Warren telegraph. [volume] (Warren, R.I.) 1857-1861, 1857-02-21
6clrctc0 fflisfcIlonp.
MINISTER'S WIVES.
BY MRS. T. J. CARNEY.

"Well! what of themf why bring us more
words upon this worn out theme ?" cxclaims ont
of this martyr-band, almost petulantly. Blame
her not for this, though she is minister's wife
for she ha, perhaps recently, listened for the
thousnndth time to those words, as tho caption
of a long essay, where every verb was in the i'm.
perativc. Fear not, thou wearicd one This is
an age Of progress, and as it has bcen recently
discovered that ministers were real live men,
who cat and drink like other people, needed but,
tons ON their skirts, and sometimes actually wore
holes in their stockings, we may hope ere long
to convince tho same world that ministers wives
are not supernatural women, but may become
wcaried, and forgetful of their exalted station
while performing the homely duties of preparing
for said eating and drinking Of repairing shirts
and stockings.
We read and hear much about the peculiar
duties of minister's wife" For one, positive.
ly deny TINT as minister's wife, she has any
peculiar duties" As q Christian woman, the
wife of Christian man, her duties are many
but not ono more, at least out of her own home
because she is minister's wife. She is under
no more obligation to be President of the Ladies
Sewing Circle than her husband is to be Super
intcndant of the Poor-House. Both offices are
worthy; there is no objection to their filing
them if they can do so without ncg'ccting duties
that are nearer. 1t is the duty Of q minister's
wife to assist in the Sabbath School, the Bcnev.
o!cnt Society, the Missionary, or any other Chris
tan enterprise, If she can DO SO without neglect.
ing her own family but it Is as Christian wo-
man and not as minister's wife, that these du.
ties dcvolve upon her. As wife, it is her duty
to visit her husbands friends, ifhc and they wish
it, and to receive them hospitality at her dwell
ing; but as a minister's wife, it is no moro her
30 e 10
sermons, or deliver them from tho pulpit. The
society lave settled pastor not a pastoress His
duty is to attend to the spiritual wants Of his
people; hers, to attend to all the wants of her
own household.
Who expects tho merchants wife to visit all
his customers or farmers to leave her butter
and cheese unmadc, while she plants corn, or
hoes potatoes Yet is it not much more reason
BILE than to expect the minister's wife to neglect
her own family, to busy herself about society af-
fairs?. fr t
Ministers are seldom able to employ servants,
and are usually obliged to exercise tho strictcst
economy to obey the Bible prccept, "Owe no
man." Yet the necessity of receiving many Wis
its, even from strangers causes a larger amount
of household work to be necessary, and cal's for
the exercise of much more frugality and judi
cious calculation to adapt the small means to the
III
upon his wife? Then it must bo boTcmcmberod
til I minister is expected to dress neatly at all
times, let his salary be ever so small. The rag
ged coat or old hat, that would be passed upon
the farmer with, "Ch, he is only about his
work." upon the minister would be crying sin.
"Strangc he viii so disgrace his society" Who
is to make the old garment appear as the new,
if not his careful wifs?
Ministers children have become provcrb,
and how is it to be otherwise, If father and mo-
ther arc both to be employed taking care of 9TH
or peoples familicsg While she is working for
the heathcn abroad, who is to take care of the
little hcathcn at homer l have searched the
Scriptures carefully, and can find no injunction
to ministers wives. Ono, indeed, there is for
dcacons' wives, but it relates to home duties en-
tirely. cannot believe, if they were so very
different from the duties of other wives. but that
the difference would have been alluded to, and
clearly pointed out.
Let ministers wives have tho moral courage
to stem tho tide of popular opinion upon this
subject, by rcsolutcly doing their duty as Chris
tian wives, and Christian mothers Let each
.'look well to tho ways Of her household, " take
the burden of temporal care from her husbands
mind, and bring up her children ain the nurture
and admonition of the Lord" God has given
her these duties, she received them willingly
when she first became wife and mother and
she has no moral right to neglect them, nor to
delegate them to others. The souls Of her chill
drcn are in her hands, and in a great degree her
husbands also Solemnly shall they be required
of her, and feeble, indeed would be the utter
ance, Lord have given those treasures unto
my handmade, and she hath lost them" Let her
rather be able to respond in the beautiful Ian
guagc of the mothers epitaph, Here am /,
Lord, with the children Thou hast given me-"
Let her, as FAR as is in her power, mako her
husbands house happy home, from which he
may carry heart filed with its sunshine; Il
quiet homo where he may pursue his studies; a
calm home from which he may go forth to the
sanctuary with calm spirit; . loving home
where no may rest whom weary; Christian
home where his faith may be strengthened. Let
her life be to him living sermon, from which
he may ever transcribe words Of hcartful clo-
qucnce, hymn of praise ever soundng1n tho
depths Of his heart. baa. .lm 9f = a..g
Let her do this, and sho hath done moro for
his society than il she had made many visits, was
President of the Sewing Circle, Superintendent
of the Sabbath School, and Committee Of one to
attend to everybody's business. She will besides
have q fair prospect of living to,a good old age
with tho partner Of her youth, instead of lcsving
him to the dcsolation Of carly widowhood, and
her children to the tenderness Of strangers. 1t
is now q common remark that ministers arc ear
ly called to bereavement, and this is usually sup
posed to be the result of their choosing intclcc-
tual companions. who have injured their health
by study and thought. believe 1t t6bc rather
tho result of the popular idea, that they must do
all of their own work, and half Of their husbands
also ~
Farewell, then, sistcr-band, may 70 all be
strengthened to perform your duties well;
"And may ye better reck the rede
ns s. Than ever did the adviser" .rlI
.rnHad '--Olire Branch