The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-01-23
MISCELLANY.
The Preachers Vacation.

The old man went to meetn, for the day was bright
and fair,
Tho his step slow and totteru and twas hard
to travel there's
But he hungered for the gospel so he trudged the
weary way
On the road so rough and dusty, meath the suns
hot burning ray.
Byand-by he reached The building, to his soul
holy place;
Then he paused aud wiped the sweat drops from off
his wrinkled face.
But he looked around bewlldered, for the old bell
did not toll,
see a soul
SO he leaned upon his pilgrim staff and said What
does it mean?"
Aud he looked this ard that way till it seemed to
him dream
He had walked the dusty high way (and he breathed
just to go once more to meetin' ere the summons
came to die.
Soon he saw little notice, tackled on the meetin'.
house door,
SO he limped along to read IT. and he read it DER
and DER;
Then he wiped his dusty glasses and he read it DER
again,
Till his lips began to tremble, and his eyes we're
run OF pain.
As the old man read the notice. how it made his
spirit burn
Pastor absent vacation church has closed tn his
return "
Then he staggered slowly backward, and sat him
down to think
For his soul was stirred within him till he thought
his heart would sink.
SO he moved along and wondered; to himself So.
liloquized-
al have lived till almost eighty and was never so
AS read that oldest notice stuck the meetin'-
house door;
Pastor on racdtioH never heard the like be-
forei
"why, when first Joined the mettin, very many
years ago,
Preachers travelled on the circuit, in the heat and
through the ow
If they got clothes and victuals Ctwas but little cash
they goU,
They said nothn bout vacation but were happy in
their lot.
Would the farmer leave his cattle, or the shepherd
leave his sheep?
Who would give them and shelter or provide
them food to eat?
So it strikes me very singular, when a man of holy
hands
THINKS he needs to have vacation and forsakes his
tender lambs.
" Did st. Paul git such notion2 Did a Wesley. or a
Knox?
Did they, in the heat of summer, turn from their
needy hocks?
Did they shut up their meetin', just go and lounge
about?
Why surely them If this they did Satan would raise
shout.
| Do the oil cir IN tuISa "a
little rest?
Why, 'twould be the height of nonsense, for their
trade would be distrest
Did you know it to happen, or hear anybody
tell
Satan absent on vacation-and closed the doors of
hell?
And shall preachers of the gospel pack their
trunks and go away,
Leaving saints and dying sinners to get along best
they may?
Are the souls of saints and sinners valued less than
selling beer?
Or do preachers tire quicker than the rest of NOR
tails here?
"why it is cannot answer; but my feelings they are
stirred;
| Here I've dragged my tottering footsteps to heal
the gospel word;
But the preacher is a travelin' and the meetin'
house is closed;
confess it's very trying,-hard indeed to keep com
posed.
TEL me when tread the valley and go up the
shining height,
VIII hear no angels singin',-will see no geamin
light?
| viii the golden harps be silent? VIII meet nc
welcome there?
| Why, the thought is most distressin'. 'Twould bt
more than could bear
" Tell me- when | reach the city, on the Other
shore,
| Will | find the notice tackled upon the colder
door,
Telling me, mid dreadful silence, writ in words tina
cut and burn,
! Jesus absent rdcdtioH-Hedren closed til h!
returHI" The Methodist