The Washington herald., 1907-01-11

and on the married men Of the other
/ The tongue Of one old maid can stir up
more mischief than five ministers can
smooth over
When the pastor had reasoned that far
he took a rest for a few minutes, and
then continued.
What is the remedy for a tattling,
gossiuing. slandering old maid? Remove
the cause and the disease is cured In
other words. if she can be married of
the spirit Of spite viii be laid and she
VIII have no reason 10 interfere with the
peace Of mind Of others"
The line Of reasoning was up-to-date
and the philosophy weighed fun sixteen
ounces 20 the pound. One may reason a
thiug 90 a logical conclusion, however,
and yet find that only one difficulty has
. been removed The Rev. AIr Bates was pit
/ ted against Sarah Lee. Il was Lee VS..
Bates. He realized that he would have
20 go at the end of q year or Sarah Lee
would have 10 be provided with a hus-
bald. Not only was the instinct of self
preservation appealed TO- but If the qUes-
ti0n had been submitted 20 any lay mind
the answer would hIve been that one
minister was worth ten times as much 20
any community as an old maid. The Rev
Mr.. Bates did not turn c0nspirat0r. Il
takes two to conspirs. and he did not
take any one into his counsel
His very first move almost brought
about his downfall lie made q second
Cau on Miss Lee. and during that call
he brought the conversation around to
the subject Of matrimony. il was the
duty OF men and women 20 marry; the
ID a. ! .1rH ID. UHf HI nFIFH
homes. race suicide would end in a state
of barbarism. For good reasons Of her
.-.u, ~ supposed, she had neglected the
great duty; bat he hoped and trusted that
those reasons would soon be removed. He
himself was still single, but be was happy
10 state
Before he could make his statement
the old maid was in his arms, or would
have been If he had not quickly Increased
the distance between them She made It
pretty plain that she was willing TO be
his'n. and would do her best to make life
happv for him. When he closed the con-
versation by saving that he was engaged
to a lady in the West he was almost
turned out doors. and Miss Lee started
three or four new stories about him.
The pastor felt sure that he had struck
the keynote. however, and week or two
later he was writing letter TO an &C
uuaintance in his former parish The
man he wrote 20 was not church men,
her. He was an old bachelor, who paid
pew rent. contributed TO the heather, at
tended Sunday school picnics. and let 1t
go AT that. The pastor had once talked
with him on the subject of matrimony,
and had been given TO understand that
there had been no marriage because the
right woman had not been found.
referring TO a subject once discussed be
tween Us" wrote Rev. Mr.. Bates, ''let me
say that there is young woman resident
here who seems to have many of the quail
fications TO III her for wifehOOd. That is.
she has the best of health. is worth sew
eral thousand dollars, and she has as
s11red me that she would do her best TO
make a husband happy. Were you to pay
me visit and meet her she might prove
TO be the one you have long sought. Did
YOU not know my radical ideas on the
subject of race suicide, / should net have
mentioned this matter to you While I
mentioned that the lady had money, it
was only incidentally, and that fact viii
have 40 undue influence, I trust"
Ten DAYS later Mr.. James Perkins ap-
peared i'm Harpersville as an old ac-
quaintance and the guest of the clergy
man. Rev Mr.. Bates did not boast of being
a hustler, but within twenty-four hours
he had introduced his guest TO Miss Lee
Mr Perkins had no reputation as
hustler, but within forty-eight hours he
was speaking words Of fiattery that made
the old maid smile like a June day. She
couldn't forego what she had come to
believe was her privilege, however. She
told Mrs. Jackson and Mrs. Jackson told
Mrs Taylor. and Mrs. Taylor told Mrs
Beige and the rest of the town that she
believed Mr. Perkins had had two wives
and killed them both by smOthering them
with a pillow. The story reached the par
sonage and the ears of the guest within
day, and the guest was wroth, but the
good pastor sat down with him and ar
gUed:
James. the gossip of women Is as the
breeze that bloweth Give it no heed.
incidentally learned to-day that the exact
amount of wealth possessed by Miss Lee is
about $1,000. and all in bonds drawing
fair interest. I am also assured that she is
a great worker in her own house. has no
extravagant habits. and that she would
have no objection to home in the great
and boundless West. Perhaps l should