The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-02-06
OUR TRAVELLED PARSON.

OUR TRAVELLED PARSON.
For twenty ysars and over our good par'on ha'
To chip the bad meat from our hearts and keel
the good from spoiing;
But finally he wilted down, and went to looking
And the doctor said that something must be pu
up for him quickly.
So we kind of dubbed together, each accordiu,
And bought circular ticket in the lands acros
Wrapped some rockct-money in it-what W,
thought would easy do him
And appointed me committeeman to 60 ane
take it to him.
found him in his study. looking rather worn,
And told him twas decided that his flock and h.
Then his eyes grew wide with wonder, and il
seemed almost to blind 'em;
And some tears looked out o window, with some
Others close behind EN-.
Then handed him the ticket. with little bow
And he studied quite little ere he got its propc,
And then the tears that waited, great unmsnaee.
Let themselves ont O. window. and came climb.
ing down his features.
Iwish You could ha' seen him. coming back all
His clothes 80 worn and seedy, and his face so
lwish You ' could have heard him when he prayed
for us who sent him,
And paid us back twice over all the money we
had lent him.
Twas feast to all believers, twas a blight on
contradiction,
To hear one just from Calvary talk about the
Twas damper on those fellows who pretended
they could doubt it,
To have man who'd been there stand and tell
them all about it.
raul maybe heat our pastor in the Bible knots
unravelin1,
And establishing new churches, but he couldn't
touch him travelling,
Nor in his journeys pick up half the general in
But then he hadn't the railroads, and the steam
boat navigation.
And every foot of Scripture whose location used
Was now regularly laid out, with the different
- POINTS OF compass.
When he undertook a picture, he quite natural
would draw it;
He would paint it out SO honest that it seemed as
fyou sawit.
An the way he chiseled Europe-oh, the way he
scampered through it!
Not mountain lodged his climbing, not city
There wasn't any subject to explain in all Gre
alton,
But he could go to Europe and bring back an
illustration.
Sowe crowded out to hear him, much instructed
and delighted;
Twas picture-show, lecture and a sermon
all united;
And my wife would wipe her glasses, and serene
And whisper. That ere ticket was a very good
Investment"
Now after six months travel we were most of
us all ready
To settle down little SOS tolive more staid and
To dcye as home resources, with no foreign cares
Using homemade faith more frequent; but the
parson wouldn't let us.
To view the self-same scenery time and time
again he'd call us.
Der rivers. plains and mountains he would any
minute haul us;
He sighted our home sorrows, and our spirits
aches and alGngs,
To get the cargoes ready for his regular Sunday
salllngs.
He would take us off a-touring in all spiritual
weather.
Till W. at last got homesick like, and seasick al
And " wish to all that's peaceful" said one
free-expressioned brother,
That the Lord had made one continent and
then never made anothern'
Sometimes, indeed. he'd take US into sweet, IA
And pull along quite steadily in the good old
Gospel traces:
But soon NY wife would shudder, Just as if
Whispering Oh, my goodness gracious! he's
a-takin' to the water"'
And it wasn't the same old comfort when he
called around to see us;
On branch of foreign travel he was sure at last
to tree us;
All unconscious of his error, he would sweetly
And with oft-repeated stories still endeavor to
surprise US.
And the sinners got to laughing; and that fin'lly
CALLED and stuug us
To ask him, Would he kindly once more settle
down among us!
Didn't he think that more home produce would
m improve our souls digestions?
They appointed me committeeman to 60 and
ask the questions.
found him in his garden. trim an buoyant as a
feather;
He pressed my hand exclaiming This is quite
How it minds me of the evenings when, your
distant hearts caressng
blessingr'
went and told the brothers, No. cannot bear
to grievc him.
He's So happy in his exile, it's the proper place
took that journey to him, and right bitterly 1
But cannot take e it from him: if You want to-
Now new restraint entirely seemed next Sun
dQN to inf
And he looked SO hurt and humbled that knew
some one had told him.
subdued-like was his manner, and some tones
were hardly vocal;
But every, word he uttered was prominently
local.
The sermon sounded awkward, and we awkward
Twas grief to see him hedge it, twas pain to
nv, hear him word it.
When NV was in was maybe half dozen
But that sentence seemed to scare him, and was
always uncOmpleted.
As weeks went on his old smile would occasion
But the voice was growing feeble. and the face
- began to whiten;
He would look off to the eastward, with listful,
And twas whispered that our pastor in a foreign
land was dying.
The coffin lay mid garlands smiling sad as if
they knew us;
The patient face within it preached a final ser
mon to us;
Our parson has gone touring on trip hc'd long
been earning.
In that Wonderland whence tickets ure not
issued for returning.
tender, good-heartcd shepherd! your sweet
smiling lips half-parted.
Told of scenery that burst on you lust the min
ute that you started!
Could you preach once more among u.s. Won
might wander without fearing;
You could give us tales of glory we would never
tire of hearing.
Wal Carleton, in Harper's Magazine for Feb
rudry.
HONORA'S DECISION.
1T was pretty and picturesque
sight that met Bolton Black gaze as he
paused among the clustering birches Of
the wood.
Nora Leigh was seated on the grass,
with one rosy child on her lap and
two or three others scattered round