The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-10-15
Religious Mlistsllanp.
Mrs. Martins India Shawl.


ways of Zion. 1t came to Hightstown
with the Martins when the owners hus-
band accepted the call to the Hill
church. Seven hundred fifty dollars
per annum, a parsonage, and found -
in wood and hay, was the stated pro-
vision made by church and society to
insure their pastor against worldly
cares and embarrassments. He had
three boys to educate, a daughter who
was a Wellesley graduate, horse and
a COW. There was Mrs. Martin, of
course. And Mrs. Martin had shawl.
Hightstown was an ancient settle
ment that had never outgrown cast
iron principles, and wrought-iron rules.
There still fingered in the air scent,
color and flavor of the days when there
was but one recognized church in the
commonwealth. The Hill church peo-
pie held, and believed for certain, that
ministers families ought to love prece-
dent, and walk humbly in the fear of
church and parish all their days. Be
meath pious and pretty DISCUSSES of hire
and worthy laborer, they deserted the
truth that such are the beneficiaries of
the pew-holders. They are not igno-
rant of the fact that now and then a
DdSLOl tOtS dSSuillC lllt Sldtt VI IL SuItI-
ain, and the society magnanimously
permit him to maintain it. But inno-
vations were few and unpopular in this
hill-girt country town. "The minister "
belonged to the people. They paid for
him out of hard and honest earnings,
and meant to have their moneys worth.
The Martins appreciated the justice
of this code. Mrs. Martin was a min
L. 4
in churchly usages. She was the triune
directress of the Associate Auxiliary
of the Womans Home Missionary
Board and Woman's Foreign Missionary
Board" The constitution called for
president, secretary and treasurer. She
presided at the meetings, wrote minutes
and reports and kept the accounts. She
led woman's prayer meetings when
anybody else had leisure to attend them,
taught the infant department of the Sun
day-school, accompanied her husband
in pastoral visits, graciously received
all who called at the parsonage at odd
and even hours, and " did her own
work." with such help as her daughter
lent in the intervals of her tasks as
teacher of the district school. In the
achievement of this ordinary routine of
PASTORS helpmeet, she grew yearly
into the similitude of the typical New
England dame. Her comely features
sharpened, much forethought jaundiced
her complexion, the once swan-like
neck was a sallow scrag; she carried
her shoulders high and her chin for
ward, after the manner of a motherly
turkey Her sensible congeners es-
teemed g faculty." above elegance, and
approved, always in moderation, her
household management and general
ways"
1t goes without saying that Mrs. Mar
tin had one black silk gown. Few min
isters' wives are destitute of that essen
tial to tea-drinking responsibility The
story of this gown would, if printed,
rival the metaphysical problem of the
jackknife that lost both blade and
handle. Dress-makerly fiction pro-
nounced it to be the same presented on
the tenth anniversary of her marriage
day by the ladies of a former charge,
" in token off, etc. The parsonage
rag-bag could have offered poser akin
to that which rebutted the professors
assertion that "a thing remains the
same in identity although it may have
suffered change in some of its parts. -"
The good woman was handy " with
her needle, and not blind to the changes
in reigning styles. Her well-saved
dress was never quite in the fashion,
but never so far behind it as to make of
her a veritable antique. In winter,
spring and autumn, she wore black
merino to church and in pastoral
rounds. On festal days and in. very
warm weather, the black silk came to
the front. Whenever an outdoor wrap
was needed, the shawl went on over
both. She had even wrapped it about
calico gown at weekday evening meet
ings, and nobody suspected incongruity
"A fadey, Misunderstanding, cottony
thing that seems if 'twould never wear
out"
Thus the garment was catalogued by
uninitiated gossips. Needle-pointed
eyes had, moreover, deserted more
than one skillful darn in the ming
lings" of the fabric, and it was opined
thas "'twas old as the hills. Likes
not, one of her weddin' things
"Spry" young women, who stiffened
their bangs with quince-seed tea, cut
down cloaks into jackets, and prolonged
jackets into polonaises with bands OF
imitation chinchilla and astrachan, hang
ing on by the eyelashes to the bottom
most hem of Fashions robe were " sicE
of the sight of the dingy old rag
If you b'lieve me, ma, she was bun
died up to the ears in it to-day-thii
roastin' weatherI' protested Miss Eliz;
Allen, while flying round " to set thu
table on an unseasonably warm Sunda,
of early May.
Mrs. Allen had stayed at home to ge
dinner. Her niece from Boston hat
come up to spend week or two will
her to rally from a feverish attack, ag
gravated by the nervous strain attend
ant on her position as forelady in tn
cloak-and-mantle room of FASHIONABLE
dry-goods " establishment"
81 want to know!" interjected tn
housewife. "Well, there! there's no
body holds with equinomical way
more'n what do. But l do conside
as how even minister's wife nigh
afford somethin light and tasty to fin,
round her shoulders in summertime
There's my black lace fisher cost jes
two dollars"
81 know it! declare to gracious,
was real ashamed of Mis- Martin to-day
She was too dowdy. Cousin Eta, sh
KEEP a-lookin' at her IS if she though
she came out o. the Ark. i say "a
hn ntt lIA