Maryland free press., 1866-05-03
".AnI who regulates this thing o

salary in the parisll!'
The Vestry, of course"
"And who compose the Festry?'
"Seven gentlemen, of whom your hus-
band is one" .-...-
A crimson flush mounted to Mrs. Ham,
iltou's temples as she replied: My hus-
band, Mrs. CambeIl, is not selfish. pen
urious man. LII things are as you repre-
sent them, he may be to blame for care
lessly in not looking into them; but you
may rest assured, that it he dreamed of
Mr.. Wrights family being in want of the
neeessaries of life, they would be supplied, (,
ut his expense, before the sun sets.
IL do not doubt it, Mrs. Hamilton, bul
you will pardon me for saying that this
would not he the proper way to meet the
difficulty. You, yourself, can fully un-
derstand that this would be placing that
whole family under a personal obligation,
and that, too, when there is no possibility
of their ever being able to return it. /
have understood from Mrs. Wright her.
self, that her husband never agreed to
take charge of this parish for such sala-
nv. Justice to himself, as well us to his
family, forbade it; for he knew very we'll
that he could not support them on such II
sum, and the inevitable consequence must
be debt with all its traint Of evils; his piece
of mind destroyed, his usefulness gone,
his character ruined. The Salary PROM
iscd him was five hundred dollars, beside
house and his yearly supplies of fuel and
family groceries. In not one, single in
stance has this pledge been fulfilled.
Sometimes he does receive load OF coal,
sometimes barrel of flour aud u sack OF
coffee; but they come so irregularly, and
at such long intervals, that it would be
almost as well for them not to come at all.
They are frequently sent after he is tired
of waiting. aud hus just supplied himself
Mrs. Hamilton, speak from painful ex-
pcrionoe, for | am the widow of minis
tor, and havo travelled all along this roar,
of care, and anxiety, and economy
amounting almost to penurousness. U
how many hcart-aches l have had, and
how many bitter tears have shed, when
after all my toll, aud saving, and personla
labor, have seen the deep lines of agony
ON my husbands face as he has said:
"Wife, it is all useless for us to try.
After all l am fifty dollars i'll debt, and
have not one cent wherewith to pay it''
"Ah Mrs Hamilton, minister and his
wife may be sincere. whola-hearted chris
tans They may have that meekness and
forbcarance which tho Gospel enjoin, but
after all they are human; and can you
wonder if sometimes hard thoughts come
into their hearts, and bitter feelings arise,
when they see their wealthy parishoners,
for whose souls they watch aud pray, and
strive-pcoplc, whose servants for
Christ's sake" they literally are; who ex'
pcct and demand, not only pulpit minis
trations, but the kinder, gcntler Offices Of
attention aud sympathy in times of sick
ness and bereavement-O can you wonder
if they deem it very hard ifsuch people
should give them wrotohod pittance fol
Il support, and that even this should bt
wrung from them reluctantly and grudg
ingly? And yet, must in justice say
that | believe this evil isquite as often
the result of thoushtfulness as of pcnuri
Gus. Men of business, Immersed in theil
daily duties, forget these things. They
60 to church on Sunday and listen to the
minister; they pay their portion of his sal,
ary, when reminded that'it is due, bu
they never trouble themselves to inquire
how much that salary is. and if it is sufli
cient to support his family comfortably
You may rely upon it, there is radica
defect in this thing of the support of th'
clergy. The Bible itself teaches us tina
''the lahorer is worthy of his hire" and j
does seem as if he who spends his whole
life laboring for others, Is at least entitled
to decent support.