The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-09-01

| Only De COaNeU 10 S0llU lnIO lne nOrIu-
west it would be sure to be clear. But
the obstinate weathercock on top of the
barn, with his proud head, would not
be induced as much as to look sideways
toward the point of the compass sure
to indicate clearing up.
When the second bell rang it was
raining hard. Mrs. Graves put on her
second best dress and everyday bon
net, and told the deacon she felt as if
she had cold water poured over her.
But the Pillsburys and the Kents and
the city boarders, and even Miss Catlin,
came in, one after another, with drip
ping umbrellas and wet gossamers.
Everybody wanted to hear Deacon
Graves son John preach his first SER
mon in the old Westinghouse. The
girls, who had known him all his life,
had decorated the church with flowers,
and the choir had been drilling all the
preceding week.
Rev. John Graves seemed perfectly
self-possessed in the pulpit, beneath
whose droppings he soothingly slept on
his mothers arm when little child,
and later heard his name read off among
those who were to join upon the profess
sion of their faith. The good old silver
haired pastor had introduced the new
disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ as
" one of our children of the covenant"
The sermon was far beyond what the
people who had always known John
Graves had given him credit for. So
often did the loving mother find her.
self thinking of the temporal glory in
stead of the spiritual that she offered
up a silent prayer that she might be
kept from spiritual pride and receive
this mark of Gods kindness to her in
humble manner.
But her eyes would stray to the cor
ner of the pew in which Miss Catlin
sat. She watched that young lady's
face; she noticed the interest with
which she listened For Mrs. Graves
had only arrived at one of the heights
of her ambition; although she would
scarcely acknowledge it to herself, she
had another ambition to which, as yet,
she had not attained unto. She wanted
John to marry Miss Catlin. Miss Cat
lin was just her idea of minister's
wife. She had tact to get along with
all the different kinds of members.
Mrs. Graves firmly believed that if
minister got good wife it was half the
battle won. She was going to invite
Miss Catlin, with some other friends,
to tea the very next day. She was sorry
such thoughts would intrude themselves
during meeting time, and when her son
John was preaching, too. And she
leaned her head down in the closing
prayer, and begged the Lord to forgive
her for them. The spirit was willing
but the flesh was so weak While John
Graves was pronouncing the benedic-
ton, Just as he was saying, "The Lord
make peace" ray of sunshine sud-
denly came through the window and
rested on his young face.
" Hasn't mistaken his calling, that
son of yours, Deacon" whispered the
old farmer in the back pew. i" Promis-
ing young preacher" said a city gen.
tleman so near Mrs. Graves second
best bonnet that the words penetrated
through it. Everybody who knew him
in his young days crowded around the
pulpit stairs to give him welcome.
Everybody congratulated the deacon
and his wife, and Miss Catlin with them.
When the family arrived home the
proud, fond mother put her arms
around her sons neck and, kissing him
over and over again, said, My dear
John, this is the happiest moment of
my life. Make yourself worthy of the
Master who has called you;" and John
replied, "Dear mother, that shall be
the aim of my life.'
After Mr.. and Mrs. Graves had been
left alone in the evening, Johns
mother said:
"Deacon, don't you think Miss Cat
lin will make good wife for our
John?"
81 don't know; / never thought of
it, wife. You can't always arrange
such matters according to your own
ideas. Probably John'll want to select
his own wife"
"John won't have much time to
hunt up a wife, and it's such a him
drance to a minister to get poor wife.
You know it would be such an easy
thing for him to get imposed upon.
You remember DR.. Bently's wife, and
how she hindered him in his work by
her worldly-mindednes and her feath-
ers and flowers, and all the puffs and
ruffles on her children's clothes. And
there was Mr.. Mason, as good man as
there is in the world-One of the Lord S
own chosen-buth his wife couldn't adapt
herself to the situation. She was al
ways in hot water with some of the
members. She would speak out her
mind. Minister'S wives can't speak
out their minds when it's going against
the grain with their husbands parish
toner's. You know the church felt
sorry enough to dismiss Mr.. Mason.
He was a powerful preacher, but his
wife was the stumbling-block in his
way. John might get caught just that
way and his usefulness hindered. Miss
Catlin knows how to take all sorts of
folks, and she's one that won't be run
over, either, by those women in every
church who want to be captains and
have their own way, like Mrs. Deacon
Jones and Abner Whitney's second
wife. Pm going to invite Miss Catlin,
with the Pillsburys, to tea tomorrow
night"
The deacon was nodding in his chair
when his wife finished speaking, and
: she was left to her own thoughts.
When John was informed the next
morning by his mother that she had in.