Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-01-04
THE COUNTRY PASTOR.

One Who Cannot be said TO Live for
Lucre-A Specimen Days Work OF
Scholarly Clergyman - Doing
Chores-DEgging the Gardeir-Vfsit-
ing the Sick and Preparing Leo
lures and SermoUs During Drives.
1t was a lovely autumnal day now have
in memory. Chores in the barn and house
and care of the little ones to help the busy
mother filled all the time till breakfast, for
if the truth must be told the salary will
not warrant chore boy and a servant girl.
An hours necessary work in the garden
and about the place furnishes all the e1er-
else needed before study hours. The
cauntry pastor has no occasion to walk
for exercise without an object"
1t is Thursday. Much outside work has
interfered with study since Sunday. All
of to-day must be given up to preparation
for the evening prayer meeting and the
Sunday sermons.
His hearers come long distances, over
stony roads, to participate in the services,
and when they arrive are hungry and want
solid food and thoughtful discourses. But
he is nerved to his work and trustfully
prepares to execute it, for his brain is
teeming with ideas He settles down in
| his chair before his desk and commences
his labor, when suddenly the door bell
rings. The man who wants him is neither
| a member of his church nor an attendant.
He lives ten miles away over rough and
hilly road. His sister has just died and
the funeral has been appointed for the
next day at eleven o'clock. They will
bury her three miles further on. Will the
"elder" come and oficiatea Certainly he
will. This is part of his work.
| He has much of this work to do for g
| dozen miles around. Only a short time
i before he was awakened in the night to be
| taken sixteen miles over the mountains tc
| attend the funeral of q neighboring pastor
| But if he goes to this funeral tomorrow il
will consume all of Friday and he will b,
too tired to do much effective studying II
the evening He must study to-day
This interruption has been more than tn,
loss of an hour He finds it difficult to ge
aboard the train of thought from which
he had alighted. But he does the best h'
can and cuts short his preparations for th'
| prayer meeting.
The forenoon is nearly gone. He is wei
messenger comes with the sad news tha
his best deacon, personal friend and
loyal yokefellow, is seriously i'll. be live
six miles away over a rough road. He NJ
| WAYS comes to church, but he was no
down last Sunday and no tidings had com
| concerning him. The pastor would hav
driven up to call on him ere this had ther
not been SO much sickness calling him ev
cry day in other directions. But he mus
go this afternoon and study when he can
at night and on the road.
He.had intended to spend an hour bank
ing his long neglected celery after dinner
it must wait little longer now. He ca
| do another thing, tn ugh He had prom
ised his children nutting sume day, bu
had not had opportunity to give il to them
, Next week will be the association meeting
and the week after the Sunday school con
vention. He will take the children wit
him now and leave them under some wa
nut trees about three miles out on tn
road.
The early afternoon finds thea OF
among the the hills. 1t is q beautiful ds
and ne would much enjoy staying with tn
child rem. He needs the rest, too, yet b
must on He finds all his fears concern
ing the deacon confirmed. He has bee
stricken with paralysis. When the paste
arrives he is unconscious, beyond the hop
of physicians. To talk to the invalid
: impossible, but the pastor can call in tn
hired man and devote an hour to necesss
nv work in the sick room, and he ca
speak the word that must needs to b
spoken to the worn and bewildered wife
, | Meanwhile he has heard of two other case
of severe illness in that neighborhood, an
those visits finish the afternoon. Then
starts for home, picking up the childre
on the way, his old roam going rapidly an
, with steady stride.
, Reaching home he finds the mistress G
the manse" worn and worried with her ID
' bors, among which is the care of teeth
. ing child He is at once in the midst G
: chores in doors and out, and hnrrying I
get through with them and supper an
have few minutes In his study befor
prayer meeting. Just then an awkwar
couple from over the mountain come to I
: married. The minister conducts them
the parlor. The bewildered groom find
it difficult to tell his wants, but his need
4 make him desperate and he bluntly ash
8 whether they can be married, and can
q be done right nowi 1t can. They need
: little help in getting a proper position
They get along well enough in the preliu
mary part, but when the minister begir
d the question, 'Wilt thou have this ",
v man to be thy welded wife," &c., Il