Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1903-07-29
STATUS OF THE PASTOR.
GIRLS 30 NOT WISH TO BE YOUNG
MINISTER'S WIVES.

known and recognized thirty years
ago, has been displaced. The doctor
/ G medicine has taken precedence or
Sthe doctor of divinity in the worldly
course of sentiment Four women
may attend church services to each
man to be found there. but this gen.
aeral observation holds good, regard
less CT the age, appearance or married
or single condition Of the minister.
az To the misunderstanding young wom-
AN and her determined and ambitious
mother the young minister Of the gos.
pei today holds a possible fifth place.
Bishop Samuel NJ. Merrill of the
Methodist Episcopal church was
asked to substantiate the general ap-
plications of these assertions. AS to
the romantic side of the preachers
He, however. he holds that 1t was al
ways the romance Of the man himself,
regardless of his cloth; that where
the preachers position was considered
pr0and con in the arrangement OF a
wedding the situation was only local
and meaningless as applied to the
profession of the ministry.
in the middle west especially there
are eshundreds Of thousands of obscrv-
gers cf the churches of generation
ago who recall when frequently the
mere consideration of q married cler-
gyInan in the filing Of a pulpit va
cancy would cause a faction OF moth.
ers with marriageablc daughters to
enter such vigorous protest as some
times ito split the church. The posi-
tiaileof most of the sober-sided mem.
bers of the flock would be against the
engagement of hoy" preacher, while
certain of the mothers with daughters
eligible to matrimonial adventure
would find the young candidate espe-
cialiy eloquent" or spiritual" or
sympathetic. This condition pre-
vafled particularly in those churches
which made their own yotive choice
of the minister.
To-day. save in the smaller rural
churches off the railroads and away
from touch with the great money CEN
tres: :of;the country, the question OF the
young preacher was never less pro-
voking of factions.
When the young preacher was the
mark Of especial favor with ambitious
mammas, there were fewer represen'
tatiFessof the profession to draw from
In rural communities. AS rule four
preachers could find livings OF some
kindsin a town that could support per-
haps only two doctors. There would
be One druggist, perhaps; cashier III
thcss,ue bank Of the place, railroad
sta D agent and q postmaster. The
.la.l as4h 4he place could be upon &C,
rl,,ircl r already married. Beyond these
the choice of son-in-law would lie IN
the grocery and dry goods stores
hardware store and the coal dealer
Office.
"Today one not familiar with inc
conditions in the smaller towns OF
the country would be surprised 10
know how sharply they are refcctins
the life of the cities" said traveller
who has made observations IN the
country towns of the middle west es'
pecially. For instance, there IS
scarcely q wealthy man In one Oh
these places who has not made his
ventures upon the boards of trade anu
the stock exchanges of the big cities;
He can talk about millions with all
the natural ease that comes 10 wall
street frequenters. The seeming case
with which promoters and corn kings
and wheat kings have made fortunes
has impressed the man In the country
town quite as strongly as the impress
sion has been marked in the popula
tion of the cities, and to talk to MIN
now of local nan whose claims 10
wealth are in paltry $4,000 or S2o,
OOo is to provoke smile OF patient
consideration.
in general, too. the whole country
has increased in wealth, and as thlf
has come about, and the intricacles ol
civilization have multiplied, room has
been made for more of the professions
in the small towns, and nearly every
one of these has proflted more thaI
has the ministry. 1t seems in THESE
small places that as more money j.
accumulated. which ought to go 10 inc
strugglings ministers already IN the
town the disposition is, instead Oh
collecting to the good of those ALREADY
there. to build two or three more aepI
incumbered churches and create
half living for two or three more
preachers. 49,,
cit is pretty we'll recognized thai
the worldly let of the preacher IL
the small town is not to be cnVied os
any young woman who is not as mucr
welded to the cause of his mission as
he is himself. All else being equal
II is pretty certain that the doctor anc
lawyer and the registered pharmacies
and the bank book-keeper Will make
the better salary, and when you con
slider, that so many wives OF ministers
who have not taken degree are dc
, MED the use of the appellation OF doc
TOR" such as the wife Of the dentls
over the drug store may use wher
speaking of her husband-why, Is i
any wonder that the preacher ism
cutting much matrimonial ice!'
In Chicago. recognizing that moth
er with daughters Is entitled IN
sense to carry that worldly desire t.
see them married even into the
church, 1t may be remarked with as
surance that just to that extent tha
|; the mother is worldly, to that exten
IS the minister eliminated. OF the mel
who have preached in Chicago IL
wears PAST, DR.. Hiram w. Thomas
pastor emeritus Of the People,
church, may be said to have reached
,1o,o to fbo DoacihilitipS of the minis