New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-18


spiritual work. and the other contends that she
should lead the social life of the parish.
This contention was aptly illustrated by the
experience Of clergymans wife In large city
parish only last Christmas wealthy par
ishioner called upon her at the first touch of
cold weather. and. in delicate way. offered her
a handsome fur coat which had seen but little
service. but which was distinctly out of date.
The gift included the price for having the coat
made over on lines. for, the parishioner
kindly intimated It would be best If other
members of the church did not recognize the
garment. There had been illness in the pastors
family, and though the wife was expected to
| hold her own. socially and sartorially. among
the women of her husbands flock, there was
little money left for winter f1nery, the gift
was gratefully accepted Just before Christmas
another well-to-do parishioner, whose pet
charity was home for working girls, called on
the pastors wife with plea for a holiday do
nation. After figuring very closely. not only on
the contents of her purse. but on the influence
of her caller, the minister's wife gave SIS to the
Christmas celebration at the home. The next
Sunday she appeared at church for the first
time clad in the gift of her husbands other
parishioner, and a very handsome fur wrap 1t
proved to be- That afternoon, while the tired
preacher resting in his study, he was sur
prised by a call from the woman who was IN
terested in working girls. She had come to talk
with him earnestly about the inconsistency of
clergyman's wife who could give only So for
charity and then spend $500 for fur coat
Said minister's wife: only a woman pos
sessed Of the full measure Of healthy common
sense and saving sense of humor should
marry a clergyman The sensitive woman and
the morbid woman, should shun ministerial
alliance. The parishoner who is most Jealous
for the Lord Is ofttimes hardest on the hand
maiden the Lords servant has chosen 10 aid
him in saving souls"
In city located less than hundred miles
from New-York odd case is to be found n
year ago the young clergyman who hailed from
the West went back to his native city for his
bride The congregation received her with open
arms. She had a charming personality. the
bearing of a woman trained in social matters
and II she was lacking in spirituality she GER
family made up for 1t in zeal and earnestness
She became the magnet which drew young peo-
pie to the church. She was elected president OF
this society and chairman OF that committee
Sometimes her husband almost jealous or
his congregation SO numerous were the claims
on her time But other clergymen envied him
his competent wife. Then came the day When
one of his parishioners returned from visit TO
the Western city in which he had been mar
ried. She brought back word that the clergy
mans wife had been manicure in a Chicago
shop. OF a young brother kept in school and
an invalid mother cared for until the brother
could take up the burden of support. the gos-
sips said nothing; but the manners Of the rec
tors wife. once pronounced spontaneous and
charming were now considered too free. The
golden hair which had once been the envy OF
every woman in the congregation was credited
to peroxide The little ball OF gossip gathered
until. a relentless big mass, 1t fell against the
door Of the pretty little rectory. The young
clergyman reasoned and prayed. The young
wife held her head highland resigned her offices
in the church. To-day her husband breaches to
his congregation, of old but the rector's pew
is empty. His wife listens to the voice of an
other minister in another church. Oddly enough,
the clergyman holds the affections of both wife
and congregation, his home life Is singularly
happy but his work is forbidden topic between
him and the woman who started out so zealously
to be his helpmeet and cowOrker.
To the sensitive woman this question Of sue
cess or failure becomes a haunting fear. Be-
hind the recent departure of clergyman and
bis wife for Italy lies a story that was almost
a tragedy This couple had started out hand
in hand to build up struggling congregation.
The church became prosperous, even as the
wife's duties a mother grew apace. AT her
husbands urgent request she withdrew more
and more from active church work and devoted
herself to their home and children The min
lister realized, as do many pastors of large con-
gregations in this day and age, that 1t did
not rebound to the wifes dignity to become too
heavily invoked in parochial work. But 1t
happened that this church now become wealthy
lay on the edge of a poor quarter Of the city,
where much practical religious work was need
ed and as the minister's duties increased he
employed a trained CITY missionary instead Of
Noafnr q
woman had been trained to work among the
poor she knew their needs and their failings
She had the problems of parochial calls down
to a fine art. She became member OF the
clergyman's household, and for a time they
dwelled in amity together.
Then the wife, who recovering from
tedious illness. caught few words OF idle
gossip dropped by needless parishioners. 1t
was a pity that dear DR.. So-and-So had been
obliged to employ 10 take his wife's
place in the parish. A woman ought not to
marry a minister unless she could fulfil the
cred duties which such marriage entailed
And these words first ranked in her bosom and
then induced a low form of melancholia. Her
husband had always turned with relief from
his pastoral duties to his charming home circle
It was his wish keep his church work and
his home life distinct. and to this end he made
a rule that the city missionary should never
talk parochial work at the table or when the
family gathered around him at night. From
this simple rule his morbid wife drew the in
ference that he shutting her out from all
his church interests. From this it was short
step to the conviction that she had failed in
her duty to her husband. and beyond this an
other short step to the staggering thought that
her husband would be better off without her;
that the trained church worker who