Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1894-03-28
UNDERPAID CLERGY.
SOME OF THEM RECEIVE LESS THAN
A DRAPER'S CLERK.
The Trials md EInar Reward of An Eng
lIsh Curate In the Eighteenth Century.
Extracts from Diary which Tell Dis
NAL Tale of Priyation.

NAL Tale of Privation.
a great deal is heard from time to
time about the underpaid clergy. 1t
has been recently said by an English
writer that there are many clerks in
holy orders who receive less than clerks
in linen Diapers shops" This is es-
pecially true i'll Europe, where the cler-
gy, or at least the curates, are paid
such miserably poor stipends that bat
for the generosity of the parishioncrs
they could not 1.-Two.
In the United States, too, tho clergy
man, usually college bred man of tai
ents and refinement, receives II salary
altogether out Of proportion to his call
ing and his ability. This remark does
not apply TO the clergy in the large cit
les, TO many of whom are paid very
large salaries. In New York city, for
example, it is said that there are 100
ministers who receive salaries of $10,-
600, and many of them have rcctOries or
parish houses fsee in addition. But
in the country towns, east and west
alike, the minister who gets 81, 600 is a
rare exception. Many, perhaps the ma
jority, do not receive as much rs 81 600.
While the reflection may not prove Of
tangible benefit to these underpaid serv
ants in the highest of callings. still it
is interesting to know that III social
and in n financial way, and III the self
respect consequent upon these condi-
tions, the clergyman of today is vastly
better off than tho chaplain OF curate
of century age. III point Of abject
poverty there are no Wears of Wake
field today, nor any chaplains who fig
ure rs testers or buffoons. as did many
of the more favored ones of Goldsmith's
day.
The following extract from The Gen
tleman's Magazine of 1866 shows how
poor was the lot of the curatc of that
time:
"Monday-Reccivcd go from my
rector. being one-half years salary;
obliged to wait Ii long time before my
adnittanco to the doctor, and even
when admitted was never once asked
to sit down or refresh myself, though
had walked / l miles. Iten-The doc
tor hinted he could have the curacy fill
ed for ci5 year.
| TUESDAY 90 to seven differ
ent people. hut could not buy tho Sec
ondhand pair of black breeche5 offered
me as Il great bargain, my wife want
/ ing petticoat above all things. and
neither Betsy nor Polly having a shoe
/ to go to church.
, Wednesday-M wife bought pet
/ ticoat for herself and shoes for her two
daughters, hut unluckily, in coming
home, dropped half a guinea through
hole which she had never before per-
ceivod il her pocket and reduced all
our cash in the world to half n crown.
Item-Chid my poor woman for being
/ afflicted at the misfortune and tCndCrly
/ advised her to depend upon the good
ness of God.
Thursday-ReCeived 4 note from
the alchouse at the top of the hill, in
| forming me that a gentleman begged
to speak to me on pressing business.
Went and found ii was an unfortunate
member of a strolling company Of play
I ers, who was pledged for seyenpence
+ half penny. In II struggle what to do.
/ The baker though we had paid him bur
! on Tuesday, quarreled with MS, to avoid
giving any credit in future, and the
whispered how the rector intended to
take curate who would do the parish
duty at an inferior price, and therefore,
though he would do anything to serve
me, advised me 10 deal at the upper end
of tho town. Notifying reflections
these, but want of humility is, in my
opinion, a want of justice. The Father
of the universe lends his blessings to
US, with view that we should relieve
one another, and we consequently do
no more than pay a debt when we per-
form an act of bCnevolence. Paid the
strangers reckoning out of the shilling
in my pocket and gave him the re-
mainder of the money TO prosecute his
journey.
"Friday-A very scant dinner, and
pretended therefore TO be i'll, that, by
Avoiding to eat, L might leave some
thing like enough for my poor wife and
/ children. ! told my wife what l had
done with the shilling; tho excellent
creature, instead Of blaming me for tho
action, blessed the goodness of my
heart and burst into tears. Men,
Never to contradict her as long as
! live, for the mind that can argue like
hers, though it may deviate from the
more rigid sentiments Of prudence, is
even amiable for its indiscretiOn, and
in every lapse from the severity of
economy performs an act of virtue, su-
perior to the value of kingdom.
''Saturday-Wrote sermon, which
on Sunday l preached at four different
parish churches, and came home exces-
sively wearied and excessively hungry;
no more money than twopence half
penny in the house, but you SEQ the
| goodness of Godl The strollinS player
whom had relieved was man of for
tune, who accidently heard that | was
as humane as l was INDECENT, and from
generous eccentricity of temper want
ed TO do me an essential piece of serv-
ice. | had not been an hour at home
when he came in, and declaring him
self my friend put $50 note in my
hand, and the next day presented me
with living of G3O0 year.
An Indians Diplomacy.
Ill, I'll