Southern shield., 1855-05-26
The Ministers Dinner Party.

published the following beautiful sketch some years ago, but it will bear reading at least once a year:
 The Rev. Mir. W was an officiating clergyman, who had charge of little flock in the State of Massachusetts. He was DOS sessed of an excellent temper, generous feel ngs and well-cultiyated mind; but he was eccentric, even to oddity He was power- full speaker, and his lninistration was blessedI to the conversion of many souls. At the age of thirty-four he became convinced that it was not good for 'sman to be aloae" and for the purpose ofbettering his condition, he made proposals to Mary B., a beautiful, light hearted girl of. seventeer, 3,ohspr of one of his wealthiest parishionefs, and wno imagined l that to refuse the hand of the minister would be sin bordering hard upon the unpardona- ble. In due time the marriage was cQnsum- mated, the brides snug portion paid, and the happy husband, as husbands in their first love are apt to do, gave up to the humor of his wife, and accompanied her to several festive parties given by his wealthy neighbors, in honor of his marriage.
 l One evening towards spring, the happy cou- pie were sitting together in their comfortable parlor, the revend gentleman deeply buried in the study of the venerable Bede, and his wife equally intent upon plate of fashion, when she suddenly lookedup with mingled expres- sion of hope and fear, and thus addressed her companion:
 My dear husband, I have one request to make,
 .'Well, Mary, anything consistent
 You do not imagine that would make an inconsistent request, surely?"
 No, not a request that you would con- l sider inconsistent. But come, what is it?' l "Why my dear, and her voice trembled ia little, Eve have been to several parties
 among the neighboring gentry this winter, and now, think to maintain our position in society, we should give party also
 The minister looked blank.
 "What sort of party, Nary" he at length said
 Why she replied, "such a party as
 those we have attended. We must have al
 elegant dinner and dancing after it."
 s'Dancing in minister's house." exclaim-
 ed Mir. w., in surprise.
 ''Why, yes, certainly replied his wife
 coaxingly. ''You will not dance, the party will be mine; and then we have been t1 simi ! lar parties all winter.
 ,l 'sTrue, true" he muttered, with per
 plexed air, and sat silent for some time. A } length he said, 'Yes, Mary, you may make 5 party, give dinner, and, if the guests de sire it. you may dance"
 "Thans you, love, thank you,' cried hi s delighted wife, throwing her arms around his ] neck, and imprinting kiss upon his cheek l But 1 have some stipulations to mak l about 1t, ," said Mr.-; II must select ant
 invite the guests, and you must allow me t l place some of my fayorite dishes on the ta : ble"
 GAS you please love-" she answered, de } lightedly, "but when shall it be?''
 "Next Wednesday, if you please? l "But our furniture and window draperies el are very old fashioned. It is now time Vi had new.'' q should tbi.,''nsrii 1t hardly necessary to re Ig furnish our rooms, Mary All our furniture
 is excellent of its kind.
 stBut our smooth carpets, white draparies
 and cane chairs, have such cold look Dc consent to have the rooms newly fitted, w } can move these things to the unfurnishe( chambers
 I And of what use will they be in those rooms which we never occupy? Besides it i; l now nearly spring, and to fit up for winter seems superfuous.
 I "Well l would not care,' she persisted
 "were it not that people will call us parsimo nious and ungenteel. 7
 "Oh, if that is all. he said gaily, 'I vii promise to spend one thousand dollars on tn,
 evening of the party, not in furniture, how l,.,t fo r.
 our guests, and profitable to ourselves, ant ! which shall exonerate us from all imputatiol
 of parsimony; and you may expend in dress eatables and desert, just what sum you please
 and do not forget the wines. '' And so the colloquy ended. The minister resumed his studies and his wife gave hel mind to the consideration of the dress whic1 would be most becoming, and the viands tha-
 were the most expensive. Then next she wen
 busily about her preparations, wondering al
 the time how her husband would expend tho
 thousand dollars; but as she had learned some
 thing of the eccentricity of his character. she doubted not that he meant to give an agree
 able surprise; and her curiosity grew so great that she could hardly sleep during the inter val
 T At length themomentous day arrived. The
 arrangements were all complete, and Mrs. W -- retired, to perform the all important du- ties of arraying her fine person in fine attire She fingered long at the toilet, relying on the fashionable unpunctually of fashionable peo- pie; and at length, when every thing was complete, she left the room arrayed like Ju-
 dith of old, gloriously, to allure the eyes O
 all who should look upon her, and full of swee
 smiles and graces, notwithstanding the uncom
 fortable pinching of her shoes and corsets \ Her husband met her in the hall. ,l "Well, my dear, our guests have all arriv-
 ed" he said, and opened the door of the re- ceiving- room. Wonderful! wonderful. what
 an assembly, There were congregated the crippled, the maimed, and the blind, the pal sled, and the extreme aged. A group of chil ], dren from the almshouse were also there, who I regarded the lady, some with mouths wids
 open others with both hands thurst into theil
 hair while others peeped out from behind tht : furniture, to the covert of which they had re l treated from her dazzling presence. At frs : she was petrifed with astonishment. then witl i, displeasurs crossed her eyes over the erotes que assembly. she met the coniical grave ex pression of her husband s countenance. whe, 1 she burst into violent fit of laughter, dltrin.
 the paroxysms of which the bursting of he corset laces could be distinctly heard by tn company.
 I 'Maryl' said her husband, sternly. Sh
 suppressed her mirth, stammered an excuse fotx 11-1