Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-12-22
SEATTLE DAILY SATURDAY


AFRAID % TnE PRRACnK8.
why ssne ClerUnea Ca1y ChiiIy
Atmosphere.
Peck's Sun.
Why is it that young people. as
rule, especially young men, should
fear q clergyman, 1.-THE preacher,
there has never been any good reason
given. Yet. the moment . clergy
man puts in an appearance, gloom,
as 1t were, settles over the company.
aud all begin to act in precise and
very unnatural manner. and not
few. whose hearts are full of jollity
and good humor. silently wish the
preacher would 60 away. Clergy
men have often wondered why 1t was
that when they came around the
hearty laugh and smiling face would
give way to q sort of cholera morbus
all, a chilly atmosphere prevailed,
and the corners of mouths were
drawn down in a way that betoken
an Undesirable internal yearning
one feels after eating unripe fruit.
As a rule. the preacher is not a very
dangerous individual, neither does he
subsist on funerals and everlasting
torment. He does not, at this day,
at any rate, delight 10 toasting sim
ners over everlasting sulphurous
fires. One would think so. though,
to see the resigned expression of woe
aud misery that comes over the
faces of q company OF young
men and women when the minister
comes into their midst. To the cler-
gymen themselves is due this unnatu-
raj state of affairs, in great meas
ure.
A large class of preachers" 60
about with sort of Greenland icy
mountain air, which freezes all the
mirth and good social feeling right
out of those with whom they may
come in contact. This is one of the
causes. Another is found in the fact
that young men and women are too
often reprimanded and threatened
from the pulpit, instead of being
counseled and encouraged. II seems
to be standing rule, with some of
our clergymen. to scold the young
people of their congregation when
they can find nothing else to preach
about. A religious life has come to
be looked upon, by many, as one de-
void of all earthly enjoyment, full of
spasmodic pains, that gives the pro-
fessor's face sort of goneness of ex-
preston, an expression of pain and
anguish, which words fail TO describe.
If there is so much Of good in reli-
gious life, who has q better right to
enjoy the good things of this world
than the professor Of religion A
happy cOuutenance is the index to q
happy heart, and there is no class of
people who should wear q happy
face, unless the professor of religion.
It's Q lack of this, in too many cases,
thatcauses the young men and wo-
men to shun the church. and appear
unnatural when the preacher comes.
A candid and unprejudiced study of
the case. will convince any fair-mind-
ed person that the above points are
true.
There are, however, exceptions to
this rule. There are some real earn
est ministers of the gospel who rea-
lie that a merry heart is not sin,
that to laugh is not the sign of etern-
al damnatiOn. There are q few real
jolly ministers in this world who
have way of gaining the confidence
of the young and whose presence is
courted and who always welcome
guests at socials, parties and picnics
aud in the family circle. These
preachers can tell good story or
laugh at one with such earnestness as
to make them indeed respected and
loved by old and young. and whose
influence and reprOof for q wrong
word and act has greater influence
than stack of sermons and lectures
by those straight-laced and dignified
kind.
A minister is not frivolous or rattle
headed because he relishes q joke,
but on the contrary he Is human
being with sympathy and fellow
feeling for oil mankind. He is no
Pharisee to 90 about with a face q
yard long and a stiff bone in his back
saying, Il am holier than thou art,
miserable worm of the dust" No, he
| weeps with those who mourn, he
laughs with those who laugh and
never neglects to tell the "old, old
story" at such time as it will have
the desired effect. If we had more
human beings for ministers we would
have more young people who world
not scott at the religion of their faith
ers, and have less fear and unnatural
restraint when the minister comes
around.