The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1913-04-25
LED BY THE SIGN
BY JEAN DOUGLAS.

roads that notwithstanding prog
resS has not invaded its solitude, and
If it were not for the newspapers and
the stage which once a day covered
the fifteen miles between the village
and W~interton, the inhabitants
would be as free from knowledge of
the outside world as those who
dwell on the planet Mars. For this
feason Briggsville had preserved
that q~uaintness which enveloped all
villages preceding the Civil war.
The township proper consisted Of
a town square, grouped about which
was the general store and postoffce,
town hall, bake shop, drug store, no.
tel, the Methodist church and adjoin-
ing parsonage and the residences of
Squire Wilson, Lawyer Parker and
a few other prominent members of
the community.
One thing which puzzled the So
%lourner, if he remained long enough
in Briggsville to become intimately
acquainted with its life, was the un-
usually large number of spinsters
which occupied the attractive houses
and attended church, for the social
life of the village was centered in
the church.
II he were interested enough to
examine the register Of births, he
would find the feminine number
much in the majority, and those
men who did not marry at an ex-
tremely early age usually shook the
dust Of Briggsyille from their boots
and sought pastures new. If any de-
sire to migrate ever entered the
minds of the maidens they never d.
vulged it, and seemingly contented.
they divided their time between
household duties and serving the
church.
Numbered among these ladies of
single bleSsedness were Janet Pea
body, who taught the younger gen
Grafton the three RS in the brick
schoolhouse; Sarah Horton. the
church organist; Martha Hill, an
artist OF no mean ability, and Anne
Morrison, the principal owner of
real estate in the town. These splen-
did examples of lovely womanhood
were inseparable friends since the
days when they made mud pies in
the lane back of the Morrison barn.
Accomplished and possessing phys
zeal attractions of equal magnitude,
1t was an unsolvable mystery why at
least one of the fascinating quartet
was not chosen to share some lonely
bachelors Preside. 1t was rumored
that both Miss Anne and Miss Sa-
rah had refused Arnold Young, the
proprietor Of the general store, and
his friend, Jared Bolton, who owned
the grist mill but whether these
worthy men lacked courage to take
other maidens or preferred to cher
lsh their unrequited love for the fair
kindlers of the fame, they contin-
ued to be the only eligible men of
Briggsville until the venerable Rev.
erend Homer passed on to eternal
rest, leaving his pulpit vacant, and
the presiding elder of the district
appointed the Rev. David Potter to
assume the responsibility of caring
for the shepherdless flock.
In honor of the young pastors APP
pointment to their charge the Ladies'
Alu sOclety gave a series OF chicken
and waffle suppers and appropriated
the money thus earned to ~renovate
the church.
Martha Hill, on account of her ar
tistic abilities, was made chairman
Of a committee to select wall paper,
carpet and furniture. Sarah Horton
insisted that the organ needed tun-
ing, and the society sent to Winter
ton for a professional, that it should
be properly done. Anne Morrison
donated a silver communion set,
which completed the perfect APP
pointments of the sacred edifce.
Somehow Janet Peabody, though a
devout Christian, was not assigned
any particular duty to perform, and
the gentle, madonna-like little school
teacher felt sighted and hurt.
On the eventful Sabbath when the
Rev. David Potter was to preach