The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1880-03-12
OUR POOR PARSONS.

Poor parsons are almost as numerous
as poor clerks, and u great deal more
numerous, proportionally than poor
tradesmen. But few appear to fully |
appreciate the unhappiness Of their |
plight; and, whether they serve the |
Church or whether they serve Noncon- |
formity, those whom they serve are !
callous to their wrongs. There seems
to prevail q pretty general impression !
that a parson ought to be able to make |
himself and a family comfortable upon |
less than what foreman bricElayer |
earns. So long as he has an income of |
slOO, or .fl5O, or, If he Is peculiarly |
fortunate, 600 per annum, it appears |
to be supposed that he ought not to
want anything more. Now, the thou
sands of poor parsons who are required
to set forth the eternal goodness of
God, aud to settle all the demands of
their creditors just as if they were men
of the world, are expected to dress like
gentlemen, to clothe their families |
deceutly, to live in style, and, at odd |
times, to give away In charity, seeing /
that II suit of black costs f5 or &c, that |
a domestic servant can rarely be kept
at q smaller expense than E32 year,
be bought for much less than ten shill-
ings, the wonder is that the poor par
sons do not more frequently disappoint
the expectations. formed concerning
them-that they do not more frequent
ly yield to temptation and become
so sOured, so mean sOuled, SO unstrung
as to be rendered incapable Of preach
ing the Gospel of Peace. Those who
have peeped into the home of q poor
parson must be dense indeed II they
do not appreciate that he is amongst
the most sorely afflicted beings, BY
tho very nature of his avocatid his
professional duties should call fu# the
exercise of all his mental faculties.
Yet how often docs it happen that just
at the very moment that ho is sitting
down to compose u scrm on upon con-
tentment, a demand is made upon his
already empty purse? He feels that
he must, by hook or by crook, make
ends meet ; that he must, come what
may, continue an honest, man in tho
eyes of his ncighbors. So he neglects
| to buy books which arc almost intiis-
pensable to the successful performance
Of his ministerial duties he allows his
wife to go about in rather a more
shabby dress than docs his housemaid,
| and he gives his children In too many
cases very different education from
that which he has himself received.
There must be a wonderful sustaining
power in Christianity, or he would
inevitably invariably succumb under
the fearful strain that is put upon him.
Occasionally lie has not oven tho SYM
pathy of his own wife and family with
him. The great economy which they
have to practise 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 opulence and surrounded
by every comfort. They feel, perhaps,
their position how they arc, in one
sense, much superior to the majority
OF their fellows, and how in another,
because they lack wealth, infinitely
inferior. Poor parsons and tho fnmi-
lies 60 into good society, of course, into
society which many Il wealthy and
comfortable cheescmonger would give
his ears to be embraced by but they
do 80 in n false position, they arc
patronised rather than courted; and
in too many instances they are made
to feel their social insigniflance In II
manner more forcible than pleasant.
1t is urged against parsons that they
are wont to visit tho richer members
of their hocks to the neglect of their
poorer ones. We cannot blame them
greatly if the allegation is truc. After
all they arc but frail men like their
neighbors, and it is not to be wondered
at if they argue that their peculiar con-
dition renders it necessary for them
to consider which way their bread is
buttered and who buffers it. If they
can get additions made to their miscr-
able stipends by paying court to tho
richer members of their congregation, /,
it is not strange that they should pay
such court. OF course it may be urged
by those who have never suffered from
strnitened means themselves that n
parson should be elevated above the
world that he should put his trust In
God; and that he should love the
laborer as much the as merchant
prince. This Is very pretty in theory,
but parsons are no more likely
to be false to their instincts than
other men are. So long as they
arc racked to- the cares of the world
If congregation wishes its pastor to
throw his whole heart and soul into
his work, to be a pattern of content
mcnt and religious hope, 1t must pay
him so that the more sortlid cares Of
life will not cverlastingly be torment
ing him. 1t must enable him to live
In case if not in luxury to properly
. educate his children; and equip his
wife that she may be enabled to hold
j ! }.of !.