Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1902-02-13
THE ENGLISH PARSON.
What the Trials of Some Are, as Told
by Country Vicar.

by Country Vicar.
Instead of being men to envy, as so
many iil-informed people seem to
imagine, said country vicar to the
writer, can assure you that, with
few exceptions, clergymen, even when
they are in the proud position of hav-
ing benefices, ought rather to be OBJ
jects of sympathy and even pity than
OF envy.
Let me tell you some or my own ex-
periences and / think you will agree
with me. | entered the church thirty
years ago under as favorable condi-
tons as most men. was educated at
a public school. took high honors, in
Guiding first class In theology tripos
at Cambridge, and as had plenty Of
zeal and, II | may say SO, aptitude for
the work, | naturally thought had a
fair prospect before memo. tina. |
coveted dignities or expected 1 j, attain
them, but had imagined had every
prospect of at least conf, vtable
living.
l had not been long In the oh, rich,
however. before doubts on that p ,irt
began to assail me; for lacked bo'h
OF the two things needful for promo
tion--a good private income or power
full friends. | worked hard and with
some success and approval for ten
years. in various curacies in London
and the provinces, and then | did q
very foolish thing, from a material
point OF view.
AS had no powerful relatives Of M
own ought. as prudent man, to nave
married into family OF wealth or in
huence; but | was indiscreet enough
to follow the dictates OF my heart and
to marry the daughter of a poor man.
gentleman, but poor as myself and
without influential connections. No
man ever had more loyal or loving
WIFE. and knowing all know now |
would still commit the same '';ndiscre
tlon but as a matter OF fact had
closed the last door against myself so
far as material prospects in the church
went.
shortly after my marriage M wear
! died, and as had worked well In the
parish Tor five years and had attained
considerable popularity | thought .
might apply for the living Tie
squire. in whose gift the living was.
was exceedingly kind, but he made II
quite clear to me that my want of PR.
vate means was an insuperabie diff
Guilty. The living must go to a man
who could maintain it with proper
dignity. and that could certainly NOT
be done on the e200 a year that went
with It,
III mad had a private income of
t 900 year think should have Get
IL; but IT went to the son of a wealthy
friend of the squire. who had only been
priested couple of years. and who
was a school boy when / was In holv
orders.
When children came found nv
salary OF e140 year grow less ana
less elastic, and my wife whose health
was very delicate, lacked many of the
comforts and even necessaries her
nealth demanded. At this time. when
| mad been fifteen years in orders. a
neighboring living worth e2O0 a wear
became vacant. and applied for II
sending in excellent testimonials
some of them from leading parishon.
ers.
But the bishop knew little 1r moth
ing OF me and again | failed. the
hVlng going to the son OF ono of his
conons. a young man who had been
sent down" from Oxford and had
i qualified at Durham. Thus the weary
game went on. All my APPLICATIONS
ana | never lost an opportunity you
may imaSine-failed because had
neither Powerful friends nor money
In every case the successful applicant
was either rich man or a relative of
people OF influence
Thus | found myself. approaching
fifty. still curate, with a salary Of
sl5O year and a wife and Ave chill
dren to provide for. OF the anxieties
and struggles, the denials IF those
days | cannot speak. You can pic.
ture them for yourself Iou can
imagine that We had not many lux
uries, and IL we had joint of meat
once week we considered ourselves
lucky.
At last. when had begun TO de-
spair, and when found 1t difficult and
almost impossible to set a curacy IN
starvation wages (for at so you are
too old to be of use, you know I
succeeded in getting a living. snaplv
| suppose. because no one else would
have it. This living ironically so
called is an out of the world spot, ten
miles from any center Of civilization
] have house, which is in a wuef y
state Of aoiapidation, six acres OF
glehe and an average income of los
pounds year. and on this AN eA.
pected to maintain my family. keen a
respectable front to the wori1. srl,.
( scribe to charities. etc. and got Nv
children suitably placed in the world
! farm the land myself plow and