Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-09-06
ALExAaAzETTE VIRGINIA ADvERTIsEF
THE PARSONS HOLIDAY.

1lE hnDON
During the last days of August all OIdtown
has been in condition of feversh excitement
to koow whether Parson Lawrence would come
only for the month of August" Deacon Sutter
said at the village store, but Heaven knows
but &c II stretch it another week, leavln' US to
pay the supply 90 Sunday. The old man's got
u bee 10 his bunnet, an' ther 10 KNOWN where
it'll lead him.
Smith, the grocer, nodded emphatcally as
he tied up pound Of sugar for the widow
Potts. 1T wss your dopgs, Deacon. City
ways, city ways Our pastor must be off like
the others to rest alter his hard work. Well
have stained glass and choir boys next. Rest.
Indeed Writlog two bits of sermons week
If he'd stood behind the COULTER shoveng OUT
coffee aud sugar the year round II The widow
PITTS said Dothinn but she thought of her year
OF drudgsry over Tic seWios machine aud tho
parsons work seemed very light to her, indeed.
She could have stood up and talked for an
hour twice week if she had the college. .edca-
tioD,' she said at home. "Talkin' of the laws
OF the Jews aud the old Romans and prophc-
cies There's mighty small amount Of food for
ny soul in such talk, anyhow" There are many
mure OF the congregation who, when they saw
the parsons grey head auong the passengers
IN the old red coach, remembered it was Satur-
day Dlght and wondered when he meant to write
his ucx, days sermon. He always took half
the week to write one.
When the parson went away in the red coach
bis heart WAS heavy within him. The other
passengers kept aloof from the gloomy old man
w'th his meek eyes and sharp, tired voice. He
had not been out of the Odtown circuit for ten
years. 1t was the new member. Porter, who
had given him the money for this hodas "Go
find sume grist for the mill, he said, "other-
wise it will grind nothing but dust Grist
1t occurred tO the old man for the first time in
his life that something more was needed for his
work than earnest endeavor and prayers. His
salary was too small for him to buy books or
current literature His reading was confined
to snail theological library which he had
owned tor years, aud weekly religious news
paper. Year 10 aud year out he talked With
the halt dczeu brethren snd sisters of his own
church, aud the duz:n families outside. He
knew every crook aud Granny of their charac-
ters, as they did his; they were exaggerated 10
each others eyes as bugs 10 a microscope
They shaped aud measured all the great Chris
tiau graoes by their own inch rule. Charity
Was represented by the annual fair in the leo
ture room tor the cause Of missions, and Faith
by the vigVr with which they sent all the world
outside OF their own sect to perdition. Vague
rumors reached them of great movements in
this religious body and that, but Sister Potts
and Brother Suttler only shook their heads
and talked of the unregenerate The Evil
Spirit was ,ypifed to the village by drupken
old Drum, who was very unhopeful case it is
true, but still human.
There was good deal of discussion as to
where the parson should 20 for his holiday.
Mauy of the brethren wished that he should
improve 1t by making collecting tour begging
money for new stesple; others recommended
some of the large religious gatherings at the
seashore or mountains. But the parsou, once
awakened by the word "grist," took the mat.
ter into his own hand. II am going = fish
ing he said. II used to 90 fishing when 1
was boy, and it will do me good to be a boy
again. So be went fishing, tramped over the
mountains stood to the waist in water, forgot
his trout as he looked up to the great nights or
Ilsteued to the thunder among them. The
petty gossip and carking, moldy cares Of the
village slipped away from his mind and left it
could bear now in the thunder in the solemn
hight, 10 the movement of the little wind flow
er in the grass, the words of bis omnipotent
gracious Master, "Be not afraid; it is |. He
never had heard them in the moldy books or
weekly newspaper. He tied up his rod and
line and went to little seaside watering place
There were not more people there than in his
own church, but they we're of many differing
kinds. There were Jews. Roman Catholics,
Unitarians Friends. He threw himself into
all their fun and work, and as far as he could
into their thoughts. 1t was a genial, Jolly
time. He discovered come good, grsciou wo.
man, some clever fellow, every day. He woke
every morning with fresh astonshment that
there were 80 many good people in the world
Some of them, whose names were akin to
Atheist in his creed, were devout, God-fearng
men and W1meD, with their ideas Of Him and
their brother men based on broader more lib.
seral ground than he had ever known.
There was terrible accident during his stay;
man drowned bis wife aud children loft
helpless; aud in the sudden surge of feeling
which laid bare every heart about him in the
tenderness, the humanity, the Christ like pity
and help which came to the widow and or
phsDs, he began to understand the meaning of
the word brother as his Master used it, not as
it was banded about iu Oidtown.
The parson is glad however, to be at home
again He springs down from the old red stage
with his eyes sparkling and his face so full of
laug htrr and happiness that Oldtown is startled
even shocked. Oldsowu is of fuoeresl turn
OF mind. He does not think Of preparing
sermon. He has so much to say-his heart so
ourns within him, that the Sabbath day seems
a' TOO short. There is not word of theology
or the old Jews in it either. 1t is the home
hest sort OF talk But when they come out of
church everybody stops to shake hands and
exchange hearty greeting It is as if they
had been somewhere with the fresh wind blow
iog; and the sun q, shining, aad God himself near
hnn nd TSJ.