Year: 1879

From the Port Jervis Union, June Il.


A little more than four years a gentle
man of this village, then about % years Of
age, fell in love with a young lady, aged
about 10, also Of Port Jervis. She re-
turned his affection, and for time all
went smoothly. The lady was daughter
of pious parents, and although she was not
connected with any church was firm be-
lieyer in their tenets, and looked with
feeling akin to horror on anything ap-
preaching skepticism or doubt. But the
time came when she learned that her lover
was deist; that he disbelieYed in a reveal
ed religion, had no veneration for the BIZ
bic, and took no interest in churches, sell
dom or ever attending them save as her es
cort. She was deeply panied by the reva-
lation. She sent for her lover and endeav-
| ored to convince him of his error, but be
was not satisfied with her arguments and
refused TO accede to a surrender of his
principles. The more the lady pOndered
the more her duty seemed clear TO her, and
she finally decided to renOunce her love.
She accordingly wrote to him long and
tear-stained letter bidding him goodbye
forever. The gentleman again and again
urged her to reconsider her determination,
but she was Obdurate, and a separation





although he was, us he thought, badly used,
felt that she had acted up to what her con-
victions of right demanded. He could not
as easily divest himself of his love, and af
ter a few months he left this village and
engaged in business elsewhere. The lady
mourned but tried to satisfy herself that
she had acted correctly. Two years made
her more liberal than she had been, and
she began to study on the subject. The
more she read the more she distrusted her
former decision, and she finally became
quite as liberal as the lover she had dis
carded. Whether the logic Of the books
she read or promptings Of the old love had
most to do with this change it wOuJd be
hard to tell. The lover, too, had under
gone change. The fact that his creed
had cost him his sweetheart annoyed him,
and, struggle as he would, he could not
Danish her from his memory. Last Winter
a revival Of religion took place in the city
in which he was engaged in business. At
the solicitations of friend he was induced
to attend As in the other case, 1t would
be hard to tell whether the change was
brought about by the arguments Of the
preacher, by the excitement which prevail
ed, OF by the memory Of his old love. SUI
flee it to say that he united with the church
and in a short time became jealous mem
Der. He thought over the action of his
former sweetheart in discarding him for
his infidelity, and wrote her a brief note
asking the privilege of once more calling
on her. She responded in the Affirmative.
The gentleman came, and when she timid-
ly apOlogized for her previous dismissal OF
him, he, to her surprise, defended her con-
duct, said she had been in the right, and
in her place he would to-day do the same.
Her heart sank at these words. She con-
fessed the great change in her sentiments,
from being firm believer in the Bible she
had discarded it, and with it her belief in
any revealed religion. 1t was now the gen
tleman's turn to be Mortified, He pleaded
with her, urged everything he could think
Of to induce her to change her mind.
She could not, and told him so. He felt
that he must not be "unequally yoKed with
an unbelieYer, and, taking counsel Of his
religion, gave her up.