Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1877-09-13

A Word to Ministers
3 Wives.
For the Fayetteville ohsaruo-


For the Fayetteville Observer.
Society is a vast, and compli-
Gated machine whose constitu-
'ent wheels and levers are lnu-
tually dependent oneach others
action. If one part be injured,
the efficiency Of the remainder
is impaired. IF several wheels
have sustained serious damage,
the entire fabrication becomes
inert and valueless. If the va
rious departments of the social
compact do not harmonic, their
action must necessarily create
confusion and grating diseord.
All the constituents must occu-
Ply the position for which they
were designed, else they will
counteract and destroy the mo-
ton, which they were intended
to produce. ee5
To preserve religion in all its
purity and holiness, friendship
and sociability are as necessary
as the atmosphere is for the
maintenance of the life OF man.
How often do we see this grand
fabric of divine mechanism, rem
dered inefficient by the mis-
placement or mal-action of the
one essential part-the minis
ter's wife. She who should
regulate the action Of christian
society, rendered an idle ineffi-
cient wheel, by the want of So
ciability. Sad to say, there are
a great many minister's wives
who do not appear to recognize
the fact, that sociability is an
inherent principle Of human ma
ture, and may justly be regard
ed as one among thestrongest and
most irresistible in its operation
that pertains to mans mental
economy. They do not appear
to be cognizant of the truth,
that the minister and his flock
are as one great family, bound
together by social ties, whose
links should be stronger than
adamantine chains. That their
happiness and interest are insep-
arably woven together. THAT
our occupations, be they mental
or manual, require the cement
ing ties of friendship to give
them success. How often does
the heart of the minister Ian
guish and pine, because of the
want of sociability on his wifc's
part? How often his finer sem
sibilities blunted and deadened?
Hisintellectual capacitiesmarred
for want of friendly encourage
ment, and the man who once
proudly reared his noble hand
in. triumph, now, for the want
OF proper stimuli, sinks beneath
the level of his surrounding
compeers. O, what a sad spec
tacle to behold a minister's wife,
in whom that dread monsters,
selfishness, has destroyed this
indispensable part Of nature
the disposition to mfngle in
sweet intercourse with fellow
beings. Yet such painful sights
we are occasionly compelled to
see, and such should invariably
receive the hcarticst condemns.
tion orall classes. The minis
ters wife should be sociable.
Without this essential, she
is not fit to be a minister's wife.
Without it she cannot properly
occupy the sphere in which she
proposes to act. Without it
shc is a drone-a nuisance to.
the community in which she
lives, and worse than all else a
clog to her husband. He does
the work, she undoes it. How
can a minister take his stand in
the pulpit, preach christian
love and sociability as an en-
bassador of Christ, when his
wife, sitting directly in front of
him, will leave the church after
services without speaking to
any one, excepting perhaps to
some wealthy church member?
Ladies generally think them
selves highly honored when
they are so fortunate as to mar
ry a minister, and they think
correctly. But because they
have married a minister. should
they consider themselves bet
ter than other people; should
they, because they have mar
ried a minister look down on
the common people, and shun
them as if they feared contami-'
nation by the association?
Should they because they have
married a minister, dress better
than other people, because jeal-