St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-03-28
The Parsons Misfortune.
BY REV. ID. L. SCHWARTZ.


small. country village. Il palSon gifted
with good looks, good health. happy
disposition, the faculty of making
| friends. and the large SALARY of eight
hundred Il wear. What more could Il
reasonable man desire What bitter
drop could there he in such an over
flowing cup?
But YES, there rds Il bitter drop. lie
was without that necessary ..heIpmcct"
of which Moses. aS prophet. speaks:
and he was losing his principal attrar-
ton: his beautiful, auburn hair was
beginning TO come ont. and he was only
too painfully conscious that Il round
shining spot was gradually Incoming
visible on the top of his we'll shaped
head. Already. the withcrin" phi.>,.
of ''scar and yellow leaf" might Il" ap-
piled to him with more uuth than
poetry: and. therefore. the Nc:y idea
of adding badness to the other imlirmi-
ties of advancing age. WAS enough t"
| fill this good mans soul with bitterness.
He would, occasionally. mediate upon
those words even the very hairs of
your head are all numbered" and then
turn thoughttullN away from the Sacred
Book. thinking that thus it must hc
I
submit without Il murmur. At other
times he Wa> not 81 resigned : and. II
length determined To find ont the calu~,.
of his trouble and Ia take proper steps
to arrest it.
Like the ancient philosophers of
Greece. he applied himself IL the study
of cluSe and effect. His badness WAS
not the effect of over study heating
his head 10y too much application. oh
no. nothing of that kind: he plidGd
himself too much on his coolc>> and
dclihcration for that. Badness did not
run in the family: none of his relations
had been so afflicted. with the cNrcp-
ton of one old grandfather several gen
cration> back. y" heavy sorrow or
great anxiety had robbed him OF rest.
causing him >lccplcS> nights and an
aching head. No troublesome love at-
far had rackcd his mind or given him
any uneaSinc>s. No: all the ladies
smiled and there Was the difficulty.
How reward one ut the cNpcm~, of all
the rest But this WAS not cause enough
for the loss of his loved locks.
While i'll the midst of his >pcculatinuS.
he WAS aroused hy the church bell call
ing the faithful to their dcyOtious. He
proceeded To the sanctuary. still pom
dcring these troublesome thoughts.
When the exercises were over. on lCaV-
ing the sacred building. very dcvout
>pin>tcr remarked tu the detected par
son. that hc really WAS getting quite
bald. and She hoped that hc Wuuld take
precautions I" prevent. if possible. the
loss of his beautiful. auburn hair. \
clap of thunder could hardly have
startled him more. for he. simple soul.
imagined 10 one hut himself had dis
covered his misfortune. However. he
recovered himself in 4 moment. ami
I quietly replied. that he was fully con
~ciou> that hi hair WAS thinning out.
/ but supposed ;hat it was merely ten
| poIary and that it would come in again
thicker than ever. But. while Icpl, ing
! So politely. he iuwardly wished that the
. two hears who came ont of the wood
and tore the little chilchen. when they
cried To Elisha 'Go mp. thou hald hrah {:
20 up. thou bald head. might come "u1
of the ucighh"riug grove and attack
this aUdIclou> woman. He WOudcUri
what She. usually 81 drvnut. could have
been thinking Of during the hom of
pralcl. He thought pastoral rcproot
might hr for her souls benefit: hut.
suddenly. an idea flashed upon HI
mind ,rIhap>. in the t,.rVcurv Of h,I
dr,uriol she. might have taken hiln toI
an object of Worship. and thus ha.t
been attracted /" thai shining pot "n
The. lop of hi, head. Let VS. uoi lc-
gll,i e o,r good laI>nu thj~ morse II
comfort.
This. however. wa~ only the begin
min. of what was To come. Condolences.