Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1836-08-02
From the Lutheran Observer.
TIE COUNTRY PARSONS WIFE,.

to great extent and seldom a week passed
without one or more Strangers in the house.
His sociablc character and high sanding in
the church have rendered his house COM
mon stopping place for all ministers who
travel our road. Students and all, usually
resort TO the parsonage, so that my acquaIn-
tance with ministers is pretty extensive.
They present wonderful variety ofperson-
al habits, some of which are to be admired
and others 10 be severely ccnsurcd. usu-
ally Judge of the character Of minister's
wife from his habits, and think it is good
criterion. Ifhe isncat inhis dress, polite in his
manners, s:udiouS to please, anxiousto save
trouble to his host, and comented with his
fare, conclude that he has an nexccllent house
wife at home ;butifhe is coarse and rude, and
unshavenfor several days, & fullof dolorous
complaints; if he splashes water on the wall
and floor about the wash stand in his cham.
Der, and seems dissatisfied because there is
no fresh meat on the table, infer that he
has as a slattcrn for wife, and that he has
been raised on dried apples and Dutch
chccze! Many characters of both dcscrip-
tions have so;ourncd ut our house. There
was formerly one frequent visitor, who, un-
til cured him, had the disgusting habit Of
disgorging the tobacco colored contents of
his capacious mouth on my carpet it was
wrough int with my own hands and particular
ly dear. AT frs, | gave the spit-box gen.
tie touch, but he would not take the hint. 1t
became iatolcrable and when observed
that his jaws were distending with the SAIL
vary secretion, aud that copious shower
was near at hand, hastily seized the box
and held it close up to his mouth just in time
to receive the enormous discharge. 1t did
no. offend him, for he was a gooi-natured
man; but he had the impudcnce to tell me,
that the juice of tobacco brougl4; on: the
colors of my carpet more brilliantly! He
never did it again. Amongst the young
men who visited us there was one who Of
ten spoken of the qualifications of a minis
tcr's wife, and who was racing up and down
the country in search of living represen.
tation of his runaway fancy. He one day
said that there were but three minister's
wives who were what they ought to be ]
instantly rejoined, 81 presume, then, that
you are acquainted with all the minister's
wives in the country, or how could you
have the boldness tonakc such an assertion"
The youth was mute, for his acquaintance
was extremely limited. He afterwards
qualified his speeches, and my eproof will,
20 doubt be Of advantage to him all his
life.
| viii never forge. a circumstance that
occurred at our house, which etfectlally
cured young person Of the impolite habit,
so common, oftiltng the chair back against
the wall, and putting his feet on the cross
sticks. It's an awkward, slovenly, and in-
decent posture. One day our visitor was
no: so near the wall as he thought, and til
ting back, down he went. smashing po:
of milk had set near the stove to thlcken,
nearly annihilatng one Cat that was lying
there, and so frightening another as % caus=
her to rush out of the room through bro
ken pane of glass that | had mended with pa
per. The squealing cat. the brokeu jar,
with its contents bespattered all over the
clothes and face Of the "fallen hero" his
convulsive struggles TO rise, and the noise
of his scrambling, besides his indescribable
appearance, presented a most ludicrous.
scene. And yet he bore all with much pa
tience. lie at length rose, and very grave
ly began to scrape off the white material
from his coat that had been black, and be-
ing somewhat of q Wit dryl.' remarked thai
he was studying the natu e ofthe "milky
mhey," but that he would lather have this
half elaborated Schmear Kchs on his bread,
than on his back. He at length grew I'M
patient of our unceasing jokes, and half an
grv, half testing, he rc,oTted, that he never
saw such house, /" it hadn't room that
would hold cat, or chair that would hold
mani" He was cured, however, of his
evil habi! of fitting his chair, for this adven-
t,,rc always occurred to his mind.
dislike to see clergymen guilty Of these
indccorous practices. know several who
arc always scraping their nails, or picking
the skin off their hands, or an important Or
gan of their face, or snuffing it up with q
noise very much resembling that occasIoned
by turning the spigot of Il seam engine. A
few yawn dreadiu!Iy and clear their throats,
as if it were full of bran, and put their feet
on ncighboring chair as iftne carpet were
too good or not good enough. But there
are others, and many too, who are over.
punctilious they are extra-politc, but they
are sill the most agreeable visitors. When
they leave the house, YOU have no chairs to
wash, and no tobacco spots to wipe up,-ro
carpets to sweep, and no wishes Tor long
absence to express.
Marriage Festivities in Chtna.-Alarrlage
is one of the few occasions when the Chi
nesc. departinr from their usual quiet habits,