Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-04-24
The Trial sermon.
a STORY OF TODAY.


It was one thing to the rich parish. and
quite another to the poor minister, whom
they had sent for to preach on trial lie had
gone to bis present country home, Ill the re-
tired little country town among the rugged
and barren New England hills, when be first
left the Divinity school. The four hundred
dollars salary they offered him had seemed
quite a competence in those days and when
ra married and brought home his wife. and
they gave him in addition the rent of the lit
te rar-1nagc close by the Old church, he had
as.. well satisfied. and thought he could live
ar lie there. But as the years passed on
ad three children played III the small rooms
three children % be warmed and clothed
and fed-and then the war came. and prices
doubled. times grew hard with him, and he
knew that some change must be made.
The minister dId not blame the little par
I-h Of his first love. Times were hard with
them too. They had raised his salary one
hundred dollars, and FIVE hundred year, be
sides the parsonage, was as much az they
could afford for among the farming people
of his parish money was not made easily, and
none of them were rich. Henry Eastman
would have been glad to remain with them
lie knew that no other people and no other
place would ever be 30 dear. But it seemed
10 him that all his energies were used up in
the single struggle to keep out OF debt; and
every year his children needed more, were
growing more expensive. Yes, he must 50 :;
and the Wo1dhun church must content
Themselves again with some young man.
hopeful and uncmbarrassed as he was once,
who would he willing to come to them for
his ministerial noyitiate They understood
it all and though their hearts eluug % him,
they were un--itish enough to wish him God
speed.
And SOFT had come about, through the in
hueuce of cousin Of one of his Hoodburn
reople-a lady who had listened to him in
many a summer visit-that he mad been sent
for bv the large and influential parish in Col
onore, to preach d trial sermon in their just
then vacant pulpit 1t was one trial among
many to them. They were sure Of being
suited by-and-by. and could afford 70 wait.
To him it was an epoch Of the most intense
and feyerish interest.
Before he left home he had talked the
whole thing over with his wife. It was =
great matter to choose what sermon to take
among the eight OF ten which he accounted
bis best Uauallv bis wife was the most
simple and unwprldly Of women. She seem
ed almost To forget that God held control II
this rs well rs in other concerns Of life. Hel
cheeks glowed, and her hands were feyerish
Her voice fairly trembled as she said, th'
very last thing
:. o Henry. don't think Of falling. Re
member the children-hOw soon they'll nee
To g To- school and college-how much you'll
want 10 see them grow up in the midst Of re
fnement and culture
bo.l u - l. RI
Alice never did. He thought Of her none th
less. however, as he rode on. in the lumber
ing farm wagon. towards the five miles Of
station. where he was to set out on his jourr
cv to Colonorc. How pretty she had bee
ten years ago. how young, how bright II
knew that something more than ten veal
lad changed her to the pale, hollow-eyC
woman who had Just bidden him good-by
rhe cares which had press heavily enoug
un him had fallen with double weight q
her He knew how she had lost youth an
brightness Aud to what good? he askt
himself, in thankless. almost despalrn
mood.
As there was 70 be Sabbath School col
cert in the afternoon, he was not expected
preach but half of the day. and had chose
NJ last among his sermons, one from the te
-s. In nv fathers house are many ma
rions if it We're not SO I would have to
YOU. This was a discourse Of the kind viii,
6ffends no one. yet which all agree in desert
ing by the one adjective, beautiful. N
Eastman had chosen ii because it could
apon no ones preiudices. Colonore, he h
heard and heard with regret, was-wel,
u- say a very conservative parish. Ih
were a few such left IN Connecticut, low bC
spoken. Il would not do to preach to tn
that fiery sermon in which, as his old deaC
srin,ly tod him he had proved himsel
yery son OF thunder, q" from the text
But he, willing to Justify himself, ga
unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour
Some time, perhaps, that very serm
with Its stern denunciations Of wrong,
fervent claim Of neighb0rhood and broth
hood Of all races and classes and kindr
Of men, might do these Colonore people 20
But that must be after he had taught tn
to respect him and his faith and to !
him, personally, as we'll
Just now. as it was all important to
to please them, he must treat them
''smooth things" The discourse he had
lected would sooth rather than alarm. |
the river of life flowed through the ''liy
green, Of celestial meadows. On peac
nights the "many mansions rose, fair
stately in the eternal light. Through
golden streets walked harpers, harping
tune Toward these pleasant haunts
beckoned them gently. The whole
more dream Of a poet than proph