New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-06-29
From the independently
TIE OLD PARSON.
BY J. r TRowBKID6R.

In antique fashioned coat and wig
Along the road the aged preach.:
Goes slowly jogging in his gig
A homesprn saint in gaTb and feature.
He has a smile or kindly speech
Anke for rich and poor and each
wild youth no sermon vet Coud Ye.tL.
FOR all are better than thtir deeds.
And Heaven is kinder than OH cIeeCk.
Thinks the old parson.
Not now the .choolboys hat in ha.d.
And pinafOred and pretty lasses.
In rows upon the roadside stand
And make their manners when lt passes.
As the good custom used 70 be
In days when he was young: but Re
Likes better, simple soul 10 see
Tue smile that lights each rogIish eye
And rosy face as he rides by.
The dear old parson.
Though many stop he makes. you. fnc
His welcome presence longes: fingers
In yonder cottage-Ioom he hind
The honeysuckes and syr!nPas.
Where all the lovely sumner LES
The crippled girl, with ming ewes
Turned outward to the flowers and skies.
Few come to soothe her loneliness.
And 30 good cause has she TO bless
The kind old parson.
When friends fall out. before the gate
The gig turns up, he bitches sOrrel-
love enters in the house OF Hate.
He takes the hands Of them that Quarrel.
And saws: Forgive forgive and then.
If need there be- forgive again.
And still forgive and love- FOR men
Are always better than their deeds.
Such seeds he sOws. Heaven bless :he seed do
SOwn by the parsOn!
His mission is to help and bless.
And the hard doctrines that ne breaches
In words Of JOY and gentleness
Are hidden. like the stones II peaches.
His hearers hearts are warmed and stirred.
ANDY vat aE y,nfvk ah
HE works are vainv' as late heard.
With finger shake and sapIent air,
Two pert young ministers declare.
And blame the parson.
One said. HE likes a hand at whist
And one, HE takes glass at dinner.
And loves to counsel and assist
Better than to convert the sinner.
"Grave faulte' said both. But this know:
The parsons life, as parsons 60,
Is such that those who judge him 80
Are hardly worthy to unloose
The buckles of his dusty shoes
rare old parson
"Ile likes Joke too well by half
And 80 he sets some hearts aGuakins.
As if because his deacOns laugh,
The pillars of the church were shaking!
CT never yet could learn, he says.
s'Why rooted faith should flourish less
In broad, sunshiny cheerfulness
Than in the shadOw of the tomb
'Tis fear. not faith, that huge the gloom
A1Gues the parson.
He squares his thought by right good sense.
And does not dread the light OF science.
His finest flowers of eloquence
Are just the common dandelions
And buttercups of daily speech;
And yet they say W hO hear him preach
That none so well as he can teach
The hope that lives, the love tina: burns,
Till even the careles skeptic turns
To heed the parson.
But though he be not deeply versed
In modern oratOric graces,
The studied pause, the fervent burst,
The flower embroidered commonplace,
He tIeads no changeless narrow rounds
OF old belief, but far from bounds
His new Jerusalem he POUNDS;
81 For newer life brings larger needs
And truth outgrows our threadbaIe creeda,'
Says tho wise ParsOn.
Loves labOrs are his rest and still
His friends will look, in pleasant weather,
To see him jogging by, until
His gig and he break down together.
Our friend is growing very old,
And rich in al the hoard ed gold
Which hearts alone can have and hold:
- The riches that men leave behind
Are not the riches to my mind
Quoth the old parson.
He still will have the good he gave
When. all his earthly errands ended,
He who has stood by many grave
Shall be by us in turn attended
To the last resting place OF clay;
Then, az we lay his form away,
Wen strew the sod with flowers and say:
- The man WAS better than his deeds.
His heart was larger than our cTeeds.
Peace to the parsOn !"