The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1885-08-01
A VACATION.
How Rev. Mr.. Elderberry EN-.
ployed His Season of Rest.


Reverend Jonas Elderberry had
preached in Flintville twenty years, and
had never had vacation. Sickness and
death had caused him to use few Sun
days now and then, and after much de-
liberation. not entirely free from acri-
mony, the church had decided on each
of these occasions not to deduct any
thing from his salary, concession
which was thought very generous, as
he received seven hundred year, and
the parsonage rent free. Still these
brief respites from labor were not vaca-
tions. Though quiet man, MIR. Elder
berry was not without ambitions and
dreams. He sometimes wrote short
articles and poetry, which appeared in
magazines and newspapers under the
veil of -. f." and were pronounced
by the editors imaginative" So it
was not strange that he often fancied
himself and his little wife, Matilda,
going on real vacation. and looking
upon the mountains and the sea. But
these dreams were like others he had of
owning a reliable gold watch instead of
the ridiculous silver turnip that licked
away like town-clock in his pocket,
or of owning home of which he could
speak proudly as my house." In his
sober moments-and most of his life
was very sober, indeed-he never ex-
pected to have any of these dreams
realized.
The children that had come to the
parsonage had all died in infancy. and
perhaps that was the reason that there
was almost always some one stopping
there. All the cousins came, even to
the fourth and fifth degrees, and cousins
reduced to their lowest terms, so to
speak; and this abundant hospitality
cost something, in spite of the fact
that Mrs. Elderberry was the maid
of all work; and so, Notwithstanding the
seven hundred year, and an occasional
five dollars from some editor, Mr. Elder
berry's only bank stock was few hun
dreds in what was called, expressively,
"back salary"
Flintville, though an old place, was
little more than one long street. lined
with white houses, well hidden from
the road by honey-locusts and poplars.
The Orthodox Westinghouse had re-
ceived sundry coats of paint, but in
other respects was Just as it was the
first time Mr.. Elderberry entered it.
The people were conservative. and the
orthodox were the most conservative in
the place; so they quietly ignored the
smart little pine box called The
Church." which had sprung up on one
side of them. and the squat brick build
ing around the corner called the Halle
lujah Chapel, and resisted innovations.
Rev. Julius Surplice, rector of THE
Church, took a vacation in July; but as
he was an unmarried man, it was sup
posed he spent the time with his'parents.
As for the Chapel, its ministers came
and went too often to need vacation;
while in Flintville, as Mr.. Elderberry
read his sermons, it was known that he
wrote them; but any male member of
his flock, if asked his opinion of such
labor, would have said: at must be
easy enough to sit in the house, and
write things out of your head, if you.
have been to college" As for the
women, while they considered sermon
writing too deep for the female mind,
they yet considered it something of the
nature of woman's work, not definite
business, but an occupation to be taken
up at odd moments, as knitting. or
patchwork. when nothing more impor-
tant was going on.
Mature can not endure everlasting droop-
ing
and Mr.. Elderberry had twice asked for
vacation without success, when Mr..
Whitaker, of Chicago, after doing
something very sharp in corn, sent his
wife to Flintville to visit her father,
Deacon Billings. II never heard of
minister's preaching through Augusta
she exclaimed. lifting her beieweled
hands. And the next Sunday the long,
desired vacation was granted, although
Squire Pogg opposed it, saying. if he
hired man to hoe corn, he did not ex-
pect him to skip every other row.
Where shall we go. Matilda?" said
Mr.. Elderberry, the next morning.
''Wen' exclaimed Mrs. Elderberry,
TREMENDOUSLY. ats your vacation. Jonas.
II don't see how / can leave. There's
the hens, and the house. and the mis-
sionary bed-quilt; and Cousin Alzina
liable to come any day."
my dear" said Mr.. Elderberry,
with full eyes, If ! go anywhere YOU
shall accompany me-" M
Thursday evening came; but Mr..
Elderberry had not succeeded in obtain
ing cent from the black salary" He
had been asked exactly fifty-two times
where he was going and when he would
start; and there was in his pocketbook
fifteen dollars and seventy-five cents.
ssIilda," he said. coaxingly: Lets
go aud see Sister Martha.
Though Mrs. Martha Tucker had been
like daughter in MFR. .Elderbery's ia
theirs house, she was the child of his
x,,otharss s;ctar Che bad l,1aar N, a rr;ad