The Minister's Wife of Olden Times
(Copyright, l'JOl, by .Mury A. l.lvi nnoic
IT IS nut vory lotiK nitn Mure tin-
rlKllt tlf W0II10I1 III ownership nf
themselves was a di billable iitii's
Hon. The small ambition of
youiiK women wore brusquely
squelched will) the authoritative slat' ment
that "a girl 1 1 1 vi' under lur rnitifrV
roof ami la subject In him. ami serve tilai.
till her marriage. Then she wan to k to
Iht luislialid'H house alul obey ami serve
Mini." This was a survival of "the c.n
tcmpt for physical weakness alul women"
of which Walter H.'whot speaks III Ilia
"Physics ami 1'olltles" an "rlmrncii'tistlc
of prlmltlvi' toddy." It loil melt thou to
supply themselves with wives by cnptuiiiiK
Ihi'iil, as If t lit were wild miltnnls, or by
plirrhasliiK thi'in If an our else hail claims
on them.
Sliii'o a woinaii I'luibl not own herself, sin
could not own property, could not demand
wukcs for her work and could not dispose
of her time as her tasto and capacity dic
tated. These airanKi'inenls wele in the
control of the pi rson to whom she owed
service and obedience,
bo trained to her duty,
silent on this subject
existed stroller than
unmarried woni. n to
written commands
She only needed lo
Wheie the law was
a public sentiment
law. that compelled
nbscivc thiM' nil -
Concerning married
women the law was not silent and is not
today. There were homes where unmarried
daughters lived through life, n ndeiiiiK un
paid sci vice, from ery line and devotion,
and there aio such today. And them were
llien, as now, niunianos based on mutual
lespect and atfection. which made tile
earthly heaen of both patties, to whom the
law was a dead letter, h'or humanity Is
diviner than law ami men are not lufio
quently nobler than the laws they enact.
Mil ill lite ami Iteiillil'l lliue.
Somewhere In the '."lis a Connecticut
clergyman wished to marry his slstor-ln-law.
She had worked for her widowed
father twmty-twn years without unites, al
thoiiKh he was able to pay her. had carried
on the multiform lain rs of a larae farm
with lliianclal surci ss ami had reared
youiiKer brothel s and sisters to useful and
respectable maturity. .Meant hue her father
had married iikiiIii and she could be spared
from her home. Hut the father, u miserly
old curmudgeon, stoutly opposed the daugh
ter's inarrlaKe ami not only refused to Klve
her a decent ' setting out." as the i ountry
iarlanco phrased It. bill lork.d up her ward
robe and denied her that. All ihe same her
clerical lover mairlcd her, and. beliiK as
renowned for nrll as for Krace, lie then
commenced suit against I he Irate father for
the unpaid services of his daughter for
twenty-two years.
Il'j lost his ease through some Informality,
but It provoked ureal discussion at the
time, liivndlni; even the pulpit, which
blazed with couilemnalioii of unlllial chil
dren who foiKot to "honor their father mid
mother." Some of his ministerial brethren
handled the clergyman with ureal severity
and hurled at his devoted head an avalanche
of nerlpture tests to prove that "children
can never do too much for their parents."
Thin aphorism was In everybody's mouth
In those days, as Is its complement which
today supplants It "Parents eau never do
too much for their children." Hath are true
within certain just limitations.
U iiiiiiiii'n W in-1. IN It Wit.
Colonel HK'nInson tells us of a scln ol com
mittee In a Massachusetts town, tho mem
bers of which said seriously In their report,
speaking- ''f till appointment: "As this place
oilers neither honor nor prollt, wo do not
see why U should not be lllled by a woman."
Work of this description has been consid
ered woman's work ever since the wnild bo
Kan, and when her services have been so
eminent as to compel a reward of money, or
so Illustrious as to win applause, both the
money and nlory have usually been diverted
from their rightful owner to some man who
had a "claim" upon her.
If a woman mnrrled a minister in those
days sho ran tho risk of nddlm; In her dis
abilities and discomforts I'or she was con-
-ebl'd on- i.f lio
minister's biiotii!
ii k- ' an I win n tin
pat I s h lommiiii'v
made .1 contrai l with
him it went without
saying that her -er -Ices
were I hi own
Into the hniKallt The
female conlliiKctit of
the old-time parish
rcKindi'd the minis
ter's wife a- thiir
especial lunpiisil.
