The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-07-11
THE MINISTERS OF TO-DAY.
tPeeks SanI

keS9V sun
 Every year ministers are becoming more liberal, and if they keep on increas- ing in hberahty the time is not far dis tant when the majority of them will look as pleasant as anybody, and the long faces that people have been accustomed to seeing on their ministers will give place to smiles, and there will be hearty friendship between pastor and people instead ot . coldness. Ministers that are coming onto the stage nov seem to be endowed with the same propensities as other healthy men. The colleges where they get their education are not the hide bound affairs they used to be, and when they turn out a preacher. he can not only preach right out from the shoulder, but he can do lots of other things that the congregation does not take into account Nowdays when we sec bright young man in the pulpit, using splendid tactics to bring the sinner to repentance, we know that he can also land black bass as well as the best of us When VIC see his gestures in the pull pit, as he sends theological blow sNer blow into the ranks of sinners, we feel that if worse comes to worse he would be no slouch in a boxing match, and that he could knock out bad man in three rounds, Marquis of c Qseensbury rules, if such man attempted to put on any scallops around him, and we rejoice that the good man would not be as helpless as the old-fashioned ministers who preached turning the other cheek also. which the new minister does not believe in. When the new minister exhorts his congregation to flee from the wrath to come, we know that if there should be a general fleeing match, the good man could outrun the whole crowd, at thous- and yards, because he has practiscd 6ee- ing in many 6 footrace at college. It Is not exactly right, perhaps, to think of It in church, but 1t is human to pride our selves that the innocent looking man who is telling us of the glories of the beautiful beyond, can kick . foot ball higher than any deacon that Is listening ;o his eloquent words. When he tells the sinner to stop short in his career, and strike home the new resolution to turn from the evil of his ways, one cannot help thinking that as short stop in a base bail nine the minister has few equals, while he can bat bali from a cross-eyed, left-handed pitcher clear over the fence, make home run, and bring in three men that are loafing on the bases trying to steal in. When he tells us of the fishermen of Galilee going out in their boats to catch fish we feel that he can cast . fly farther with his five ounce rod, and nearer where the Ash is located, than the best fishermen Galilee ever turned out, and that he could take pair of oars and pull the everlasting socks of of any old-time boatman that we ever read about. The minister of the present day takes an interest in manly sports, and Is often seen at the base ball matches, and if he can't go on Saturday afternoons, on account ofhaving to write his sermon, he has a neighboS drop in on the way back from the ball match to tell him the result, and he lets up on his sermon for few minutes to listen to 6 description of some of the good playing, and resumes the writing of his sermon refreshed by the caller, and the better for the call. Ifyou cali upon him at his study or his residence sf an evening, and want to talk about religion, he is loaded for bear, and will give you good advice enough to make you a happy christian if you follow 1t, but if you want to see his fishing rod and his flies, he will put his rod together and show you how the tip will bend clear to the butt and not break, and he will show you the most killing flies, and tell you where he caught the biggest trout, and how much his health was improved by his vacation last year. He will tell yos that a vacation, to him, means going away to the woods and streams, to com mune with nature, and breathe the pure air, instead of ex- changing pulpits with some other worn out brother, preaching old back-numbcr sermons for rest" to benches made va- cant by the congregation taking a vaca- ton and going to the woods. lfyou cas- ually allude to shooting, in connection with fishing, he will pull an old gun case out from under the lounge and show you an old Parker gun that he has shot ten thousand times, and make the casual re. mark that 1t gets there Eli, and he will tell you of an old bob-tailed setter dog that he has shot over for several seasons that has got more sense and is trueT and more friendly than many church mem- bers he has come In contact with, and you will imagine that he has hopes that there Is small heaven somewhere for good dogs that never make . mistake on point, and never chase rabbits. The minister Of the present day, with rare ex- ceptions, is a thorough bred, who will sit up nights if necessary, to steer you to- wards St Petsr's gate, and will give you all the points he knows of about learning the combination, and he will sincerely hope you will make the rifle, but after he has done hts duty by you and all men, he Is not going around groaning and signing, and crying for fear you viii not catch on, but on the contrary he bs- lieves in having little fun himself as he goes along, and he will smile and acs hearty, as though there was nothing eating him. A Wisconsin man was completely broken of swearing, ten years ago, by go- ing out fishing with a young minister, who is nov one of the best known in this country. The profsoe man got . bass,