Middletown transcript., 1875-10-23
Religious Bummers.

. Religious Bummers. .ati
y In the days of my childhood, to th
house of my father, who was a countr
pasto:,, came minister, having n
home. family, or work. An English
7 man by birth, admitted to the ministry
in that country. and, finding no parisl
! that desired his services there, he emi
grated to our benighted land, in full
assurance that his farthing candle wouli
be burning and shining light on these
shores. He had some sort of introduc.
tion to my father, who took him in,
and gave him that hospitality which is
+ often serious fax upon the purse and
the pantry of a rural minister. One
little incident of that visitation sur
wives: sTheSstraBger was reading the
Scriptures in family worship, and, for
the first time, we children { heard Ifithe j
cockney use and abuse Of the aspirate !;
for he read in Isaiah, athe hox knoweth
is howner and the bass is masters
crib,' which was never forgotten in
that house. yon may believe. We
| sought an explanation of the meaning
of such English, and received it with
the parental injunction never to make
fun of the peculiarities of other people
I have always obeyed that direction. /
The wandering star passed out Of our
vision, for season, but returned again
at irregular intervals for many years.
He never became fixed star. Forty
years after he first made his appearance
in our rural parish, l was attending an
ecclesiastical meeting in another part
of the country, and the case of "a home
less minister was brought up = He was
said to be in actual need Of daily bread
and shelter A contribution was made
for his relief. | found that he vas the
same English minister whose aspirates |
had amused me when a boy, and whose /
young limbs had brought him to our
door, Now, l was called on to pity |
the sorrows of the poor old man, for
he, had wandered fnps audgldoRn the
country all these many and weary
years, seeking rest and finding none,
and now in extreme age and many in
firmities. unable to travel on, be must
lie down and die. He had literally
begged Of ministers his way through
life. 1t was his habit to go from place
to place, with this one question, is
there vacant pulpit in this region
where l can be employed?' p He knew
very we'll there was none that craved
his aid. Rejected a hundred times, be
had long since learned there was no
work in the ministry for him to do.
But when he found himself in the snug
chimney corner of rural PASTORS quiet
lome, the stout and lazy wanderer
showed no signs Of moving, but liter
lily copied the sentiment of the apostle
Who was in every state content. So
ong as the patience of the pastors wife
leld out, the unwelcome guest held on.
What means were used to dislodge him !
re not on record, but it is quite likely
hat council of war in the nighttime !
ed the good woman of the house to say !
hat the lodger must leave or she would, ?
nd, when it comes to that, the lodger J
Or the most part leaves. {
Then he moves on to the house Of y
ONE other brother in the ministry
he same scene is repeated here. In 6
ow many pastoral residences it is gone Il
yer, it is impossible to say Often re- q
ef is found only by paying heavy q
ax for it. When was pastor in the y
ountry, one of these peripatetics came Z
my door on Friday night. intro
uced himself and gave me testimonials Il
+ his regular standing in the Church. n
[e put up with me, and 1 had to put 81
p with him. He hindered me in my ii
reparation for Sunday, but that was t,
OF the worst of it, for he begged Of t,
lie to let him preach I would have a,
referred to enjoy that pleasure myself b
[e did. He fingered through Monday. q
uesday went, but be staid then et
I'D to him: -. "
Which way do you propose to 81
'avel? 2 49,. h
He turned look Of great sadness al
pom me and answered fe