The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-08-13
Religious sMistellanp.
The Minister'S Vacation.

noon, when he had returned from some
parochial calls" to give up altogether the
idea OF taking vacation" " Humph !"
expressively interrupted the wife, "you
look as If you were in condition to give
up vacation and 60 on working as hard
as ever through the summer i" "There
are 30 many" continued the minister,
paying no heed to the interruption, /" that
cannot get away at all. There are 80
many men who must work on, with only
not seem to feel the need for themselves
or families of any change, that it almost
seems heartless to go away and leave
them toiling on in their ordinary round,
while am simply enjoying myself"
Humph was all the response vouch.
safed. "But then,' said the minister, in
apparent contradiction of himself, /" when
any one tells me, as old Mr.. Slowtime did
! to-day, that vacations are of no use, and
that when minister takes one he is
cheating his people, go off on the oppo-
site tack, and am sure that / ought to
have a vacation" "Did he say that to
your" asked the wife, in grieved way, as
if no one had a right, under any circum-
stances, to find fault with the minister.
DWELL, he did not put it quite 30 bluntly,
but that was what he meant. There are
good many people, too, who think Just
the same thing. They do no not see why
minister cannot 60 on, year in and year
out making his sermons and doing his
parish work without any special rest.
The work is all easy, they think, and they
see no reason why the minister should
need to stop any more than the mechanic
or the clerk. "They have some warrant
for part of their feeling" the minister
went on, his listener rejoicing that he
seemed to be more of her opinion than at
first, in the extreme vacations that some
ministers take, and in the sharp practice,
to call it by its right name, Of which o
few are guilty. DE-. Exemplar was telling
me the other day of neighbor of his,
when he was settled in the country, who
made short vacation go great way.
He was entitled to four Sundays vaca.
ton by the terms of his settlement. So
he would 60 away on the Monday morn
ing and return on the Saturday of the
following week. Preaching on that Sun.
day he would again leave on the Monday,
repeating the former process. Thus his
four Sundays were made to give him very
nearly eight weeks of vacation. But il
was tricky way. 1t is no wonder if the
people are Disguised with proceedings
like that" elbow long is DR.. Exemplar
going to be away? His vacations are
generally pretty well extended, believe,
said the minister's wife, who was just q
bit jealous of the pastor of the I" First
church." ellis church gives him eight
weeks" answered the minister, "bui
he was away delivering a college sd
dress in the middle of June, and he
has some engagement early in July
80 that he will virtually have two
weeks extra. 1t is more time than man
in ordinary health, ought to be away from
his church. Though, to do the doctor
justice, he is hard worker when he is al
home. But don't wonder that q gooo
many people think it is running vacations
into the ground when ministers are away
from their charges for two or three monthl
at time. l met old Mr.. Truehear
yesterday, and we were talking on thi
very matter. He says that when he begal
his ministry, sixty years ago, no paste
ever thought of such thing as taking
regular vacation. There is not bit o
narrowness about the old gentleman, AM
he says he sees need in the character o
the times for these resting.spells whicl
did not exist when he was young. Blu
he thinks, and he is right, that there is
strong tendency to overdo the matter.
$50, on the whole, my dear husband,
was the wife's conclusion, "you will TAX
I your vacation as usual" eyes," sal
the minister. at will not do to be to
; sensitive to what the unreasonable thin
or say. People in general do not unde
stand the character of intellectual worl
nor what drafts the exercise of the en-
tionsl nature makes upon the vital force
Very few, suppose, can understand no
l feel often on Monday morning, as if
had not an idea left aud could never mai
another sermon. They don't understau
that brain-work is, in sense, creation, ar
\ that the tired brain cannot create. An
then they don't understand that the sic
beds and funerals, and the weddings, to
at which minister must attend, all CO
\ out vital energy and drain the fountain
of life. He needs time, free from 9
J care and responsibility, when he OF
recuperate. o yes, l am going to tai
4 my vacation" al supposed you hard
4 meant what you said when you first can
! in. You do need a vacation, / am sur
I though don't think you would do rig
!. to make it as long as DR.. Exemplsrs
! was the wife's response. "There is Oh
Z thing" said the minister, as he close
. this domestic conference, that alwa
y operates to make me shrink from vac
ton, and that is the fact that church
{ never completely itself when the pastor
absent. He is generally the nerve of {
Y its activities. The people that remain
home take warrant from his absence
a intermit their regular attendance up
n services or engagement in duties.
At there are always some ravelled threat
p often good many of them, to be pick
" up when the vacation is over. But q
going to take mine-as duty, mind you
!. And the minister's wife smiled.-IW