St. Landry democrat., 1884-11-01
CALLING ON THE NEW MINISTER.

CALLING ON THE NEW MINISTER.
MY husband and I tried to excuse
our conduct by saying it was the length
of the drive and depth of the mud that
had prevented our calling on Rev. Mr..
Mayberry before. At the end of three
months that excuse seemed futile, and
our long continued neglect of the Hay
town minister most reprehensible. At
length came to my ears stories that
were being circulated in HaytoWn
about the worldliness and lack of
eearnestness of the young minister in
Straw Center, and that Mr.. Mayberry
was feeling keenly the refusal of his
brother laborer in the next parish to
reach out a welcoming hand. just
why insisted on driving over to Hay
town on that especially hot day / con-
-cealed from my husband, for knew
that he would be most wretched were
] to tell him of the shortcomings that
were imputed to him. He complained
that the roads were as much too dry
as they had been too wet, that the aft
ernoon sun was scorching, and that we
should lose our third meal. I heard
none of these excuses, but sent him to
get the required conveyance while /
dressed myself for the drive.
We owned no team, IS q horse and
carr iage is called in Straw Center, but,
fortunately, in our parish was stable
keeper, who, though absenting himself
regularly from all services, was most
jealous in letting to his minister any
form Of vehicle or quality of horse at
the shortest notice.
The thought OF my husbands world
illness troubled me. meant HaytoWn
should at once see it's error. That my
husband was young T could not deny,
but that he failed in any other essential
than age would never admit. I
wanted to make myself look as sedate
and elderly as possible for the visit
but the heat of the day made my
choice in my limited wardrobe very
small The only thing at all available
was somewhat youthful pink gown.
which had foolishly possessed myself
of before / ever dreamed should be q
minister's wife. If I was obliged to
wear anything so inappropriately gay,
I trusted everything to an elderly black
bonnet and a sober shawl my mother
in-laW had recently sent me. My APP
pearance was far more satisfactory as
regarded dignity and sedateness, bat
the vehicle which Charles at that mo-
ment drove up to our door was
atrocious He must have neglected TO
state the nature of our errand to the
stable keeper, for such horse and
such q yulgarly- painted buggy would
have been seemly only on race
course, or to peddle patent soaps. But
to pay ministerial call ON perfect
stranger!
Charles had told me repeatedly that
ell the stable horses were perfect cows
as regarded doeility and speed. So /
did not venture making myself laughed
at by suggesting that there was an ex-
preston in the horses face that did not
inspire my entire confidence, and a
restiyeness in the hind feet that did not
suggest the gentle COW. But mount
ed into the high box-l1ke structure.
Had I-dreamed what effect the height.
unmitigated by any kind of cover, and
the huge red wheels, would have had
on me, / never would have set foot in
the thing. I felt that HaytoWn, seeing
Rev. Charles Mason and his wife seat
ed in such a vulgar, undignifed yehi-
Gle. would be justified in making al
most any remarks about worldliness.
No; better that we erred q day longer
in not calling on the new minister than
that we appear before his and our own
parishioners in such guise.
NV husband had just confded to me
his intention Of looking at the. thermom-
eter, and glancing again at the county
,-,,o,, III, t,n sY,rp nf tha HavtOwn road.
..And changing that velveteen jacket, :
/ added, seeing the undignified garb he
had forgotten to put off before going to
the stable.
But the horse or COW, as might be,
objected to standing longer looking at
the uninteresting facade our house pre-
scented, and forgetting that the driver
was necessary adjunct, started at 9
rapid pace down the street.
aOh, you forgot my shawl on the
steps there, said, perhaps little I'M
feeiingly, to my husband, who had just