The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-11-26
HER
ASSIGNMENT
1t Was to Marry a Mis-
sionary She Had
Never Seen
By F. A. mitchell

GCdlAn, SdAu nly aunt Tue VA dILcE
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.
S"What we do In this world depends
upon what we determine to do ire
spective of distaste for the work,
though what is distasteful one day
may be pleasure the next Recently
1 saw 1t stated in a 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 go out to the islands of his
diocese from fund set apart for the
purpose and would assign a clergyman
to marry her"
/ gasped for breath at this statement
OF my aunt's, for knew from the fact
Of her having made 1t 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 If turned out to support my
self felt that would starve After
giving me 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
INTEL ct. endeaVored to comfort me
with the assurance that my husband
would belong to a noble calling and
would be educated | 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
/ 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 a 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 went ashore with wet
eyes. / 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 If | were
Miss Letitia Trobridge. l replied that
/ was. and he relieved me of some hand
baggage was carrying. saying at the
same time:
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 / have some bad
news for you. Can you bear to hear
it7"
II can bear anything"
'Well, your betrothed was sent last
week to the neighboring island Of Ha-
pal to establish a mission, and this
morning boat came back with the
news that he had been killed and eaten
by cannibals.'
The words "Thank heavenw came up
from my heart to my throat, but
them, / had no difficulty
in bursting in,, tears, for l was in
tears already. I simply let go the
dam, and they flowed forth in album
dance.
81 should have waited" said the
young man alphabetically, It'll 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
man in clerical garb. all of whom
looked at me wistfully and at my
conductor with jealousy. Not a woman
was to be seen anywhere, and 1t
seemed to me that were these men not
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
of like the Kilkenny cats and
l might be permitted to build
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
1t might be called, we found him a
benevolent looking old gentleman, but
that my lover was at the
time being digested in the stomachs of
the various natives who had eaten
him the reverend gentleman felt it in
cumbent upon him to assume lugubri
GUS countenance.
sowing to this affection" he said.
'.the bishops assignment cannot be
carried out. shall write him by the
ship you came on requesting him to as
sign You to another of the Lords serv-
ants"
/ was about to ask him II this would
require a long time when it occurred
to me that the question might be mis-
interpreted to indicate that / was In a
hurry instead of hoping that the ship
that bore the message might be
wrecked and all on board go the way
Of my intended husband, though into
the bellies Of fishes instead of can
nibals.
ut will be several weeks" continued
the superintendent, before reply can
be received. Meanwhile my wife Will
be happy to take you under her care
and give you a home here with u.s."
At this first mention Of a woman on
the island l felt a ray Of comfort in
my heart. The superintendent dis
missed the young clergyman who had
been my guide and leading me through
a hole In the WALL would not call 1t
a door-presented me to his wife,
motherly old lady, who greeted me
kindly, and for the first time since my
arrival felt possibility Of my endur-
Ing residence on the island-that is,
Il the cannlbals would kindly eat each
successive husband to whom the
bishop might assign me.
One thought admit, stood forth as
compromise between the sacrifice of
these noble lives and my being permit