Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-02-27
TO A MINISTER'S WIFE.
From New York observer.

From New York Observer.
/ have read your letter with serious
attention. You express wish that
Paul had written an eplstle to Mrs.
Timothy, and as he did not, you ask
me to supply his lack ofservice. Thank
YOU. but must be excused. L could
not think of supplementing that dis
tinguished letter writer. But the fact
that he did not write to her, nor to the
wives of ministers as a class, Is very |
significant.
You say that you are expected and |
required 10 be the bearer Of large |
mart of the burdens of the female work |
in the church: to superintend the So
cieties, to lead the ladies meetings, to
visit the sick, to receive constant ap-
plications for direction to the women
of the hock, and in general to see that
the female department of you hus
bands pastoral charge is kept in yigor-
Gus repair and running order.
[ was quite amused pardon me Tor
being amused at anything that gave you
distress) by your account of the call
which Mrs. Alltalk made upon you,
and with her remark that your first
duty is to the church, and your spare
time may be devoted to your children
and the house. You ask me if
you were right in Saying that you
married your husband and not the
church, and that your children, not
your neighbors, were the gift OF God
to you"
Yes, madam, you were right: Just
right. And if you replied to her with
even more spirit than your meek words
imply, l think you served her right.
And what you failed to say, | will say
for you, thus: f.f 4
The temptation and strong desire of
every pastors wife prompt her to do
all she can to help him in his work, to
serve the churchand please the people.
She is, usually, women of education,
sense, and force, and by her position
is readily put at the head Of things
without giving offence to any one
whereas, If Mrs Ahtalk or Mrs Fidget
is made the leader. half the women in
the parish are put out because they
were not put in. As the pastor is the
best taught man, SO his wife is apt to
be the best qualified woman to teach,
lead, guide and quicken. So, trusts
are easily laid upon her, and her temp
tation is to accept them to the extent
of her strength yes, and beyond her
strength. But her relations to the
pastor and to the church, and to Christ
Its head, are not such as to require any
service from her that is incompatible
with fidelity to the nearer and more
sacred trustof husband and household.
HOME is the church to which she was
called, in which she was ordained and
installed, to which she is to minister
with her whole heart and soul, and for
which she will be called to as strict ac-
count as her husband will be for the
service he has rendered in the pulpit.
When the younger class of married
women are taught in the Bible, they
are told Ito be sober, to love their
husbands, to love their children, to be
discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good,
obedient to their own husbands, that
the word of God be not blasphemed."
This counsel and these commands are
quite as pointedly addressed TO the
WIVES vi IllIlclCiS, W lnS WIVES VI
merchants, farmers or mechanics. And
if you ask, How am | to do all this,
and what the women of the church
want me to do, " | answer that duties
never come in conflict with each 9TH
er." If you cannot be 4 keeper at
home and visitor of the sick in the
parish, then your duty is to stay at
home and to do only so much visit
ing as your domestic affairs, care of
children and the house, will permit.
DO not send Mrs. Alltalk or Mrs.
Eidget in your place, to see the sick.
They will do more harm than good.
But the pastor and the deaeons, and
the neighbors, will see that the sick
are cared for, while you mind the little
ones who are dependent upon you for
daily care. And as to the sewing cir
cles and benevolent societies, and Sun
day-schools, and all that kind of good
works, which every working church
abounds in, you should not feel any
responsibility which is not shared
equally by all the ladies of the eongre-
CATION. You will feel more. Nothing
that can say will convince you that
as pastoress. But you are the pas
tors wife, not the female pastor. You
took no VOWS upon you to serve the
church you promised to be faithful to
your husband. The Bible does not
bid you teach or go visiting, or to man
age the sewing societies; but 1t does
bid you to see to your own house, and
to be a helpmeet for him who is the
servant of the church. Comfort your
self, then madam, with these words. In
the circle of which you are the centre,
the light and the soul, you will work
out the mission unto which you were
sent by Him who said to the disciples,
go into all the world" Your minis
try is to one of those disciples and the
little disciples that are around your
feet. am glad to know that you value
the honor God shows you in putting
you into such a ministry. 1t is the
sweet gospel of love, of conjugal and
maternal love, recognized of the saw
Jour, when on the cross, he turned his
dying eye upon his own mother and
said, Behold thy son." John was to
90 with the gospel to the churches to
Patmos in exile to the death of mar
tyrdom but the woman was to go to
his house.
God has made everything beautiful
in its time and place. His order is
perfect. And when it is allowed to
work itself out the result is perfect:
perfect peace, harmony efficiency and
love. Therefore, be of good cheer. Be
faithful in a few things, and the
many things will be cared for of, Him
who careth for US. And when Mrs.
Alltalk calls again to sting you with her
impertinence and to make you feel mis-
cradle because you cannot be IN three
places at one time, ask her to read this
letter while you are getting the chill
dren supper ready.
IRENRUS