Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1886-07-01


tion, which looks like Knigh, Of Labor
floating in the air on top Of burning freight
car. Loud laughter.l The time drags.
and finally diseased melodeon is untut-
toned, and the minister's wife i. called upon
to play and to sing from two to five dozen
psalm tunes, the host striking in on the
bass, touching lightly the notes about which
he is doubtful. but coming down with COM
pensating poser on the few he is secure on.
Laughter. At last supper is announced !;
and with formal solemni,y they all proceed
to the kitchen to discuss it. fhe minister
knows just what it is. and that il will be the
same IN every house in the parish-the
usual bread, butter and tea. but that the
meal will be exalted and made illus,riou. by
the addition Of ounce sauce. and OF cookies
with earaway seed. The good man Of the
house seizes the bread tray 10 pass around
its contents, when he is recalled to the for
gotten proprieties By a kick under the table
from his wife. whcreupon he pretend. to
have been brushing flies from off the loaf.
and innocen,ly asks the minister to say
grace. Laughter,l At last the dreadful
day is over. and the minister return. home
and sits down with q weary sigh. The little
boy pulls of his suit Of torture. resume. his
semi-nudity, rushes out OF doors, leaps like
an antelope. shouts like Comanche and
races off TO the pasture after the cows
And when the weary round is over, and
when the parish has been visited all
through, on the tablets Of the minister.
aching brain are catalogued every baby.
age and the number Of teeth they have cut,
every pain, every misfortune, every III, every
contention, every dispute that has occurred
during the year and he can fix and locate
every toothsehe. every twInge Of rheuma-
tism. every cold and every bunion that have
asssled HI. fold during the past year The
ministers children, too, are put upon a
special department, diet which is always
open TO criticism. know whereof sneak
Laughter. lf,he little boy happens to
shy stone at a vagrant rooster or a visiting
cat, the people wonder whether or not the
religion that the pastor breaches so clearly
on Sunday is in use AT home. The boy must
have his Sunday school lesson. although il is
no, at all the style of,he other boys; ard
when his teacher PROFOUND. .undry e1hil-
aratins and highly morally educational
oonundruns, such as ..Wha, prophet had a
sheepskin jacket with the wool on 2'' and
boys peace ofmlnd 10 gone for the week. and
he is compelled to search the Bib. tn.
whole seven days to answer the question
and finally, on Sunday morning. the good
parson has 10 clesve the biblical rock for
him. let loose the forbidden secret and per-
NIT him TO 90 TO church proud in HE stolen
plumes.
His house is not his castle. Anybody sud
everybody may invade il Al pleasure, and all
expect 10 find It in good clerical keeping at
al times; and when knock come. on the
door the ministers wife sweep. With ha.iy
glance the room to see that !, j. a.! IN good
ministerial shape and that no stray ace of
spades or displaced dice box from the back
CANNON board are visible. need no,
speak Of the hnaneisl ANNOYANCE. 81 the
minister and the liberty iha, the .uh.cr. Der.
10 his little salary take Of unloading upon
the poor psrson everything Of which they
have an unmarketable excess, and Of requir-
ing that il be credited again.; their sub
scrlption how HI. little income Is absidsei
in the winter By forced credit. os wood, a..
sled length. and all Of such complication o,
hbre and knots that nothing but sap.rna,ur-
al wedges and mirseulou. billen can ever
have TO fight hard 10 keep UP With ,he ERE :;
nor how in the spring HI. pantry, from the
showers OF veal that come IN from the neigh
bors, look, like the anticipation Of the re-
turn Of whole drove Of prodisai sons a,
once. Laughter. N-rher need | say how
in the fall, when the procession comes and
casts loads OF pumpkin. IN hi. dooryard day
after day, /, cause. that yard 10 resemble
the garden Of golden fruit. Th... .re some
Of the snnoynnces-peThaps you might think
more than snnoyances-of the poor country
minister.
On the other hand, ns-her. doc. III. re.
la'ion Of pastor and people e,i., IN such
perfect truth as in the country newh.re j.
i, shown in greater perfection than between
the country pastor and HI. people. It's
long continued, intimate and sffec,ona,e
The minister il no mere iastrumentality
necessary to the greatness. the glory or the
repute OF his parIshioners no mere factor
IN an organization, but he 10 ln,ervoven
with every affection. With every hunan ex-
perience, with every lore and every loss,
every disaster, every JOY and woe OF hi. peo-
pie. The maiden that he join. in marriage
TO her lover 10 the same girl upon whose
brow 10 yesrs before he bad sprinhled the
christening drops the groom Is th. son Of
his neighbor ssc hi. friend. Their children
gros up all around him, ard he vatche.
them as his own, and feels the responsibility
Of a shepherd for hi. aoek He buri.s the
dead, not with any rounded phrase. OF elo-
quence, nor with grace. Of e!ocution. but
with streaming eyes and broken voice.
Nowhere where man meet. hi. fellows i.
there such al entwining, such an ss.lmll.-
ting Of holy unity and Of feeling as between
the country pastor aud hi. hock. 10 love
they look upward together. spanned by
bow whose warp is the tear Of sympathy ana
whose ~oof is he sunbeam rom heaven.
Yes, good shepherds. We know YOU well
and ~e reach out 10 clasp those hand, ,ha,
have so often been ouis,re,ched in benedic-
tons upon your focks, and We draw you
nearer TO US. bidding you thousand times
welcome. Great applause.