Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-04-19
THE MINISTER'S Wife.
BY WILLARD N. JENKINS.

BY WILLARD N. JENKINS.
The clergymen who had successive
", but alas not successfully, filled
the passionate of Farmingvale, had
had good reason to congratulate
themselves when they left the place.
They had all been married men; they
had all had large families and small
salaries, and they had never given
satisfaction. After the first few
months the trustees had groaned over
the salary; the elders decided that
Brother A. wasn't gifted in prayer"
the congregation complained of not
being visited enough, of not being
sufficiently edited, and wondered
whether the minister couldn't do
more good in another place. And
then matters came to crisis, and
there was vacancy in the Farming
vale pulpit, and a succession Of
ministers young and old, who
preached by request and generally
made q favorable impression. And
finally another call was made, another
pastor came, who was welcomed
cordially, treated to donation parties,
and then descended in popular favor
until his light died out in darkness.
Farmingvale was particularly un-
fortunate in this respect; it was in
fact famed for it's dismission of pas
tors without peculiar provocation.
Many a grave, middle-aged man gave
good advice to Arthur Bartlett, the
newly-fedged clergyman, who had
proclaimed himself ready to be in
stalled as pastor of the church in
Farmingvale. Men of much expert
ence had failed there-able men, too,
whose orthodoxy could not be
doubted. Bartlett was a man of
promise-why should he doom him
self to disappointment at the begin
ming of his career? Nobody approved
of the act; but Bartlett, ardent,
hopeful, and only twenty-five, was
all the more resolved to accept the
call. He hoped to succeed where no
one else had ever succeeded; to do
good, to become beloved, and to end
his days where he had begun his
work. 1t was pure and beautiful
ambition, although worldly men
might smile at it as being very hum
BILE. So Arthur Bartlett came to
Farmingvale, and stood before the
pulpit during the ceremony Of in
stallation, and received the charge
with an humble determination God
being his helper to obey it; and the
next Sabbath stood in the pulpit and
preached unto the people.
There are some young men who
have a woman's beauty without be-
ing effeminate. Arthur Bartlett was
one of these. He had soft, golden
brown hair, which could not be
called red by his greatest enemy,
broad, high forehead, white as flesh
and blood could be, and color that
came and went, now the faintest
tinge of rose, now deepest carnation.
Moreover, he was neither puny nor
ungraceful, stood straight as an ar
row, and had voice clear and singu-
larly musical, and powerful enough
to fill the church without an effort.
That day bright eyes looked up at
the young minister, and many a girl,
II the truth were known, thought
more of his fair face than of his SER
mon. But he preached with all his
heart in the words he uttered, and
thought not at all Of any one of
them.
Perhaps they did not quite under
stand this; for that day the young
ladies took violent fancy to the new
minister, and most of them resolved
to do all they could to make Farm
ingvale pleasant for him. OF course
he would marry soon. He needed a
wife, they decided. Sewing societies,
fairs and tea-drinkings followed each
other in quick succession. Farming
vale, 30 to speak, caroused, though
in q genteel and virtuous fashion, for
the next three months, and Miss
Allen, the dressmaker, took q new
apprentice, and superintendent the
fitting department herself, leaving
the needle to vulgar hands, so great
was the demand upon her skill. New
bonnets, fearfully and wonderfully
made, came by express from "the
city" and the five Misses Marden
excited unparalleled envy by appear
ing in pink silk dresses.
There never had been such sue
cessful minister before; nobody dared
to find fault with him, upheld by all
the womankind of Farmingvale-
young and old, grandmothers, grand
daughters, mammas, spinsters, aunts
and school girls.
BY and by whispered rumors were
set afloat. The young minister had
paid particular attention to Miss
Green, he was seen out walking with
Miss Jones, he had taken tea thrice
with Mrs. Adams, who had two un-
married daughters; in fact, he was
engaged in turn to every single lady
In the village, IL report said truly.
Then dearest friends" became RI
walls, and quarrels occurred which in
korfopo1 ood1u NTH n raIiUio1o fror,o