The record-union., 1898-01-11
A REMEDY NOT PATENTED.

one Sunday morning soon after his
appointment as pastor Of the Methodist
Cnurch IN Wallace, Mr.. Johnson said:
we nave some men in the church VINO
are called stewards, and it is to these
men mat any complaints may be mace
ana they in turn will speak to the pas
tor, and thus anything that can De
done to make things better will be- NOW
L want the people here to be satisfeu !,
and If l do things you do not like, or IL
You wish anything about the service al
tered, l hope you will mention sucn
things to the stewards, and snail De
only too glad to remedy the matter, IL
possible"
The church was full on that particu-
lar morning, and at every dinner taoie
his words were talked over some
thought it better to go to the minister
himself, while some liked the plan OF
letting somebody else do the disagree
able duty of finding fault. There We're
complaints enough. Oh! yes; the min
lister always has faults, and the people
always see them, for the pastor is but
one man, and they watch him very
closely, while the people are hundreds,
and how can one find out the faults OF
so many?
Betsy Greene lived just across the
road from the parsonage, and about
Wednesday she was ready to give her
time and attention to the doings Of the
minister's folks. People in Wallace
didn't visit on Monday or Tuesday, or
on Friday or Saturday; so Betsy was
perfectly secure in doing her own work
or those days, and Wednesday and
Thursday she was at liberty to see who
came and went at the houses of her
neighbors. A week passed away, and
Betsy Greene was almost frantic with
curiosity. She told Mrs. Earle:
I'D jest like ter know what's Their
matter with the new minister; I've seen
some err the stewards there every day
running an 7 guess suthin' is out er
gear Horace Ames hez ben twicet,
and John Bowker (an' he's one er the
influential members), an Catlin Hobbs
hez ben three times ter my sartin know
in, an dom know nothin' how of'en he
goes when I'm in the back side er the
house err down suller. Do you know eff
it's er trial, er doctrine, er suthin like?'
In John Bowker's home the following
conversation is overheard:
well, Kitty. the circus has begun.
/ met old man Dobbs on the street to-
day. and he said he wished I'd see the
minister and arrange to have more SER
mons on 'Damnation'-he hadn't heard
one since the new man came"
Now, John. you didn't tell that fool
ishness to Mr.. Johnson"
Yes, I did-stopped on my way
down."
You did? I am ashamed Of you!
What did the poor man say?"
HE had arranged for his sermon on
Christian Charity for next Sunday,
but he would change it; and he look
ed as if he thought he ought to have
known it earlier in the week before he
had written this one. / felt sorry for
him"
II should think you would feel mean.
] advise you to get a s. bill and send
IT to him as some compensation On
the whole I'm not sure but you are
one of those who'll need everlasting
punishment if you continue to carry
the silly complaints of the chronic
fault-finders," and Kitty laughed. II
don't think Mr. Dobbs needs the minis
ter to tell him he'll be damned-every-
body but himself is sure Of it,
The scene is transferred to the pas
tors study.
katherine, I'm utterly discoura ged.
] shan't stay here but year. and the
parsonage is so pretty. I thought you
would be so happy after the bare. home
~ house Of our last place. To be sure.
they were poor, and it was the best they
could do: but here we have the bow win
dow for your plants. and the pretty car
pets. and no long black cracks in the
ceiling and the roses and grapevines,
too"
Pm going to stay three years" said
the pretty little woman who sat in the
low chair By the study lamp.
But. Katie. we have only been here
two months. and everybody has begun
TO find all sorts of fault"
Well I suppose If you go, can board
at the hotel. I'm going to stay three
years.
Herman Johnson's heart was lighter,
for his wife's words showed that she
must have heard something pleasant.
She was the bright side of his life, for
she told him the pleasant things and
kept the rest to herself. or laughed them
ali away as she told them over to him.
II he had only told the stewards to tell
the minister's wife. it would have been
all right.
His voice dropped back TO its old de-
spondent tone again as he said: John
Bowker met me to-day. and he said
Brother Dobbs wanted me TO preach a
sermon an eternal punishment for the
wicked, and though I have my sermon
nearly ready. told him 1 would"
..Nonsensei You'll take your sermon
on No Rest for the Wicked over there
tomorrow night and read 1t aloud to
him, saying you had heard he wanted &c
hear something on the subject; and II
that dose doesn't stand him off till Sun
day so he'll be glad to hear Christian
Charity why, I shall be amazingly mis-
teken''
''Kathie. you're a blessing: was tbs
relieved remark.
IF all your complaints are as easily
disposed of as that. We shall certainly
stay three years"
What would you say to anybody who
thought l came out on one side of the
pulpit more than on the other?"
Il should say. preach every other Sun
day down In the altar and tell the peo-
pie WHY I did it,
John Bowker made no more com
plants, telling everybody that he was sc
busy they must take their complaints 4
some other member of the board.
think he thought that If a So bill was
TO be the price of every visit to the pas
tor. he would better let him alone TO d.
his work in his own way without regard
10 the wants Of the people, whom h
came to think didn't know just whai
they did want But other members wen