The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-10-22
ARp'S HOMILY
ON THE COMBINATION OF HUMILITY
AND POVERTY.
which Had the Effect Of Making Him Feel
That He Was Not Alone in the World.
How People Are Divided.

50 Getty circles Of politics, circles of secret
associations and circles of the church. The
first and last named especially embrace the
wives and daughters of the community.
Women make up society and are more par
ticular than men about who they admit
into their circle. These circles are graded
like the pupils of public school--graded
according to wealth or eduSuion or occupa-
tion. The dividing lines ale not liked nor
well defined for sometimes poor woman
who is smart and we'll hammered and of
good family is admitted into a higher circle.
| know q very bright and beautiful lady
who once was rich but is now milliner.
and vet she is never omitted, never slighted
by the charmed circle, as il is called. She
mngles freely with those above her and
those below her. This is the tribute that
all classes pay to refinement ana Sood
breeding. 4 good woman who has been wei
raised and has a good education can live
in a place that Is higher than the aristoc-
racy of wealth. she has more social lnilu-
ence in the church or out of IL than all
the swells whose diamonds are their chief
passport and when she dies she has more
mOurners AT her fureral.
But | was Illuminating about the church
society-the good will and charity that pre-
walls in church circles among all it's mem
hers If they don't mingle together on week
days they do Sundays, for
the charity the church teaches
brings all it's members a level.
Among Christians q don't mean pretenders
or hypoortes) there is no aristocracy. A
soul is a soul and the humblest on earth
will take the highest place in heaven. 1 am
not going TO preach sermon. These
thoughts We're provoked by a little episode
that happened In our church last week. our
preacher and his sister went to keeping
house. They dident have much to start on
and we were behind with his salary. Our
,afz Dt,.rr OH tp,.1,a a hnh
forty years ] have been hunting for
church that was not behind. So il was
whispered around that our preacher
had to borrow money TO buy a cooking
slove and he dident have no more furniture
than Elisha had in his little room that the
Shunamte woman fixed up for him by the
wall. lie is "A sort Of half yankee-born
north and educated south, and mis- sister has
been teaching school up there. He is smart
ard handsome ana humble and the most
devoted man in his calling ever saw. The
poorest people in the town and vicinity
know him, for he has been to see them,
ana everybody loves him just because he
loves everybody lie owes a balance on his
education ana mas gone in debt for some
books but we dident know ii. All OF Il
sudden We found out that he was distressed
financially. We told him when he came
mat if the Lord would keep him humble
we would keep him poor But at last our
church people became aroused. The ladies
improvised donation party ana the men
hustled around and raised his back pay
ami 50 last Friday evening the good things
began to roll in to the preacher house.
The ladies of the town sent flour and coffee
and tea ana rice and oatmeal and sugar
and syrup and canned goods and some furn!-
tGre ami everything else nearly and the
country members sent chickens and turkeys
ana lots OF potatoes ana pickles ana jellies
ana all sorts Of good things even down to
popcorn ana persinmons from the children.
} never saw the like for two people. We
are afraid he viii quit preaching and open
.. family grocery. When the first load cane
~ I'D the Grayman IT was n mistas.e-he
l'.s,t,r,u --a,tvu .-,.st' '"iti-a "'.'' 81.
must take them back. But the drayman
smiled q smile and said: II is gwine y
leave EN- here anyhow-dats what Joy tole
me-" and leave them he did. Soon an
other load came and then another
ana there was nobody's name on anything.
The poor man was bewlldered. He had
just bought Il twenty-hye-pound sack OF
-four ana here were go pounds more. What
did h, say" / asked OF a drayman. He
never said nothin', but he looked sortcr I'M
posed on" That night our people began
to drop in on the parsonage unaWares and
by 5 o'clock the house was full Of men.
women and children. They found "a hearty
welcome, though they We're not asked TO
take seat, for seats were scarce. Every
body was happy for they had done good
deed, and deeds always make us happy.
Tie ladies slipped purse of 500 in the
sisters hand and the men another purse OF
$50 ina the preachers hand. which was
enough 40 pay his back salary, ana then
We Dadc them goodnight with good wishes.
ana ali went home, where there We're
chairs enough 70 50 round. That's the Way
10 do the preachers. 1t uIts him up and
7, news his zeal and Increases his faith. I'll
bet there isn't another preacher IN the
state who dares to DE like ours in one re
spcct. HE dareS 10 play baseball with the
boys and is by far The best player in the
town, for he was captain OF gam in
college and likes the sport. Now boys
said he, Il will be- glad to play with YOU,
but You must promise not to use an oath
nor an unbiud or Unsentl"manly expression
during the game And they promised.
After the game was over he thanked t1eIn
and invited them 80 cordially 10 come out
to prayer meeting that niSht that they
went f,is gentle influence over our town
boys is always for their good. They re
spvDt him and admire him and 90 to
preaching more than has been their Gus
tom. Anu laui So'u INTO Ghto illIS'hy ~
son magnify thine office. Cur preacher
maaniiicS his office ana dignifes the pulpit
and inspires reverence FOR the sacred
place. Our preacher can beat any
BODY marrying anybody except himself
that I ever heard. But he y young Yet
and viii find Il help-mate in the sweet by
tors have To be married to be a grand sue
cusS. Saving life and saving souls are the
highest callingS i'll the world. ana IL people
didcnt get married there wCudent be any
ut to be saved. Every unmarried man who
has passed the meridian of life is a com
parative failure. He is incomplete. lie is
a suspect and has to he watched David
Bennett Hin may get to be president but
ne is incomplete. So was buchanan ami
Fillmore The first lady of the land should
be presidents wife-not his niece. But
a preacher should be very careful in MS
choice for the poor woman will be criticised
as much as her husband. and won't have
any cha nee 10 GSht back in the pulpit she
shouldn't be q leader of sOciety-that IS Of
It's fashions and frivoiites. Rut she should
be social and cheerful and bright Nobody
lil,ee 4 meek and sad-eyed woman. | know
q minister IN a distant city who married
a very fashionable woman and il hurt his
influence il the church.
But sin minister's wife may smile
Once or twice in q while,
And still be q woman without guile.
BILL ARP.