Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-08-09
Reply 10 1.-The Minister'S Vacation.

Reply 10 1.-The Minister'S Vacation.
AZ one of our last sociablcs-
| Perhaps twas in November
| some young folks spoke some pieces
| ana one was.-you remember
About an awful good old man
| AZ least, he thought he was;
VINO beat the air, and wrunS his hands
quite terrible because
One Sunday when he went to church,
| TO his great Indignation,
| lie found his minister had gone
Away on vacation.
And so he sat down on the ground.
And leaned against a tree,
Oils wife at home was doing up
The chores, instead OF hc)-
And then he sort of preached away
The whole long afternoon
Or so it seemed; while for a text
He sung the dismal tune,
OF what a wicked world this was,
And how it beat creation
When minister's had got to think
OF having vacation.
Why, the devil never had one
In all his life he said;
But he didn't stop to argufy
On sposn' that he had.
No. he left the devil suddenly
Ard dreamed he took Il rise,
Till he found himself knockin'
AT the portals OF the skies;
But st. Peter didn't answer.
And all Heavens congregation
Seemed gone off with the minister
On his Two weeks vacation.
Now what a dream that was, indeed
Most terrible and sad:
The old man groaned an awful groan,
1t made him feel so bad.
But had it been more real there might
Have been some other reason.
Why good ot. Peter left him there,
Out in the cold a season.
Or from within. he might have cried
$50 back you selfish sinner.
Till you. in love and charity
At least are a beginner.
But he heard no angel voices, no.
Through his great tfibuiatinn;-
The door was locked, the minister
Had gone on vacation
Now ministers don't leave, and pin
A notice on the door.
Unless the church has sanctioned
The move a while before.
So. where was our good brother,
When this wa talked about,
And on the previous oabblths,
When the notice was read out?
AbSeut2 IcSt while berating
Vacations in such style;
II seems that he himself had been
on one. for quite whil.,
Yet you would think that he had lost
His last hope of salvation,
Because the minister had gone
Away on 4 vacation.
y
And missed him now so much
How happened 1t he had not lived
With him in closer touch?
For. had he cared 70 follow him
With dollars or with prayers.
1t seems as if he would not have
Lost him so unawares.
Now probably this minister
Had left behind Bible;
Which our brother might have borrowed,
eve mean by this no liheD
And searching it he might have read
How one with patient smile
Said come. We weary children
Apart; and rest awhile
Have read how even the Master
Himself. tn mount and lake
Did. from the thrOng which pressed him,
His footsteps often take.
And. reading ON he might have found
Some balm for his YeXation;
And gained a better spirit
Toward the Ministers Vacation"
Might even have seen the minister
From different point Of view
Than his own private wishes
Now how would this one do?
And as we shall portray it
Please pardon. If. meanwhile
1t seems TO be presented
In rather homely style.
..The preacher gone off-has he?
Wen, I'm glad to have him 20.
For he hain't had SINCE he's been here,
No easy row to hoe;
Twas a wonderful hard winter
With his young ones sick 50 long
And il seems to me, he hasn't
Since then, looked over strong,
He is Just as true a Waterman
AS stands OF Zion's walls,
And haint afraid to preach the truth
No matter where. it falls.
And let him hear of sickness
Ii its only some ones COW.
He's sure to be right on the spot
Trying to help somehow |
Then with all the healthy sinners,
And weak and feeble saints, |
He has to deal with. truly
He might make some complaints,
But he's patient as MethuSelah-
Or.-you know who ! mean
And Just as you have seen him once. |
The same he's always been,
| don't mean that he never
Pounds the pulpit. or can't shout
But with all he has to carry
He must get tuckered out.
Then let him have a breathing spell
Long with his other rations
Even If he didn't use to hear
So much about vacations.
Well. here we have two pictures
This calm forbearing brother
Whose spirit we can copy
Or we can take the other
We. can find iault with the minister.
We can find fault with the people,
And the way that they have got Things
From the stove-pipe to the steeple.
But one thing we can safely
Hold on to for a rule,
The one wlJb is most swift to judge
Needs most to go to school.
And he who has been fore-ordained
To have the most to say
AS fauIt-finder is likely
To have the least to pay.
And his name would be omitted
If the church for conversation