She was to be ap
prrpiialcil .is their
II e e d s or w hltns
IlllKht tiii;cst ami .1-
I I I r temper ami w ill
Would permit. It was
not so vor.v bid for
the minister's wif
that her bust and nu
ll e r Ii Kal ow tier,
sine if h 1 1 .- i nl
knew euoiiKh and
what woman does nut
w hen sho chooses 1
she could traiismiiii'
this doctrine of leu il
ow in rshlp Into a
I i' K II I llctloll and
brim; him to be lor
mist Invini; and de
vi. ti d subject for
ev er. Hut Hthorditi i -Hon
to her hush mil's
parish was a very
dilferelit affair, for
women ate more n n
servatlve than men.
Iiss lenient to the
shoiicoinlngs of their
su.x ami the standard
by which they meas
ured ihe minister
wife was beyond at
tainment. She must be a pat
tern of Kodllncss
tempted In all
women, but always
holtsi keeping must In
lenee
tlllllK
''
4
Mitv i.ivi:it.it):t!-:
I to Mir t ol
I I O III ,1 dllfi I lit
M midpoint The w Ife
ef an eminent eler
hi man n n d t h e
daughter i f another
who was a power in
tnlover ThroloKli al
si mluur.v , her lot
was cant atnotiK to
lln l and i ultlvuttd
pmple, from whom
f-ho ri eeixi d loe ami
helpfulness w Ii 1 1 e
the Other elie met
i nly c til Ii Ism ami
h I u d r a n c Mrs
lilt 1 i- In came the
pel of her husband's
p.irbh. whereas th
o f ' T h e
Side " was
"lume of con
Indoor and out.
points like other
without sin. Her
a marvel of e.cel-
wlth a time mid place for every
aml an ever leadimss for the unex
pected events, which are Mire to happen.
She was not to be thrown oil' her base by
the Irruption of any number of her hus
band's "people" on watOtim; day, when she
could serve only a plckiil-up dinner, nor by
tho descent of the sl-tethiioil into her par
lor on Sunday noons between set vices to
eat their lunches, eked out by her fioshl
drawn tea and t-eed cakes. Her husband's
white neckerchiefs and starched bosoms
and culls must alwa.vs be immaculate and
her own apparel and that of her children
must be tplck, span and iiucrumpled, as if
It had Jutt come out from Ihe bureau
drawer.
Smile e'essui It mi 1 1 1 Irs
Comeliness and Ki-ace iinist diape her like
a garment ami yet she would not be tol
erated If her beauty llred Hi' hearts of the
mal' membeis of the parbh. She must lie
a "chawte keeper at home" ami yel a vis
itor not only annum the poor, the sick and
the allllcted. but in all the households of
the people. She was the pteordalnnl ptesl
deul of all the missionary, mateiual,
chailtnble and sewltiK societies formed
allium; the women ami a leader In the Sun
day bchool and "female piaer meeting."
And to crown the whole tne was expected
to administer her husband's usually ineanei
salary so that It would cover all expenses,
altlioiiKli it w:ts partly paid In meal ami pn
latoes for the family and hay and oalis for
the horse, with spareribs and roasts of
hei'f at "klllliiK time" and a "donation
pally" at Ihe end of the year.
Ami yet the minister had no dllllculty In
hiipplyliiK himself with a wife. Though tho
position was formidable, It was deemed a
post of honor and tho successful minister's
wife was r Karded as a remarltablo woman,
and very justly. If a clurKymun unwiHely
in i epted a pasii r.it. In fore main inn he
was suro to be embarrassed by the number
and nrlcty of matilmotilal uimlidatuu
forced upon his am uilon mil in mention
morn serious happi uiiiKs.
When I became the wife of a liiUel sallst
minister, over fifty ears iiko, tho ino.u
lugubrious pinpheiics of disaster attended
me, for I was then a member of a very
conservallve "evniiKellcnl" church. The ap
prehensions of my friends, which were never
lealied, sprain; from their Imiotaine of the
uullketicss of orthodox and liberal parishes
llolh rultniians ami I'nlveisallsts were al
that time in the thick of their mlnlilv
sii'iikkIc for existence, wild the whole ortho
dox church handed iiKainsl them. The
members of the Iwn ilenoiulnat Ions were
either conie-oulers" fiotn tlte older
churches or recent lonvertii to what their
opponents regarded as fatal heiesles and
wero ostracized by their former brelhieit.
IIi'IiiiiiiiIn ol ( linreli Wiil'l.,
ICntliiiHlnslle in their defem-o of what they
ii'Kui ilril as truth and eoulldeut of ultimate
victory, tho liberals were veiy lolerant
within their own llms and were bound to
Kelher In a friendship born of battle for the
linht. There was less ot naiil.ed work for
women within their parishes and tho min
isters wife, as a rule, sultered little ninom;
them from exactions or criticism.
