Morning journal and courier., 1891-12-28

evening, and having inquired of the bride | as to her preference in the matter of car- tiicate, her desire proves to be Ca book" which chances to be "out of stock" So another hour is taken in procuring and preparing the coveted little volume in white and gold, for what mortal could bear to disappoint bridei
 Three hours left for brief calls and pas toral work. Now we will make haste, for eleven calls mus. be made. The first is upon one of our public officials to solicit his cooperation in the local Chautauqua circle. The second is to discover that a good woman, whom we have missed for nearly month from her pew, has moved out of the neighborhood. Number three, four, five are upon new families that have recently come in our congregation. A brief call and word of welcome is sufi- cient. Next we will, in response to a sui fering wife's solicitation, make another desperate effort to reach a poor inebriate husband. Promises answer our pleas and the pledge is taken after the prayer, but
 will it be kepti It is an old story, and as
 the pastor hurries on past the ever-open
 saloon upon the first corner he has to con-
 fess that his faith in the would-be re-
 formed drunkard is very weak Our next
 step is at the home of crippled father,
 who for nearly four months has been
 away from the church, and who always
 appreciates the pastors call and prayer in
 the home sanctuary. There seems to be
 in such home the davning light of 8
 brighter world; and We never go away
 without asking ourselves: "Have we
 helped the afflicted one as much as we
 have been helped by himl"
 Two mothers whose little ones keep
 them from church are next seen. They
 oct the naatOrfs SnOA choer with hit of
 Sunday reading and are reminded of the
 next baptismal service. A call to find
 much missed family 'just returned from
 the country" and another to have an in terview with gentleman regarding some contemplated mission work, aud we re- turn with plenty of exercise and 8 good appetite for an evening meal. Dinner is over. The wedding party arrives, and, being duly installed iu the psrlor, great is the consternstion. The golden circlet is missing, the groom having intrusted it to the brides mother 10 see if it was just right to link her securely, while not yet too close letter. In the confusion of the hour it must have been slipped into the wrong pocket. The best man is st once commissioned to return for it, and goes 1 rattliRg away mindful of the injunction from the anxious groom to use all possible expedition.
 Ring a ding ding goes the door bell The bride no donbt wonders what she would do if that bell should ring during | the ceremony. ''Do I look anything like you" is the query that greets the aston | ished pastor as he walks forward, wonder | ing if it is possibly a runaway couple that ! he is harboring. "This hat WAS left at my house yesterday when the minister's l meeting adjourned"-holding up dusky f sombrero, enough the worse for wear to prove that its owner was too much en- | grossed in his work to think of temporal | affairs, or that his people were too spirit | ually minded to provide adequately for | the things of this world. tMy hat must | be 8 walking delegate somewhere"
 Now, confdentially, as little matter of I speculation, hoping to attract few we'd | dings whereby his wife's lean purse might | tvke on Thanksgiving corpulency in time | to provide presents for Christmas and new stockings for the children to hang up for | Santa Claus. The pastor has just adopted | & new hat, as the three-year old boy says | ia gentlemen's hat" The visitor looks at the shining tile, modestly held out ss the | pastors in blank smazement; but vigor- | ously falls back on first principles-'Well, \ you do wear a hat like this sometimes. . Too true; only as voice from the stair,
 proclsims, "ususlly one not half so good. '
 Ahl here comes the best man and the ring. "Glad you found it all right; but | when you take your turn be careful to
 keep the ring until you get the bride" | The ceremony is over, the carriage rolls
 away, and the pastor starts ten minutes
 late for the pleasant home where his Chau
 tsuqus circle meets. On his way he over
 hears A gamin entertaining another circle
 with "Hey fellers, see that man hurryins | down the street. Well, he's the man what | owns that big old church over there. | Owns! The Chsutauqusns are waiting iu | the spacious parlors. Several new mem bers join the circle. The possibility of the | years course of reading American history social institutions and letters, is briefly discussed, committees are chosen, and pre- | liminaries arranged for the first working
 meeting, and so closes the pleasant work
 of one day.
 | JESSE w BROOKS, D. D., Ph. D.