New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-07
LIFE IN GEORGIA.
A METHODIST CIRCUIT RIDER.

rREACHER-WORLDLY COMFORTS ~" INN
FLOCK BUT NOT FOR THE SHEPHERD
In one Of the larger towns OF Middle Ueofg'a 'nefe
lives good man who fos fifty years has borne the
har6shr,s and known the fetigues OF an itlncrant
nreacaer and is still at WORK for his Master though
be seems like relic of a Ions. past day. ta thin.
browu-skinned old man is the Rev. Leonidas R'with
blue, deep-suuken eyes ami white hair and beard
He is careless in Dress and his coat and trousers
are both decidedly too short, AID from his vest some
of the buttons are missing. fle is deaf. and wheh
answering question does it slowly and heSiiatingiy
as If he were still listening to catch the words "hc
have been addressed 10 HIM But when he begins
to narrate an experience his speech ready aad iui
of Queer dry wit Ii being SAID recently thst ms par
sonage this year was poorly provided with many
necessares specially bed and table Oh tue
sisters in the church gsaciousy sent nm some VI
their own choosing the old and the worn One 'aoe
cloth was spread out before the venerable man; III
was fuil of holes He looked at it without trace
Of anger IN his trembling eye. Well. now, thew
came pretty near beng too late about seniing tlat
tablec,oth didn't they 7" lie said nlusingly.
The pa-sonage furnished by his circuit of four
churches to their preacher. who has a vito and
child living with him, is queer little WOODEN
structure story high at one end and two stores
high at the other, the roof inciInng upward ana
the lower room of the two-siory end being two or
three steps lower than the other. When he came 10
il from hts last years station week or two IN al
vance of his wife, for whom the good man Wisheu
TO prepare what comfort H. could, there were neither
shutters shades nor curtains 30 the small, many
paDed windows not carpet on the hoois ho
crockery but broken fragments of two or tilree
nuch- abnsed sets of stoneware; great lack oil
household linen, and only the wreck OF poor Iurn-
ture throughout the house. This seems incredible
shabliness in comparatively wealthy country
neghborhooi which pays several hundred doda's
salary but most of the peOp" 1--we III tire p!ainest
STYLE themselves. even though they NAV be rich.
The people mean well enOug&. II being declared by
some ladies of the Methodist Church IN town VINO
had a preacher and a parsonage of their own that
some of Mr. RS people ought at least TO see
TO il that there enough china ID set taDc ne
fore his wife should come, one dollar Tor crockeIy
was promptly sent in! The ladies who were beStiT-
mo themselves for the neglected brother took this
magnificent sum and went forth to purchase.
When they saw Brother X. again the old man was
looking at the dishes with a curious expression
There were six china plates and some vegetable
dishes
eff Won can buy as much china as that for one
dollarn he said with twinkle in his eye, ri get
YOU to 90 shopping for me again. Much obhgeh 10
YOU for making that dollar go so far" Ard they
knew that their small contributions were appre-
cated
They went to work and swept and busted his
bonse made up the beds 80 far as the sheets wouio
60 made and tackled up some curtains fashioned Oh
sheets parts of which were past service ana
assisted N getting up some sha les of green cambric
running "A hath through The lower end, ana lacking
ND with them piece of green tape which tled them
in place whel they were rolled IN. The windows
bejpg dcceutly screened they washed all The pieces
OF glass aud china which could DO used and When
the wife came had hot supper ready for her.
There were TWO tumble-down outbuldngs in the
parsonage ward, with Notwithstanding torn away
in places. and utterly dilapdated. The preacher
slmply askel permission to take these two houses
down. one of them being intended for servants
room and one for a kitchen, 50 that he mlsat him.
self fashion one weatherproo building OF the two.
Permission for this was reiusedl The good man
I showed no wrath, but observed. with a dry little
sinile
well now, when my wife comes she isn't gong
TO stand tins sort of thing. They'd better let me
get il ready for her. because she is gong 10 EaVe
things night when she comes"
Whether this powerful INTIMIDATION OF no.
the permission was finally accorded
Fifty years ago. when NJ. +. entered the ministry
Soutb and North Carolina were IN one conference,
and Georgia and Alabama had just been separated
into conference of their His first appoint
1nent WAS rs junior preacher circuit in tie
shape # 4 figure s the parsonage beng al the CEN
ire of the figure where The lines The cIrcnlt
was about 800 miles round. The parsonage was
a one-roomed house, 12X1G, with a lott III Wh'cu
he slept when he wa not away Oh his work; tht
loft was reached by ladder. They GU their OWL
wood and did their own work. for IN tn Sc days
nobody thought of waiting on ministers. 1t was
fashona Ole thea for a man TO have gathers IN hl
coatsleeve3. Now, i'll the upper part OF the circu
they liked the minister TO dress, aud he had a suit
made especially 10 wear there But in the lowel
mart they would by no means tolerate snch Vantie'
IN the minister, however much they might Ike Ii II
themselves when he went down there nc AWAY
stopped at the parsonage, ana put on IA CASTOR
suit of hOnlespun that somebody had gwen nm
and the people were greatly edited.
There is no reckoning the hardships this man has
undergone. In travelling about he would stop al
the houses of the derent members to eat and sleep
Directly after supper he always had prayers, ant
went to his room and studied until 10 o'clock
Then he went to bed. and got up again at 4 in the
morning summer and winter and studied TIL d, a.
about which time they usually had breakfast
Then he went down stairs warmed himself by tho
fire if the weather cold, ate breakfast, h1'
prayers, and was off. Then he rode along on hl
horse his clothes in his saddle.bags and book Il
his hand On those occasions when he reSte'
and STAYED whole day at house, he only CAM
out of his room 10 meals; but aged by himself II
heat or cold-they never thought of giving JUNO
preacher a 6re-and studied OF read. The people
were always fond of talking TO the minister, but III
head was full of his work and he had no time 10
gossip. He tells an amusing story aGont TWO gri
who were determined TO make him talk hut Ia
had resolved to have no idle talk with women, AM
ESCAPED 10 his room every time they tried to engag
in conversation. Finally. one day they came to III
room on some pretext or other lie heard 'hen
coming. and Is they got inside the door III
closed his book and sad Let MS pray" There
upon he tel upon his knees and gave the girls
specimen Of bis long petitions which exercise