The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-08-01
THE PREACHERS VACATION.

The old man went to meetin, for the day bright
and fair,
Tho his step was slow and totterin' and twas hard
But he hungered for the gospel, so he trudged the
On the road so rough and dusty, meath the suns
hot burning ray.
By-and-by he reached the building, to his soul a
Then he paused and wiped the sweat-drops from oil
his wrnked face;
But he looked around, bewildered for the old bell
did not toll,
And the doors we're shut and bolted and he did not
see soul.
So he leaned upon his pigrim-staa, and said "what
And he looked this and that way, till it seemed to
He had walked the dusty highway land he brcathed
Just TO 60 once more TO meetin' ere the summons
came to die.
Soon he saw little notice, tackled on the meetin'-
door,
And he lmped along to read it, and he read it Ger
Then he wiped his dusty glasses and he read it DER
again,
Till his limbs began to tremble, and his eyes were
full OF pain.
As the old man read tho notice, how it made his
pastor absent vacation-church is closed till his
retun"'
Then he staggered slowly backward and sat him
down 10 think,
For his soul was stirred within him till he thought
his heart would sink.
So he moved along and wondered to himself solilo-
81 have lived till almost eighty. and was never so
As read that oddes: notice stuck on the meetin'
door:
Pastor absent on Vaeafioa-never heard the like be-
fore.
"why, when first Joined the meetiu', very many
Preachers travelled on the circuit, in the heat and
through the snow; ~
They said nothing bout vacation, but were happy
in .hcir lot.
"would the farmer leave his cattle or the shepherd
leave his sheep?
Who would give tn m care and shelter, or provide
So it strikes ne very sing'lar, when man Of holy
hands
tender lambs.
"Did ST. Paul git such notion' Did Wesley or
Did they in the heat of summer, turn from their
needy hocks?
Did they shut up their meetin-just 90 and lounge
about
Why, surely then, if thus they did, Satan would
raise a shout.
800 the tayerns el their DOORS just to take little
rest.
Why, 'twould be the height of nonsense, for their
trade would be dstrest,
Did YOU ever know it happen, hear nybody tell
Satan absent on vacation, and closed the doors OF
hell?
"And shall preachers of the gospel pack their trunks
Leaving saints and dying sinners get along best
they may!
Are the souls Of saints and sinners valued less than
selling teer2
Or do preachers tire quicker than the rest of mortss
here?
"why it is cannot answer but my feelings they
are stirred,
Here I've dragged my tottering footsteps to hear the
gospel word;
But the preacher is travein and the meetn- house
is closed;
confess it's very trying-hard indeed to keep COM
posed.
"Tsa me, when l tread the valley, and go up the
shinin' height
Will hear no angels singn'-will see no gleamin'
light?
viii the golden harps be silentI Will I meet no
welcome there?
Why the thought is most distressin', 'twould be
more than could bear.
"Tel me, when 1 reach the city, over on the other
Will ind little notice tackled upon the golden
door,
Telling me- mid dreadful silence writ in words that
"Jesus d6seat on rdcatoR-He1pea closed til his re-
fUTRP
The Methodist