Evening journal., 1922-10-09
PASTOR TELLS
SACRED Love
This His Excuse After Be-
ing Found in Hotel With
Woman Friend
WIFE FROWNS ON
v SPIRITUAL BOND

BOSTON, Oct. s.-The Rev. Fred
erick w. Leeds. former New Haver
pastor, who was arrested with Mis-.
ELLEN Reid, an altar worker IN hi,
church, at a hotel here Septembei
26, where the pair had registered
,as man and wife, promises, wher
his case comes up for a hearing or
October IS. to prove that his re-
lations with Miss Reid are above
Suspicion. He says he will bare a
romance as beautiful as the medi-
aeval love story OF Abelard and He
ioise
MY love for Ellen Reid is a spir-
itual love, passing the understand
ling of the world asserted the pas
tor. 'It is a religious feeling. an
expression OF the loftiest form of
Christianity. It is the will of God" 3"
Miss Reid says: MY feeling for
Mr.. Leeds is a sacred feeling. 1t IS
as spiritual as prayer. He IS my
Spiritual friend and guide; the en-
bodiment Of my salvation in this
world and the next"
But the third party in the odd
love triangle. Mrs. Leeds. the pas
tors wife, says;
II don't believe in this spiritual
love. II isn't possible. 1t is a de-
iusion. a cloak with which my hus-
band is hiding his real motives. l
am his wife, rightfully entitled to
his love and shall fight TO win It
back"
Leeds says that he felt drawn to
the girl by an unusual spirltubi
bond from the first. that she alone
of his parishioners seemed TO ap-
preciate his efforts to beautify the
D service with ritual.
'I felt that 1 had found at last
a friend who really understood and
|, eympathized with my ideals" he
said. This was the basis, the foun-
dation of our friendship. Later II
ripened into an intense spiritual ex-
perience. 1 found soon after real
lzed Miss Reid's exceptional quail
fcations that I needed a secretary.
hired her.
"The devotion Of Miss Reid 10 the
t. church, her unselfsh service and her
ideals Of simple Christian living be-
came more vivid to me every day.
I realized that 1 had discovered an
exceptional woman. a woman whom
I might place on a pedestal and
worship for her purity and her
beauty OF soul.
MY wife misunderstood me. II
was impossible to cherish my ideals
Of service and to remain IN an at
mosphere of hostility and unkind-
ness. Whatever step took II was
done with the best and most un-
selfish intentions.
Miss Reid and I met in Boston /
at a hotel. But the real truth Of
the matter IS not as the world sees /
It. The truth IS far more sacred,
far harder TO understand. It is per-
,fectly understood only by us both
and by God. Himself. There is a
love which IS not within the scope
Of the intelligence Of the worldly.
It IS as hard to understand as It is
TO achieve. II does not require the
clasp of a hand or the pressure Of
the lips. It is disembodied flesh
ness and does not depend on the
lure of the sex.
But It is this conception Of love
ideal and spiritual-which has
brought me my greatest Joy and
my greatest sorrow. Whatever re-
suit Il brings. I am unashamed, and
az suoh 1 shall face the world.
when the detectives broke In
upon Ellen Reid and myself we were
having our first long talk in weeks.
We were happy to be sharing each
others spiritual companionship af-
ter a separation. We had no
thought of wrong. II Miss Reid had
been difterent-if she had not been
the pure-minded. unsoiled innocent
girl that she isl would not have
been with her in that situation"