Litchfield enquirer., 1879-02-06

Celihate Clergy ?" ... .-s s.
 Il hope your wife is well,' said one morn ing to Caligula spoke with something of a society air in my anxiety. newly acquired. to avoid the twang of patronage Indeed, think put the question rather gayly. like a.man ex- changing the compliments of New Years c Il; /'4-"t
 Caligula was cleaning my coat He had the ammonia bottle, and with assiduous, cramped finger was rubbing the spot spattered by the turtle-soup at dinner. He did not immediate ly answer me. When he did. he said:
 Powerful strong anmony. sar, dis yere" |" He lifted his eyes the melancholy eyes of his race. I found myself unexpectedly face to face with an old mans difficult and impressive tears .H. f.s.
 She's well, sar yes. Mari is well, tank God. She's pcart an; well. An sos de chil- len. They's powerful peart chillen, sar."
 -'l have some washing. if she wants it, said, with the irrelevance of perpleXity.
 Tank you. str. She don't take in now"
 Why, what's the nbatter?'
 It takes the bliIntnesS and the bOldness Of yosth tand had both) to ask such questions. Crligula put down the ammonia bottle and slowly folded tie coat before he said:
 Mis- Hub, sar, Mari's ont with ne"
 ''Oulwith you, Caligula ?'
 She's been ont wid me, SAT, dis two years. She's powerful spcrited woman. Mari. Mist Hub. s;ar, my wife hain't spoke 10 me for two whole years."
 He bowed as he said this. crouching little. It is not easy to put into words the effect the motion had upon me as if the creature must apologize to another for his very sorrows. was ye,lng and theological student l knew little about sorrow. But felt to the bottom of my untaught untried heart that was i'll the presence of pr ,foun aff1 ction. Biology offered no assistance for such emergencies. Original Sin" gave ne no suggestion. l ran over the main points in my paper on the Gel ibate Clergy" without avail. In simple des peration, l said: .a .-f
 ''Caliguia, beg yolr pardon" ....
 Flank you, sar," said Caligula He was at work once more on the turtle spot. rubbing meekly with bent, bald head. As he rubbed his earrings shook.
 --4! >lii -Aei know you had domestic troubles l diu not mean to lntruev~,hnon them by--by careless questions"
 No, sar. Tank you, sar."
 There was s silence.
 You'd been kind to her, of course, Caligu- ia :" 1 ventured, breaking it at last.
 Il tried to be, Mist iiub" said Caligua gently. She's powerful sperl;ed woman. Mari he added slowly. 'sShe can't stand much. We disa greed sar, bout de doctrine of Immersion. Mari took to the 'PiscOpals. to St. Johns. A powerful aristOcratica church, St. Johns, Mist Hub sported mainly by head walters and barbers. sar. Mari an ne, we disagreed on Immersion an 'Postolic Success siou- tried to be kind to her ; but she hainl spoke 10 me for two years 1 don't wish to find no fault with Mari but it's hard, some ways, to git long sar. She won't take in nor go out, sar, to earn nothing. Nor yet she won't cook, sar an tend up at home. She haint lifted finger to do for nie for nigh two years, sar. She doos for de chilcn, sar; bat she neber doos for nle."
 ''Bnt do you support, do you take care of her. under the circumstances, Caligula?"
 ''Sartainly, sar. She has claim upon me for sport. She's my wife. She has de legal claim. I sports lem all, sar, de same as il Immersion hadn't come between us. It comes mite hard but don't wish to find no fault with Mari
 "You're too good to her." said, hotly.
 Caligula lifted his mead. ''She is my wife, sar," he answered, simply.
 You're too good to her, all the same, Cali gula."
 ''So she says, Mist Hub. It's that she's most hi gh speried about. She says it makes her heaps ob trubbe-id thesway of giltin' the divose'
 Divorce Does she want divorce ?"
 "Yes Mist Hub, sar. She's been tryin' for de divose dis year while past. Mebne she'll get it, sar, de lawyer done says. I'd be sor ry," said Caligila, signing. But de Lord understan's tine matter lies de best lawyer know, sar. You see, Mist Hub, sar, I've snrter put de case in his hali's. He knows Mari He must kinder see what powerful fine woman she is, seltin' 'Postoca Success Si.l n o t a9I fhatn hirl bt, giv' her A handsome woman, tso," pursued the sweep straig tightening. His eye flashed with marital prde hnt across his dark anG heavy jaw there passed the pinchcd look pc culiar to those species of animals who suffer without Outcry.
 did not understand the expression being, as 1 say, but twenty six. But understood that did not understand it, and sat before Caligua awed and silent. Who was 1, that 1 should comfort, instruct, or edify my Negro sweep? Love? 1 had thought myself in love once ortwicc, in su inner vacations; when the moon was on the river when the twilight touched the sea; when the wind blew soft hair against my face; when the scent of flowers was strong; when people in parlors sang love songs without the lamps; when it was not in cumbent to reduce ones visions of domestic life upon rural clerical income to the coher- ence of an immediate engagement.
 This black brute, it seemed, could love a wOman in his own way. WoH, what way it was
 Christianity? had chosen the sacred pro, fession whose peculiar precinct 1t IS to define for other men their duty to God and man; to inspect their motives: to judge their conduct. to prescribe their principles to be their leader through their subtle perls and delicate intox- ications of d spiritual consideration.
 NJ ! t.lHf of of. To nial, of purity, of integrity to this Negro Bap tist, building my fires there, crouched, patient, kneelng on the seminary floor! .-
 l looked at tue man with peculiar inter est, remember, as if had never seen Chris tian before as if had discovered the type ot character. My heart said "Caligula, teacn me"
 l was still young enough not to ask for the other side of d story that appealed to my sym patbles; and 1t was not until happened to lunch one day with Mari's lawyer-a professor in the Harh,outh Law School, l regret to be obliged to say that it occurred to ine what d shock it would be to discover in my St. Cali gula sonIe ordinary domestic tyrant of uncer- tain habits, temper. or purse. strings from whom the protective marriage laws of the pa rental state would be richly justified in freeing that handsome, high spirited. but long suffer
 
 1 measured my escape by my sensations, when Burraye said, careessly: .s
 You have phenomenon up at Deprayity Hall, in the shape of your sweep; one of the best husbands 1 ever knew in my life. Eli! Oh yes, the divorce. | think shai be able to the woman the divorce fro.a him. Shouli have got it last year if he'd neglected her or showed temper. She'll make it lnconpatibill ty, thilIk-uuder the present laws. Curious case. The worse she acts the better he treats her: He's hard pushed, poor chap. Very cu- rious case. Why. confound it the fellow seensto love the woman! Says he promised to, when they got married!
 Having neither experience nor wisdom with which to help Caligula, offered tim tue only trides at my conlhand- money and reverence. He accepted both, without remarks. lie seemed to be suffering from an attack of dumb gratitude. But next week he appeared with d new broom. l al not versed in the natural history of broons but suppose this to have been rectangular in shape, for the corners of my bedroom were clean from that day forever more. , ..-s.t :. - ..
 Being very much occupied about this time xx,sf ,i,