Wilmington journal., 1871-08-04
From the N. !. Tribune.
Cleic Ymen'a HOLIDAY

r. Nj.
From the N. !. Tribune.
CIeIGymen's Holidays.
The best charities, after all, are those
which find their own ~ay outside of the
old beaten grooves. One of the most
genial and effective OF tbese is that of a
well-known fnancler, who has built a
country seat on the island of Gibraltar, in
the Ohio, opposi e Putin Bay and for the
last two or threo years has kept it filled
during the summer with relays of a dozen
clergymen of all Observation-Disclosures
mon of large families and limited means.
who find themselves surprised, some
wearyipg, sultry day, with q pass to this
earthly paradise. and a summons to forget
work and wear for a fortnight in it's hady
orchards and co,l retreats. We should
never probably have heard of this pleasant
hospita BILE whlm but for the alarm of some
of the Cincinnati press, who cry out with
dismay at the constant succession of
''twelve vacant pulpits" all over the conn
try; and at the ravages of Satan among the
deserted focks, while the 'shepherds
indulge in croquet, boating, and. it may
be, even billiards." Sueers at clergy
men are the favorite resource now days,
as we all know, of cheap vulgar testers;
there is favor of impiety, they fancy, in
the joke that will mako it pass In default
of Wit. There is a keen relish in the az er-
age public taste, too, for such caviliin g.
The reaction from the priest worship of
the last century, even In the most orthodox
society, is sudden and complete. Tue clSr
gyman not only is no longer held to re-
present religion, Eut he ls viewed with
shrewder criticism and less charity THAI
any other Christian professor - criticism
which goes beyond the strict judgment be-
fore which high pretensions should Iro-
perly be tried. His conduct. tastes. ex-
penees, and those of his vile, form a pub
llc dish of gossip in too many OF tie
churches which every meddling finger may
pick over and sea on.
La no other point is this more absurdly
exemplified than in this very matter of
holidays. Why should the doctor, shop
keeper, or butcher take his breath of fresh
air when and where he chooses and crave
no mans leave, and the clergyman be fol-
lowed with aged jokes aOout the " bron-
chitis which needs q tour in Europe and
dyspepsia to be cured by Lake George?"
There is no middle Way possible to the
average American. He is not content
to dissociate religion from It's teachers,
perceiving that the supreme truth of
Christianity cam be no more heightened or
INJURED by the practice of any man than
the sunshine is by a smoky window; but
necessarily nsgging and fouting these
teachers. It is time that there was an end
Of this. OF the intellectual weight OF in
dividual clerRymen We may think as we
please, or of their effectiveness in the work
they have undertaken; but no man can be
blind to the fact that that work is not only
the highest which can be chosen by man
of culture. but as rule the worst paid
Whatever may be their shortcomings, no
other class of educated men in the country
will compare with clergymen in integrity
co unseltish duty, In purity of life, and In
the deprivation and meagernees of that
life, when measured by the tastes aud re-
quirements which their work induces
The shortcomings, in tact, arise from this
very meagerness. A doctor or lawyer with
weighty brain-power aud weak nervous
organization, has a dozen means of stimu-
latipg and refreshing both outside of his
profession before he goes to the bar or sick
bed country pastor, with heavier drain
upon brain aud nerves, is shut
out from every resource but his few books
and round of parish duties. He has in
effect but one suqject OF contemplation
human nature and it's relation to God he
hears the same morbid doubts and fears
year in and out. Sunday after Sunday he
doles out the unvarie led stint Of sermons,
iuto which, poor rs they may be, some Of
his strength must go.
How is this perpetual drain on brain
and nerve power to be kept up ? Is the
preacher the only mill which will grind
out incessant meal without grist He and
his people are too apt to forget that to
epeak divine truths he must learn them,
and that while prayer and praise are only
the uttersnc of men. God replies not
through the Scriptures alone, but in Ma
ture, Art, Music. We need not complain
of meagre sermons while the lives of their
writer's are meager. Give them, once O
year ct least, glimpse of Gods dealings
with the sea and mountains and with his
peoples of divers tongues, of a broader
heaven and a wider earth than the bounds
of their narrow village parishes, and they
will discern and bring back sublimer
truths of His nature, and larger, more
liberal love for their fellow men.
One day last week the New York Sun
published the complete list of the citizens
of New York city worth over $3.50 900.
copied from the duplicate returns Of 1870,
on file in the county clerks office. Accord.
ing to this showing Daniel Drew is the
wealthiest citizen, the value of his proper
ty being set down at $37, 900, 900. Next to
him on the list com. Cornelius Roosevelt,
I ecently deceased, with $13, 900, 900 then
come w. 81. Vanderbilt with Sc, 500, 900,
James G. Bennett with Sc $50, 600. and
Elisha Parmly with S.. 300. 900. These
are all over SIS. ZOO. 900, A. Il. Stewart,
Peter Gllsey, and Elijah Brooks being
set dowu at So, 900. 600 each. The whole
number of those returning a property of
81 200, 900 or more is 48, and the whole
number owning quarter OF q million or
more is $50. The San has the following
comment on this interesting exhibit
''Many persons on the list have been eener.