Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1880-03-18
Our Poor Parsons.
Ia Ag MiiwMM M

Poor Msoaas are Islhoss as nSd,orous as
pgor clerks, aud great deal more numer-
iSsy, propor,ionally than p0pr, tradesmen,.
l,appiness,noft their. plight,as sDd, .wbother
4iseY- serve the Church or whethor they,
es@8 MpnoonformHA those whom fkE
ssSahs Sas v W prevail pfsesy general sabaesMsl0n
BSfjIs SS6Ss 70 q sSS &fas Il9 9s
than what foreman bricklayer earns. So
loug as he has an iuoomo Of GlOO, or 9[5O,
or, If he is peculiarly fortunate, e2OO per
onayagpEik appears ts IA supposed thasaNho saItg
ss sS of bsssssps "sss ~arsss, s
CURED to set forth tho eternal goodness of
God, and tgssttleWlI tksademsMs Of their
ss xssat0.s ags ssn.ssn Of sn'
10 oloths their families deoenAy, to live in
style, and, at odd times, to givo away 10
IS 4 'se, sS thst d6%eslss seissnt e pGssp aap
starelS DO kept d smaller expense cha" G32
TySaf, 't6ata joint ii meat II nS Ally Size size
cannot be bought for much less than ten
'sbillings, tho wonder is that the poor par
souS w HoI Hyio Aeluentiy uiSaPpotnt tne
expectations formed 'ooncefniDg then-that
They do not moro freqaontly, yiold to temp
tution and become SO soured, SO mean.souled
bouns.ruug as to be rendered incapable of
preaching tho Gospel of Peace. Those
who havo peepod into the homo of poor
parson must be dense indeed if they do, not
appreciate that ho is among tho most sorcly
afflicted beings by tlie'vory ,nature Of his
avocation, his professional duties should call
for tho exercise of all his mental faculties
Yet how often does it happen TINT just at
the very moment that ho is sitting down
to compose sermon upon contentmcnt, q
demahd,is mado on his already empty purse2
Hefoelo that ho must" BY hook or by
crook, make ends meet; that ho must, como
what may, continue an honest man in the
eyes of his noighbors. So he noglcots to
buy books which arc almost indispensable to
the successful performance of HE ministe-
rial duties; ho allows his wife to 60 about in
rathor q more shabby dress than does his
houscmaid, and he gives shis children in too
many cases very different sort Of cduca-
tion from that which he himself has re-
ocived. There must be q wonderful sus-
tanning power in Christianity, or he would
inevitably, invariably sucoumb under the
fearful strain that is put, upon him. Occa-
sionally he has not oven the sympathy of his
own wife and family with him. The great
econ6n,y which they have to practice is
irksome to them, especially as they sec that
the wives and families Of men who arc
much inferior to their husband and father
are living in opulencc and surrounded by
overy comfort. They feel, PERHAPS, ore
than he does, the falscness of their position;
how they arc in ono sense, much superior
TO the majority Of their follows, and how in
another, because they lack wealth, infinitely
inferior. Poor parsons and their families
60. in good society, of course, into society
which many wealthy and comfortable
ohecsomonger would give his cars to be
embraced by; but they do SO 10 false po-
sition; they are patropized rather thar
oourted; and in too many instances they orc
made 10 feel their social insignGcance in Il
manner moro foroible than pleasant. II
is,urged against parsons that thoy nre wont
TO visit tho richer members of their hocks
10 the neglect of their poorer ones. W.
cannot blame them greatly if tho allegation
is true. After all they arc but frail moi
like their neighbors, and he is not to be
wondered Mt If they arguo that their neigh
bors, and it is not to be wondered at if the,
argue that their peculiar condition renders
itlnecessary for themto consider which wa,
tbeirsbread isibuttercd,, and whoSbltters II
Ifsthay can get additions made toStheir mis-
erable stipends by paying court to the
richer members Of thor congregation, it i.
not strange that they should pay such court
OF course it may bo urged by those who
havetnev suffered from straitened mean.
themselves that q parson should be elevated
above the world; that ho should nut hi
trust in God; and that ho should love tn,
laborer as much as tho merchant prince
This is,very pretty in theory, but par
sons arc no more likely to be false t.
their instincts than other men are 81
long as they arc rscked to the cares
Of tho world. If congregation wishe.
its pastor to throw his whole
heart and soul into his work to bt
q pattern of oontentmcnt and relcious
hope, it must pay him so that tho more
sordid cares of life will not overlastingly bt
tormenting him. It must enable him tc
live in ease if not in luxury, to properly
educate his children, and equip Ills wife
that she may be enabled to hold her owr
In the world both asa woman and a parse
ness. Religion should teach us to do unto
others as VIC would have others do unto us
The position of minister is perhaps ono OF
the most responsible, at least morally, that
can be hold by any man. 1t is therefore
obvious that he should he FREQ from all
embarrassment and independents in his
action. Christian Union.
BIBLE TEnMs.-Readcrs of the Bible
will be interested in the folIowinp oxnl,no.