All this I learned finin personal observa
tion and experience ami fiom the eon
lldeines of heavily burdened "parochial
wives" In the older churches. Their miev
aitci s were not lonllnid to private utter
am en alone, for suddenly, like a boll fiotn
a i lear sky. a little book, entitled "The
Shady Side," made us sensational debut in
Chun h circles and was lead by everybody.
The author was evidently a woman of spirit,
whose lot had been cast with an um'oiiKculal
parish, where she had been supervised ami
nauut'd be.vouil human endurance It wan
follow, d i 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 i ilcly by "The Sunny Side,"
written by Mrs I'ln Ips, ihe mother of the
ilistliiKUishid author Mrs ICIIabeth Stuart
author
Shud.v
made a
li tit (mi "
llolh honks were
w I d e I ii ad nod
much disi u--i d. pub
lb ly ami privately.
It hcKaii to dawn
upon tlte omiiiuuitv
t lint inlnlsii is' wives
ivi'i'e an opprmsed
i lass, w In so m lev
atiees could otilv be
lidiised t'.ivlur,
tlietii an amount of
rrei dotii and relf
nw m i ship lilt hi l to
ib lib d ibcm This
t III ) I s s o II VII
dei pencil li an oe-
urieuce In i utial
Illinois .Inline, the
civil war The wife
nf a li'oi-li.v ti flan
ileiKMiiau an Intel
Ii ctual. st ii d I n ti s
liBHIHH woman, the
'lof his six . Ill, iIh ii,
who was i xcmpl.ii v as wile moiher
and housi kei per. i ami' In di-ln Iti'Vi'
tbo i reed of lu r hit.-liaml's i hurch.
in wlili h sin h.nl In ' ii ulucatiil and had
Itiilnrln nccipli'd This wave niil nlfellM'
In lu r liusbaml, bis di in mis and the le.idlllK
pi i. pie of Itis parit-h Ami can rally com
pl.viUK with ihe ri!Ular forms of law lliey
lilnnounced her Insane and placed hd' In
Ihe IliMine n h I it t n at .laekaonvllle, III.
Ilele she was Incaiceiateil for three
.Mats, all Ihe while hobllui; Intself calmly
and 1 :i 1 1 1 1 y In one purpnse In upp.al lo
ihe courts of ihe stale for an invcstlKation
nf her ease, when she felt sure of nleafe.
At last she succeedid. My a vvl.t of habeas
rut pus site was laki II befote the l iictilt
in, nt, whin a Jury ol twelve nun pio
miiiiiced Iter sane, alter an Invi st luat ion of
a week, and flic was nlieviil f i nni all re
Mialnt lucompatible Willi her cnmlil ion as a
sane woman. AlthoiiKh ill miiy was
thill in the last t liters of Ihe ureal war the
story of this aslouudini; outniKc upon iv
Unions llbeity ami piTHiunl fieedom went
everywlii to. awakenlm; universal InillKiia
linii, Sn Infamous an ouIiiikc ci 1 1 1 I not lie
el mini today, i veil If a i b'iiial husband
ami his p.'Ople di sired II. I'or the le
llc,lnlls all'l IhooliiKlcal lioliou lias wideliel
since thin and tlieie Is a nrowlim fedi ra
lion of all chinches alonn Hi' lines of
iiltii'iit loii.il and phlhiulhii.plc uoil, ullliont
lenard lo creeilB.
Kiiinoell'iilliiii nl Wooiiin,
Since Hun I'ather llyniiuthc. the liberal
I'relich priest, who renounced his vow if
celibacy ami in, mini mi Atari Iran woman
has arnueil in the New York Independent
that "the husband Is to dlieci ihe con
silence of his wife pieiisi ly as Ihe father
d reels that of Ills child." Hut nobody look
up Hie i4.i in 1 1 1 11 1 Ilia) Ihe prh si thtew down
I'or lb" colleges had opened their doors In
woliieli by litis time, wil l wile studiously
arquliinn know ledr;e and alnllty for the
personal dil ret Ion of t lull' own cnnsi Icmi s
This lin y have found more satisfactory an I
ipnii .is site as (he llli'Hleil ailvni.liil I
Ciller Iharlnihiv Milton tiiuulil the s.ioo
loitiine in Ills rammin llm, "He, for liei
u I ,v She. for Cn.l in lilm " Hut wono u
unlearui d that lotm hro.
