The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-03-08
ABOUT MINISTER'S WIVES
TENR PLACE IN THE PARISH AND
TABS QUALIFICATIONS.

Tslnisze sat II bis study the other evening.
his eyes fixed quizzicslly on bronze hoy Of
Egyptian aspect who stood patiently IN the
doorway carrying candleS
81 used TO read, . be said, - good deal
of literature on the subject Of ministers
wives.
81 wish nv wife would tell you how IN
true we're all these stories Of pulling and
hauling, Of constant demands, Of fsult-hnd-
ing.
"Congregatious as q rule are composed
Of ladies' and gentlemen, who make the DC
stion Of the minister's wife an especially
pleasant one. My wife knows Of hundreds,
yes, Of thousands, OF ministers wives, ali
happy, all honored.
The place a pastors wife should take in
the COZ gregation depends on herself Her
call NAV be to her husbands flock, or 1t
may be simply to the things Of her house
hold This is q matter for her own de-
cision.
The qualification she needs especially is
common sense, for she may be q great
hindrance TO her husbands work or q strong
reinforcement
When one has a glimpse Of the experi-
ences. the chances of observation, the re-
sponsIbilities and opportunities that come
20 such women as Mrs. Lyman Abbott, the
VIE OF the phSJOE Oh IAyluOulu NAuACu,
one nesitstes over the question how much
one is justified in making known.
For Mrs. Abbott lives In her home. IF
my children she says, felt themselves
defrauded or nv husband wished il other
wise, even if my judg nent did not agree
with them. | could not go outside"
In the early days of their married life,
Mr.. Abbott was lawyer and Ars. Abbott
studied his cases with him, copied legal
papers and absorbed herself in his labors.
When be felt himself drawn to the ministry
still her thought was to forward his under
takings. So it has been during :he years
given to the pulpit and to editorial duties.
~ know Of no demands" she says, "made
on a minister's wife, but l see privileges.
Apas.or must be in some sense leader,
and his wife, too, can do much in the serv-
ice of humanity.
"There's good deal Of talk against the
churches. but much of that comes from
people who don't know what the churches
are doing l would like to see a church SO
organized that every woman, on becoming
member, should be asked at once on what
committee she could give much or a little
time. Then once year there might be a
grand rallyipg day, with accounts Of things
done.
plymouth church has its mission
churches, the Mayflower and the Bethel,
and it is constant pleasure to watch the
with shawls over their heads, poor, discour.
aged:
Then there are the two working girls
clubs. with their educating influences. The
little girls Of the junior club sew and cook,
and one day not long ago when they gave
an exhibition l was unable to attend they
sent me box with beautiful biscuit and
3 piece of pie and some cake and a great
variety Of things all daintily made in the
cramped quarters of their own homes
Then there is the Young Women's
League. They have made towels for the
gymnasium, bringing the young men II the
church into sympathetic relations with its
they sent trunkful Of linen TO the Holiday
house of the working girls. We read to-
gether Whitcomb Riley1s little poem OF
The honest stitches on the under side' for
/ wanted the things made fine and neat for
girls whose low wages often press them TO
think more of dress than Of underwear.
Then there are the boys and girls
classes. The boys are making Iicture
screens for the hospitals aud the girls make
covers for the bare bureau tops in the rooms
of the colored girls and the Indians at
Hampton institute. They are helping to
educate an Indian boy AID an orphan in
India.
There is the Sunday school teaching.
There must be nearly $50 teachers"
And your workf'
II have the infant class. Then there are
the broader charities Of the city, which
want the pastors lame, and his wiie's SYM
patty. One could give ones life in each Of
so many directions. The needs that force
themselves on ones attention would dis
courage and overwhelm, did not help and
sympathy also appear at every turn. Money
sometimes is sent me anonymously, articles
of clothing have been left at the door, and
IL one sees necessities one also sees how
many stand ready to relieve it.n
So strangely near does a woman like Mrs.
Abbott stand TO the trials, the Joys and the
sorrows that make up the daily lives of
Plymouth church, Mrs. Henry Ward
Beecher is president, and on rainy after
moons the members spare her the labor OF
going out by gathering in the parlors of her
home In Orange street, hower-dscked al
vocal with bird songs.
The work Of a pastors wife," said Mrs
Beecber, must differ widely in different
cases. Some ministers believe their wives
can aid them most efficiently by giving
them quiet aud restful homes others like 10
see their parish duties.
In my own case. five of my seven broth
ers became ministers aud sister married a
minister, so that before nv marriage / I'M
derstood the life l was entering on.
Il made it my first effort to spare Mr..
spondence and to financial matters Our
desks stood in adjoining windows, and it was
only with the most imp rtant letters that
troubled him. Some Of these he answered
on others he would write four or five words
as guido to me. The checks for his salary
were made payable to me, and if he wanted
money he came TO me for it, except that he
retained the proceeds of his lectures, making
himself fund Of spending money!
saw all callers who came to the house
so many of them only curiosity seekers
When he was in the house | never left n
and SO his energies were never drawn on en-
cept In cases of importance and urgency.
II was not able to do in addition O great
amount Of parish visiting, though / did
what was possible. la my early married
life / was asked to lead the female PRAYER
meeting, but it was very hard for me and I
did not continue.
at was 10 the war days that we were
lifted out of ourselves completely. Ire
member the dispatch that came to us one
day at Peekskill where Mr. Beecher was re-
cuperating from hay fever, saying that his
boys-the Brooklyn Phalanx-and the
other regiments at Fort SCHUYLER were
without food and without clothes
II came down TO the city Immediately
and crossed to Fort Schuyler to see the con-
dition of things. ! wouldn't think Of being
pulled across the Narrows in a rowboat
now, but then one hadn't time to think of
being afraid Than T want ahout 20 tho