Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-10-11

my uncle's funeral. "our income, small
as it is, will be stopped at the end of
this month. 1t behooves. Us to look the
future squarely in the face.
What we do In this world depends !
upon what we determine TO do IRE
spective of distaste for the work, |
though what is distssteful one day |
may be pleasure the next Recently |
! saw it stated in q church journal |
that among the missionaries in groups |
of islands in the Pacific ocean there |
are but few women and nearly all of !
the clergymen who are devoting them |
| selves to ameliorating the spiritual |
condition of the natives are without |
wives. The article went on to say
! that the bishop would pay the expenses
OF any young woman of good character
| who would so out to the islands of his
| diocese from a fund set apart for the
| purpose and would assign q clergyman
to marry her."
l gasped for breath at this statement
! Of my aunt's, for / knew from the fact
Of her having made it that she had de
termined to dispose of me in this man.
ner. In those days there were few
openings for women to make their own
living, and II turned out to support my
self l felt that would starve. After
giving me a few days to think over the
matter my aunt forced me to a deci-
sion. or, rather. to consent to be ship
ped to the island of Tongatabu for the
purpose Of being married to a clergy
man of the Protestant Episcopal
church. 1t seemed like Offering a
prayer book for food to one who was
starving. 1t was enough to be banished
to such a place without having to
marry a stranger.
My aunt. who was of strong will and
intellect. endeavored to comfort me
with the assurance that my husband
would belong to a noble calling and
would be educated. I pictured him
red headed. freckled man with high
cheek bones and large joints. When
not engaged in teaching the heather he
would be reading prayers and singing
hymns. Instead of the love chats had
read in novels we would have the
psalter. humbly making the re-
sponses.
I thought my journey would never
end. and l hoped it wouldn't. l was
seasick, but that was nothing to meet
ing this awful man to whom / was to
be given over TO torture. The day we
approached the island leaned against
the rail on deck and saw concourse
of dark skinned persons on the dock.
. among whom could distinguish few
white faces. could not restrain my
tears, and when the ship was tied up
, to the dock I went ashore with wet
eyes, l was the only woman to leave
the vessel. and one who had been APP
pointed to meet me had no difficulty in
picking me out. A young man in cler-
zeal dress stepped up to me and with
, a pleasant smile asked me IL I were
Miss Letitia Trobridge. ! replied that
] was, and he relieved me OF some hand
baggage l was carrying. saying at the
. same time:
1.-THE superintendent has received In
formation from the bishop OF your COM
ing and that he had assigned you to be
united in the holy bonds of matrimony
TO the Rev. Adoniram Nudge. But
regret to say that l have some bad
news for you. Can you bear to hear
it?"
st can bear anything"
swell. your betrothed was sent last
week TO the neighboring island of Ha-
pal to establish a mission, and this
morning a boat came back with the
Y news that he had been killed and eaten
J. by cannibals."
The words THANK heavenv' came up
from my heart to my throat. but L
repressed them. l had no difficulty
i in bursting into tears. for l was IN
tears already. / simply let go the
r dam, and they flowed forth in album
dance.
81 should have waited" said the
young man sympathetically, till we
had reached the mission and broken
the news more gently"
"N-n-ever mind" / stammered. 81
guess ! can bear it,
On the way to the superintendent
quarters we passed here and there a
>. man in clerical garb. all of whom
: looked at me wistfully and at my
: conductor with jealousy. Not woman
was to be seen anywhere. and II
SeeUleu 10 NE tudL were lHeHe hJciI hDt
:, in the service of the Lord they would
:, be soon shedding one another's blood
TO determine which should possess
me. wished that they might be thus
!, disposed of like the Kilkenny cats and
% might be permitted TO build q
funeral pyre under them after the Gus
tom of heather widows Of India and
sail away on the ship In which / had
come
When we reached the superintend
~ ent's house or bungalow. or whatever
), II might be called, we found him q
benevolent looking old gentleman, but
considering that my lover was at the
J. time being digested In the stomachs OF
l. the various natives who had eaten
. him the reverend gentleman felt fl in.
- cumbent upon him to assume a Iugubri
GUS cOuntenance.
rOwing TO this affection" he said
~ ''the bishops assignment cannot be
= carried out ! shall write him by the
ship Won came on requesting him to as
sign you to another of the Lords serv
ants"