The Old i'l'Hlatnent serlpl tiles inntiilii lb.
story of the comiucsl nf the mtclcnt tin ir
lerlcho by the Israelites. Tile plies'
matt lied tetllij the i lly seven dnjs. blownu
trumpets, iiei iiinpaulid by the people on
the HrVilith ilav the) all xave n m'eat shout
when the walls of t In clly fell down nn i
Hie people Weill III mill took possession I
have heard no blnre of trumpets or hIioiii.
of Hie people or cl the ihilliihr of Hie fall
IIIK Walls Itllt I see that Hie Willis an
ilovvn. ami that women have intered posi
Hons hrreliifole di si d to 1 1 1 1' 111 II till are I al.
I II K posMi sslou of pllvlli'Kes .mil IlKllls lone
delilid them and thai uiiiti lllin elf Is tit'
chief factor in I heir larite i-nrliiimi nt
I'mliii unit esli'i ilov .
The uilutstel's wife tiil.iv Ii a fur
wont in. mid may become Hie "b adlui; beh
i f the parish. If hc choosi s If nhe pi.
firs to coullne lur nciivlihs t i her fauni
and her own piirsiills the parish nnep
ihe sliti.illon ami contents itself wtili tie
fXiil'lllKo if iiiillteslcs colliimin to 1 1 '
society. If slle adds beauty ami povvir in
Iter husband's wnik by her wise ho pfulnr
she may be sine of nppii i ialliiu mid lovi
She will be clilliisetl, of eotirsr but who
eseap 8 elllbl in? If there Is a blemish in
her pcrpnlint apn aiiince, an Infrllillv in
her style of dri ss. a laltil of HohrmlaniMo
In her In uxii.i cpliin. a siisl. ion of erankl
nesH In lu r literary or religious views, m if
she is not up In date III Ihe chant; able i ll
incite of Hlllirlv, II Will be ileleiled mil
i iiiuiuelileil upon. Hut no I'luci usleiin tm
lure will I nipb'.ud In liriui; her iutu con
fnimlly lo mi autlmi l.i il model. I'or Hi'
model illsappealed some lime auo, with the
beadle ami Hie t Hlilim-mali.
Hviileully Ihe inlulslels' wivon propi s. to
set the pare for Ihemselves In Ihe future
r r the press Informs us Hint a ui.'iKalne
has I ii statin! in their ItilcrcstH. It m
called "The Mistress of the Manse," and
said lo "llll a ImiK fell want." Why not '
The inlnlslers have maKir.lnes ilevoled In
their specialties, ami why shctild mil uiln
liters' wives anniiunce llnir npini.'li
w IsIii'h ami needs '
Why, Indeed
"ihe men wlm noes a retail hun!in ss i
Just a common tradesman," mukucsiciI tie
tlioiiulillul jolllll.
"He Is," replied tho kIiI who lhmn;hi sin
knew HumclhliiK of unial slamlaids i
rciiuircmculs.
"And Ihe man who dues a vvlioliab
lllislness Is a IIH'I ihll lit ." lollllliunl Ihe
1 11 1 1 1 .
"Vch," ailmillid Hie Kill.
"Sin hilly II Is heller lo do a wlinbs.ili
t linn a i i-lnil bitslni hs," pi mini nl it'
juiilh. "The man whn deals In iiunutiib -tanks
tho IiIkIo r."
"He does,' aliswi
"Thi it, why Is II."
fill yniiih, "lhal wi
pi lypainlsls''"
ted I ho Klii.
demanded lite HioumIii
ale so dead set .main
Their ( Ihanees
l'lttsbtllK Ha.etle. "I plltlue. illdsl Hum
heur tho iiuwh?" asked Mr. Humid Haiti
tho eminent IriiKedlan, or Mr. Had Hunk
tho comedian.
"I illilst not," was tho lalter's icplv ' Id
Iterate tho iiowh to me."
"Thuru'ti ii corner In ens "
"Really, truly'"
"iiuly, really! The price Is now
a do.eu, with pcrpendleiilai' tendency. 1
ini 1 not point mil lo you, my friend, tin'
nolo 1 1 it'i o ol this fart lo our noble art '
' iiinii neidst not. Hkk" nt" n,,w l""
nisiiy for itilssllis. We will sally forth'
Then Ihe iine-iilKhl Htamls sulfered an
IIIWIMOIl.
Two Groups of Representative Railway Employes
HOIM) 01' UJI.STMI:T IIRlTHI3KIK)OI Ol.' HAMAS TRAINM UN L NION 1'ACIl'K SYSTIIM
I'hoto by a Staff rtist
r3
i
HOARD (JK l I' I UiVl
Staff Artist
. I iOHS I M'-s 1 . ii C RMI.ROM) Hint-
