The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-01-30

and theology give women back seat.
The great work of the world is per-
formed by men; but there yet remains
much that must be done, and this labor,
which is of an anxious and obscure
sort, distasteful to men is very natural
ly performed by women. SO i'm church
work the parsons wife supplements the
parson; but when Mary Jane had poor
health, and had to take care of two ba-
bies and do all of our housework and
sewing, l really did not see how she
could supplement me, and / did not in
sist upon it. The Griggsville church,
however, made the usual demands up
on her, and should no doubt have been
compelled to leave Griggsville long ere
this If she had not caught q timely cold
by going out in furious snow-storm
to attend a meeting to promote the
spread of the gospel in Abssinia. That
cold resulted in n three months siege
OF rheumatism which has proved in its
way blessing; for the parish no long
er expects her to attend every meeting,
and the ladies content themselves by
petting mo as much as possible and say
ing spitcfnlly, "What a power dear
Mr.. Buttles would be If he had wife
worthy of him."
When bought my first COW, Deacon
Bulge took me all over the country to
look at beasts, white, red, black and
brindle, short-horned, long-horDed and
mulley, and as we were riding home,
the Deacon after long period of ST.
lcace, said abruptly, "Mr. Buttles, hev
ye any idee, now, what sort of critter
ac0uld suit YEP"
There are eleven churches in Griggs-
will, ten of which are Protestant, so
have had considerable opportunity to
observe parsons wives, and I have
never seen, as yet, one who quite pleases
her husbands parish. One lady dresses
too much, one does not dress enough.
One is too domestic, one is too officious
in church work. One never speaks i'm
meeting, one talks to the exclusion of
some of the sisters who are gifted in ex-
hortation. There is always fly in the
ointment. When l hear the criticisms
made upon these worthy ladies, whose
only sin is that they are parsons wives
l am sometimes tempted to ask the
critics, as Deacon Bulge did me when
l could not find COW to my mind,
"Hev ye any idee what sort of critter
would suit ye."
AS the parish will not let the parsons
wife alone, nor allow her the same
freedom in the pursuit of liberty and
happiness it permits to other women, |
think each sect ought to establish train
ing-schools where young women who
contemplate marrying parsons can be
educated to please the parish. Unpre-
possessing female orphans could be
utilized to advantage by such institu-
tions, and spinisters so inclined could
be worked of as third and fourth wives
to widowers of the cloth. Minister'S
wives who don't suit could be sent to
one of these schools for few months,
and return to be tho delight of thcii
husbands flocks.
The single minister, instead of run
ming the guantlet he now does, and SC
incurring the dread.ul,risk of marrying
a worldly young miss, could quietly
look over the department roll of the
training-school of his sect, visit the
chapel at morning prayer and make hi
selection, confident that his wife il
| warranted to suit.
OF all the plans that have occurred Il
me this appears most feasible. TIL,
cost of these schools would be inconsid
cradle, for the faculties could be mad,
up of doacons, old ladies and spinister
who would be so delighted in thei
work that salary would be to them o
secondary consideration. Each churcl
could have a society to raise funds TO
| the necessary expenses, and at lcas
three ladies could hold Office. The sup
| nlv Of yOuuQ women trained cOuld b