Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-01-28
An Absent Minded Clergyman.

IMl4Ips.J
An Absent Minded Clergyman.
Dr Samncl West of Dartmouth. Mass,
was one ui the celebrities OF New Eu. gland
during The latter halt OF the last century.
lie worked upon a farm until hi, 4Jth
year, when he spent six months Ia prvpAg-
inS for college aud Ia 1860 started fOr lIar-
ward College DarciOOted, carry IN. his shoes
and stockings under hi arm On being
examined Tor admission. he had a dl,putc
With tue professor ia regard u Grcck
reading, Ia which he IS SAID to have car
rIcJ ms point. lie wAs settIed ia 1861 On
4 salary or G6 pounds - ;. Gl.. which,
small a. K was, Was not paid. lie WAS
twice married Ills first wife Ma VERY
ta,.. aHd her christian name WAS EXpcr.-
cncc. a common one at tuat time. AtcF
her death he sLtd hc had learned from
IyHJ efYcTtcHcc that It v 4s ! good thing To
bt married, and - he tOOA another W.ly.
ne WaS Al ardent pItTlUt lgom tac ocgtu-
uuI ui the dliiiLullc- Win IuIl4AI, Al4I
was un>partuS IN hi, dyuuuCllt ui
those who were unwilling 10 come out On
thc side ui their country. immediately AL
ter the battle ut BunAcr Ilui he jDlucd the
army 10 do what Ac could As "A minister 10
keep up the courage Of the soldiers, and to
promote their welfare. lie gained great
hotorictF by dcoIpAcriuc tor General
Washington tTcASoHa5.c letter from III!
Church q au officer OF tuu British a~tns.
a full account vi which d, contained Iu
SPARKS Nrtlu-, OF Washington. During
tnC Revolutionary Mar Ar rendered lm-
PorIAnt service ~ the county. lie WAS
an important member oi the convent! !uu
tAdt adopted thc Constitution. auI u na,
through IA, lnnucICc that GoycCuur liam
cock wa- Induced TO gtSr III, consent ID
the adoption Of the FcIcraI Constitutions.
United ~taic., lac spent many OI ht- cNcA-
luss abroad aud generally returned with
M pocket, filled with hIudAcrchla T., stN
,tDckln.s. ana other small articles. auu
wA- grcatiy distressed on nudIu- tH"m
there thinking that he had taken them al
( aud dropped them into hi, pucAct. Ia IACL
they had been placed there by friends W.i'
tuoA this method OF making him presents
We'll knowing that lie VA, too udth tn-
gagged ln Conversation 10 take any notice
I ui 10. While he WAS pastor hl> friends
/ would sometimes find hun on III horse,
I which hrd stopped to craze by the way->ii'
Y the bride loose, and the Doctor : hahd'
. folded on her breast. and himself wholly
I absorbed In his own thoughts. Oncc ht
I Went out 10 NTi'F 4 cow from NJ \ Al u Ai'
4 sitiAul. at her with long board, MISE,
| tile COW, and was himself brought % tht
| ground. and split lis small clothes nearly
the whole length Of the leg. lie knew
nothing OF this latter accident; but gather
ing himself up, and forgetting entirely
where he was. he went on without la
three miles, entering friends house. an
passed the night talking with him 70 n
Consideration of his wife, who, on h, rt
turn saw in what plight hc was III Tor
visit - one ot the most gcntcel fannie
OF the parish. He once met friend. am
told hin that he and lis wife We're on thcl
Nay u make him 4 visit. y our wife;
said his friend. Where is She. w hy
replied The doctor, Il thought she was .
the piilIuu behind me. Sire had got read
"a accompany him. and the ab,cnt-mindt
Doctor had gone of without her. II
, would sometimes ut the church, stop at u
horse block for his wife TO dj,mount, wht
! She had been forgotten and wa, still
home. once he went to mill, leading HI
horse and carrying the gri>t on his shou
. uer. one who saw him on the way, sta''
: ! that when before his second marriage,
e went u ask the town clerk To publish II
. bans, he walked the whole distance lea
:. ing his horse, aud passed directly by Il
!. house OF the town clerk. and did not ha
n until he was brought up by a log at 4
4? end OF a wharf.
If Oace, upon Saturday afternoon, VIII
, on his way home from Boston, he was ri
ing on horseback. His family at hoI
A were anxiously expecting his return. !
At he did not make his appearance until t
If last moment on Sunday morning. when
it was seen hurrying his horse onward, "
,e muddy ruiiles dangling about his ham
H. and another large rufiie hanging out
: his bosom through the open vest. which
L. usually kept buttoned close 10 his chin.
IL never had worn such embellishments
id fore, and never afterward could tell h
r. he came by them then. 1t was too late
"a make change, the congregation W
u. waiting. His daughter buttoned up
e. vest 50 as to hide the ruffles of the bose
n. and carefully tucked the rufiies in abb
ur the wrists. During the opening servl
=. all went very well, but probably feel
he | uneasy about the wrists. he twltched
ed them until the rufiies were flourish
s. about, and then growing warm as he
81" vanced. he opened his vest and made :
i'm an exhibition of muddy refinery as ten
rat very little to the religious ediiication of
re- younger portion of his audience. lie
IN on terms of intimacy with DR.. Whitrid
AL physician of Tivcrton. X. L., ar wi
md house he frequently met the CtieDfs
| DR. Hopkins, of Newport, another fri
"" II was not often that three such men y
ere brought together. They usually 81
of nearly the whole night in conyersat
Who DR.. Hopkins sometimes required
Wit sleep. but the morning light not III
hat quently found the others still up. On
ay? occasion, DIR. West having mounted
lSit horse a little before night, DIR. Whitr
sin went out barefooted to see him oil. A
k of topic was started the horse walked
Ad- few steps and stopped, then a few :
YOU more, the friends being still earnsstl.
are gagged in conversation. At last they
will alarmed by the appearance OF a light II
ey- east. which. after short time, they T
We was the break of day. His absen,
se.) mind increased upon him as he becam
s,in vanced in years, and at length his me
Or failed. although his intellect. when eS
and retained much of its yigor. He had pr
ing ed the same sermon to his cOngres
nv three Sabbaths IN succession, but no
opu- Der of the family was willing to iii
hern him by informing him of what h'
,hom done. The fourth Sabbath his dan
Is OF saw with heavy heart tnat he had hi
pass BILE open at the same place. the para
y, If the rich man and Lazarus. Fortunat
emen left the room for a moment; she Q
&c of the Bible at another place, and put II
HE with the leaf turned down just as
than left it in his own place. When he tC