Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-01-05
THE EVENING STAR.
THE PRIEST AND THE PEAS

There vas once cure VI 81. Opportnne,
who was very diferen; from The cons entioaaI
idea OF priest, being tail, thin, and deiIcate-
loohing; man witn stoOp, tholgh he was
stu young. and muen given 70 lawful study.
he Iyed IN ar age which has long passed
away, vet ne was behind u. for he held most
anuq uated opinions upon the obedience which
Is due from wives TO their husbands, aad
seemed 10 consider that what St. Paul had
said UPON the subject was to be taken in It's
strlctest sense. that no allowance could be
made for the changes which had taken place
IN the manners and customs of different ma
tons, but that all infringement Of the rules
laid down by the apostle for the guidance Of
those in the holy state WIS sinful.
he found his celebrations treated with IN
becoming ievi-y, and thereEpon became, OF
course, more and more earnest upon the sub
fect, till a. last he laid rather too much stress
upon this one offence, 10 the overlooking OF
others. But he did not become unpopular upon
this account, rather the reverse; for the men
naturally felt great respect for q pastor rho
pleaded their cause so eloQuently, and i'm
pressed upon their wives that submission to
their will was the first and most solemn duty:
while the women OF his congregation were
glad TO have slight attention paid to the con-
fessIon OF other sins of which they were
ashamed, and the fun phials of clerical wrath
poured out upon one which they had the con-
ISOLATION OF feeling assured was shared by their
entire eek.
But that which most ve1ed the good cure
was the bonhosste with which some o. the hus-
bands amo:gsz his parishioners submitted to
the rule OF Their wives, and the Blind infatua-
ton " hich caused others who were equally
tame TO fancy that their will was In ", and that
the very women who led them by their noses
were their de voted slaves.
Provoke by the last especially, he one day
addressed his congregation, after the sermon,
thus: my garden has been remarkably fruit
ful this year, especially in peas Magnifi CEN
peas they are--the best have vet seen and |
here ener prize OF rs many peas as he can
carry away with him TO any married man
amongs. you who can make il clear 10 me that
he is not under subsection to his wife -
Peas were valuable, the Pensioners of ST.
Opportune were poor, and, as rule, con fiden {
IN their marital supremacy, SO that there were
many applicants for the prize. Bnt The cure
trained by the duties of the confessional was
q keen hand al cross KAN ation and under
his home thrusts and pertinent questions
claim after claim was upset, and the candi-
dates sent away abashsd and discounted.
AT last came porter, an obstinate, sturdy
hllow, who was con1dent that he a. least had
the whip hand of MS wife The cure cues i.
tIened him C. osely, but all his answers were
straigh forward and satisfactory Even upon
the rock which had upset the pretensIons of
many who lad seemed IN fair way to land
saIely-the tabdret-he did not split No he
went 10 the WIne-shop or stopped at home, got
drunk or kept sober, Just as be pleased His
wife had not a word 10 say 20 H.
well, said the cure, IL am glad tina.
nave one man In my parish who knows how
20 be master IN his own house. Come in to-
morrow morning, and fetch your peas"
house with email sack, which he began TO
FILL
"You should have brought larger one, y
said the eure
We'll, now" replied the porter, pausing in
hEs task, i should have done so, only m v
wife would not let me-"
"Ha"' cried the cure, "let my peas alone
manr'