the completion
OF its large new house OF worship. Ia and
out among the pastors and delegates OF
the hundred churches represented moved
q little old lady in black. Every one knew
her as the widow of a retired minister who
had died lew months before. They two
had regularly attended these gatherings
together: couple short in stature. and
slender besides, whose active work lay SO
many years back that only the Oldest OF
the delegates knew much of it. There had
been some little mention in the papers of
their golden wedding. and not long after
ward there had been obituary notices not
lacking III sincere cordiality. bus the old
couple bad gone in aud out awoug eener
alton who had small personll knowledge OF
what their lives had been.
At the noon iutermissio. -hf WIDOW an
preached thc moderator OF tne meeting
and asked ii there would be ANY nee When
she could read before the gathering n irib-
ute to the memory o, her husband. Ii was
an unusual thing Ia ask. aud the more
lraught with uncertaintr because sac asked
for fifteen minutes and the program was
overloaded. There was "a cousu,,at luu and
it was arranged thar IL The interval be
tween ,he afternoon and the cvcotua ses.
sions. immediately after supDev she sin ~ d
have the time she d'sirpd. and the r"8lig2
was awaited not Wtnoui some au',ie'v.
She rose when rhe ,'me came. 7nd rcad
her naDer in a voice il,at was nor strong.
but did not tremble. There was no appeal
for sympathy or thrnsting q hex sorrows
upon others She gave as rhe fe"sou IN
asking the privilege the fncf r"at t"t
church where the meeting vas bed was IN
the district where she and her hlsha8d
had spent six years. begi1nihA snir5y'tive
years before. She said:
This Is counted a new district IN the
city. but it was both new ond old even
thirty-iive years ago. An old stage route
ran out Milwaukee avenue. and there was
a small settlement here from early days.
AT that time there was q movement ol
population this way. and we came together
to organize n church. Houses We're widely
scattered over the prairie. and from twa
miles east the parish extended iar out
westward across the fields
She told how they succeeded in ecectiuP
church building. whiel! was speedily
wrecked by tornado. and how in the ho''
test of hot summers they walked tnrougi,
build it. After il was done the tide OF
population turned in another direction
The settlement languished and diminished
and after six years oil faithful effort the
work had to be given uD. Now, after years
OF waiting, the tide had returned, and
Win IL Tue DeNutltui chuich hdu coihe i"'o
being.
Simply but touchingly she told the story
OF those early beginnings. and the picture
which she gave Of her husband, and ancon'
sciously OF herself. awolie a thrill Of admir-.
alton in all who heard her. She had
brought to men the knowledge OF six for
gotten years OF heroic service. Warm res.
olutions of thanks. of sympathy aud Of az
feetionate memory were adopted 10y the
meeting. and the incident fastened itself
upon the mind OF every one present. Then
it began to he whispered among the dele
gates that she had just given $4,000 to
various charities in memory of her hus
band. for although his salary had never
been large his habits had been careful and
his years had been many. but all agreed
that no other tribute could have been so
record OF fifty years which they had spent
together before the servant OF the Master
went to his reward. Youth's Companion.