Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-01-24
A clRCUlT-RlDER'S TRIALS.
Peculiar Duties Expected of tho New
Preacher In Iowa.

A number of young clergymen, all
graduates of the Methodist Theologi-
col seminary mt Evanston, met down
down the other day and were relating
IN each other anecdotes of their eX-
nerience in the various fields to which
thew had been assigned, says the Phila-
delphia star.
"My most amusing experience, said
one Young brother, was IN little
village in Iowa, where the conference
sent me to begin my ministerial work.
Nv circuit included three or four little
villages and rs many school-hOuses,
and tried to preach sermon at each
place once every two weeks. In the
village of Edgewood dwelt a good old
lady named Mrs. Wickham, an emf
rraut from the Green mountains and
one OF the pillars of the church. | had
lust been married before going on the
circuit. and the next day after our ar
rival in EdgcwOod Mrs. Wickham sent
for my wife and myself to come to her
house. In the afternoon we went and
were warmly greeted by the old lady.
II am so glad you've come, Brother
L., and brought your wife, +" said
She. i've been w8itin' and waidn'
you don't know how auXiously ever
since Brother Jones went away, which
IS Mich on To three months, aud there
hasn't been a preacher in this house
since I've got some little thing to do
that I've ben awatin till the minister
come, and now you've brought Sister
l.. Let's get them oil'n our hands
and then we can sit down and have a
good, long talk"
81 confess | was a little puzzled at
this reception, not knowing exactly
what the people on my circuit had been
ia the habit If saving up for the minis
ter to do. However, it was not left
in the dark. The old lady disappear
ed into the kitchen and soon called for
Us to follow. We did so, and found
the room Uttered with two or three old
bedsteads that had been taken to pieces
and spread about the floor. In the
middle of The floor stood Mrs. Wick
ham, with "a big kettle of boiling water
at her side.
",Now, Sister L., just you take
thi, here apron Of mine, or you'll spoil
your dress, she said to my wife. The
pe,ky bugs have been SO bad in these
bet-tea tha5 have sometimes felt
jest Us 10 . coG,du't wait till you come
to give ym a good scalding.'
This, .heu, was a part of the cir
cnit-rldars dates in Iowa, thought |;
but the old lady seemed to take it so
entirely matter of course that the
preacher should help her with her
work tina, [ couldn't well refuse. My
wife Iau-hing,y put on the apron and
went to work and took off my coat
and cuffs and took hold. too II was a
long job. and after we had got the
bedsteads thoroughly scalded they had
20 De carried up stairs, set up, and
corded, for they were the old-fashion-
ed kind ot aedstcads in which ropes
dld duty instead OF springs or Stats.
but tals did not end the work. for
ON comn- down stairs the old lady re-
marked chat the stove was little
warm yet, hUt that if was careful |
could J.a.a it without burning my
hands Ini5 WAS a little too much,
ana was about to rebel but my wife
NaIspete' to me that we might rs well
make olT Of it. So we went at that
s'oYea.l polished it till you could see
your ta.e ,u it, and then helped the old
l9u} clean mp the kitchen. BY that
'iAe Y. -aa was down, and our host
Fs h'aa.E permitted us TO withdraw.
D'l "e siaF to supper? Why, bless
NJ. 81. aj soulin her Joy at getting
-. IN e.eaued up forgot to say
any .a. about supper. We were
-"t H.'-l -1 get Home without be-
-. .|r mn tho ptrtatDus 9r