The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1880-04-21

Raymond was to be called 10 preach IN
Berkton came, the church received quite
q thorough dusting and brushing inside;
and the brush and weeds around it were
cleared away.
The audience that awaited the new
minister, and that filled the house that
first Sabbath morning was a motley one,
made up of city and country people.
There were those in the height OF fash.
ion as TO dress and there were many
who had worn the same dress, or bon
net, or coat, for quarter of n century,
and were not aware that their garments
were out offashion until they were worn
out.
As the Rev. John Raymond came in
and took his seat upon the ancient
| looking sofa back of the pulpit, two
things in his personal appearance were
noticed; these were an indescribable
sadness in his handsome face, and his
hair, which was very gray for man less
than forty. His sermon was a powerful
one; the Impression left upon the minds
of nearly all his hearers was favorable.
After he. had preached two Sabbaths,
he was asked to settle over the church.
1t was not necessary for George Rankin
to say anything in his favor to secure
the place for him, and he did not; but
his failure to do so was not owing to its
not being necessary, but to the fact that
when he saw Raymond enter the church.,
he thought he discovered in that per-
sons melancholy face and his somewhat
sunken eyes, ,unmistakable evidences that
he was victim to that appetite which,
if rumors had been true, he was doing
all he could to fix within himself dur
| ing the last year Of his college life. But
Rankin, like all the rest, became great
admirer of the eloquent preacher; and
compelled after while to dismiss from
his mind what he came to consider his
| groundless fears. Where before the
Sabbath had been looked upon as a tire
some, dull day, by the fashionable peo-
Pile of Berkton, it was now thought to
be almost equal to any of the other six
| days. To the old inhabitants of the
town the sermon on Sunday was a great
treat.
If the Rev. Mr.. Raymond W as not
very much in earnest he succeeded in
giving the impression that he was; and
the result was an increased religious in
terest among all classes. Persons that
had never or seldom been to church be-
came regular attendants. The church
became uncomfortably full, and there
was some talk of new building.
Church matters had now come to the
front in Berkton.
And yet, though as a preacher Mr.
Raymond was all that could be desired,
there was some dissatisfaction at the
stand he had taken In regard to a GER
tain matter. When he accepted the
call to settle in Berkton, he stated that
his circumstances were such as to make
it impossible for him to call upon his
parishioners or receive callers at his
home. Dissatisfaction at this existed
among both the old inhabitants of the
} place and the sojourners from the city
1t seemed a strange thing to the former
that the minister should not visit them
and to the latter that he forbade them
visiting him. Curiosity sprang up as
to the cause of such a remarkable STATE
/ of things. And that curiosity was not
lessened by the fact that, instead o.
! occupying the parsonage small house
near the church-the new minister haC
rented a large mansion that was bull
J by once wealthy gentleman who, bl