Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-02-15
HIS FIRST CHARGE.
DR.. TA.MAGE'S ACCOUNT OF HIS
FIRST YEAR IN THE MINISTRY.
Interesting Incidents In the Opening Chap
ter of n Notable r-Reoollections of
Brotherly Encouragement and Kindly
Christian Assistance.

brOtherlY encouragement ana Kindly
| Christian Assistance.
al was born, - said Rev. Y. DE Witt Tai
mage to New York World man, con
Jan. I, 1882, at Bound Brook, y. j., aud
I am the youngest of ~ children. My IA
ther belonged to the aristOCracy of hard
/ knuCkles, and it may easily lie INA gined
! that my parents had hard struggle to
| provide for, train and educate so large "A
family. Father was a Christian worker.
"My earliest preference was for the law,
| for which | studied for a year after gradu-
! ating from the University of the City of
| New York. My parents were anxious that
! | should become u preacher Of the gospel,
| so | entered n theological seminary at New
| Brunswick and after the usual course he
| came n licentiate.
! MY hYst charge was at !1elieYillc, y.
j., where labored for about three years.
| So much has been written of the huIdsnips
! of clergymen, small salaries, unreasonable
! churches, mean committees and impudcnt
| parishioners that parents seeking for tGcir
children happiness are not wont 70 desire
| them TO enter the sacred calling. Indeed
the story of empty bread trays and cheer
| less parsonages has not half been told.
81 will never forget my charge at Belle
/ vile. 1t looms up before me now. 1t was
| about q O'Clock Of a June afternoon the
! sun striking aslant upon the river, when
! the young minister and his bride we're rid
ing toward their new home. AS the Cur
! riagc rumbled across the bridge in front
of the house at which they were for a few
days to tarry it seemed a. if the hoof and
wheel underst God the transport OF the
hour The weeks of bridal cougratuatiou
had ended, and here they We're at the door
| OF the good deacon who was to entertain
| them.
"Thc minister and his bride aiighted
amid hearty welcomes, for the flock had
| been a long time without shepherd. All
seemed to understand something OF the
! embarrassment of Il young man with the
ink hardly dry on his parchment and
girl just entering into the responsibility
of a clergyman : wife After tea some Of
the parishiOuers came in.
"Old Mr.. Bromlette stepped up to offer
a greeting. He owned large estate,
had been born in high life and had in hi5
possession silver plate which his father
used in entertaining General Washington.
He was fat man and had no professions
or pomp Of manner. Az he wiped the per
| spiration from his brow he said, Hot
night dominic" He began the conversH-
ton by askiul, the minister who his father
was and who his grandfather, and lie was
delighted when he found there WAS dig
nitary in the ancestral inc of the ministers:
Il knew him well Danced 40 years ago
with his daughter at Saratoga Hc add
ed: Il think we will he able to make you
comfortubl here. We have in our village
some families of highly respectable de
scent The governor will dine with rs to-
morrow about clock. My carriage win
call for you. Better retire early. Good
night
"MacMillan, the Scotchman, now en-
tered. He said: | came to welcome you rs
a minister of the new coven1nt. What
catechism do you stOOdy:' Westminster,
replied the clergyman. Praise God for
that" said the SCOtchman. 4 think you
must belong to the good old orthodox, ont
and ont Calvinfstic school. Do not like
to suggest, but if parfactly convainaut
give us next Sunday solid sermon about
the eternal DEGREES. Good night. J must
sing psalm of David with the children
before they go to bed.
"The first Sunday came. The hroWnstone
church was beautiful structure without
and within. The congregation gathered
early. Many had gone in, hut others staid
at the door to watch the coming of the new
minister and his bride She j. now gone,
and it is no fattery to say that size was
fair TO look upon, delicate in structure Of
body, eye large aud blue, hair in which
was folded the shadows OF midnight, erect
carriage, but quite small. She had sweet
voice and had sung for several years in
the choirs of the city churches and had
withal a magic of presence that turned all
She met into warm personal admirers.
Her hand treinbled on her husband
arm as that day they went up the steps of
the meeting house gazed at intently by
young and old. The pastor looked paler
even than was his wont. His voice quay
cred in reading the hymn, and he looked
confused as l-t maze the publications.. lie
had hard work to remen her the words Of
the baptismul service, and when be came
to preach in his excitement he could not
find his sermon. it had fallen back of the
sofa. He looked upand down and forward
and backward, fishing it out ut last just
in time TO come up, flushed and hot, 10
read the text. Ii was a very feeble attempt
at preaching, but all Were ready to hear
his words. The young sympathized with
him, for he was young, and the old looked
on him with II sort of paternal ndlIl gcnce.
At the few words in which he commended
himself and his Of their care and sympathy
they broke forth into weeping and al tire
close of the service the people, poor and
rich, gathered to offer their right hands.
"M2cAlillan, the Scotchmau, said,
i Young man, that's the right doctrine -
the same that Mr.. Duncan taught me 40
years ago at the kirk in the glen.
"Harry Bronson took his pastor by the
hand and said: That sermon went right
to the spot Glad you found it, Was
" afS id you would never fish it out from
behind that sofa when saw you on all
tours looking it up, Thought / should
4 burst,
Lucas, with eyes as red as hall hour
OF crying could make them. took the min
listers hand, but said nothing. only looked
more thanks aud kindness than word,
Il could have expressed.
u Mr.. Durbin said Glow are You?
Broke in on my rule today aud came to
church Little curious, you see. Did not
y believe it, quite all, but that will do, Glad
you gave 1t to those Christians. saw them
vince under it,. Mrs, Durbin was mean
I while employed in Introducing tina bride