Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-06-28
THE SIMPLE LIFE OF A COMMONER
AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY

domestic calamities there is alway
a relative who knew it all the time
However that may be, an importan
incident quite unexpected to most O
our friends, took place on the afore
mentioned day, was married to Mis-!
Mary Margaret Bennett, the youns
lady / had seen for the first time il
the Sunday school four years before
and with whom | had maintained al
| affectionate correspondence while il
the army; thus fulfilling the decla.
ration: "If ever get married
that girl will be my Wife. The
wedding was simple affair.
Tea, a previous arrangement the
cero "ept was performed by the Rev
S. N. Fe. pastor of the Metho-
dist EpiscopaI church, at the home
of Mrs. John Sloan, mutual friend
at whose house church sociable
was being held Mrs. Bennett was
not at all favorable to the arrange
ment; she did not like to have her
daughter married away from home,
but after entering her protest final
ly consented to our whim as she cal
led it, with the understanding that
reception must afterward be held
at the Bennett home, which was of
course cheerfully agreed to.
The people at the sociable were
completely surprised when in the
course of the evening the minister
called the company to order and re-
quested their attention for few mo-
ments. Everything in readiness, we
passed from an adjoining room into
the presence of the company and
were Joined together in holy wedlock
The bride was simply and plainly
clad for the OCCASION; the chief fea-
ture OF the bridal outfit being a
calico dress, which was regarded as
very sensible object lesson at a
time when economy in dress was a
consideration of Importance among
all save the rich. Even SO. the ma
terial in that dress cost fifty cents
per yard and fifty cents was harder
to get at that time than five times
that amount at the present time
However, it is not to be supposed
that the matter of expense was SER
iously considered. There was no
greater hesitancy among young
people about entering upon the mar
ried life on account of the expense
of living than there is at the present
time. Perhaps with reason, there was
not near so much.
In the month of February follow
ing our marriage. largely through
the influence of my wife and her
christian parents, l was led to give
my heart to God and enter upon the
Christian life, a step which was des-
tined to mould my character and in
fluence all my subsequent career. At
the time this all-important step was
taken, special religious services were
being held in the city, in which all
the evangelical churches were en-
gagged. 1t was at one of those meet
ings l took the decisive stand, en-
rolling myself as a soldier of the
Lord Jesus Christ.
/ Immediately united with the
Methodist Episcopal church, on pro-
baton, and six months afterward,
was received into full connection in
that church. During the fall of the
same year l was constituted local
preacher and almost Immediately be-
gan to exercise my gifts" The Sth
of September, 1865, was red letter
day to us. for on that day, our first
babe was born. 1t was a girl, whom
we named Anna Louise.
My first attempt to hold religious
service and preach sermon was an
event of great moment to me, as !
think it must be to every young
preacher l had reason to fear that If
my old cronies discovered the time
and place of my first effort they
would be out in force and cause me
much embarrassment. So / fixed up-
on a school house about four miles
from town in a rather secluded To-
cality as the place where it would be
safest to fire my first gun. The SER
vice was to be held on Sunday af-
ternoon. At the time appointed
slipped out of town and shyly made
my way out to the school house. A
fair sized congregation was on hand,
curious to find out what sort of a
figure Harry Green would present in
the pulpit. They found out. l had
announced the first hymn, offered
prayer, read a scripture lesson and
was just starting the second hymn,
when, to my chagrin, there came
,x,acoh;no intn tho achaDI hOuSe a