The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-01-04
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q Three in a Bridge Is
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y BY JAMES BUCKHAM. y
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yIIHEN was in the theological sem
w mary it was the custom of the
students at the beginning of the senior
year, to obtain, with the approval and
co, operation Of the faculty. licenses to
preach. Then we would go out, as
often as we had opportunity, to supply
vacant pulpits in the surrounding
country. Requests for supplies
would come from these churches to
some member of the faculty, and he
would assign them to the seniors.
Often we used to go long distances to
fill these preaching engagements, and
not infrequently the small sum we re-
ceiyed for our services would be al
most, if not quite, consumed by travel
ing expenses. In winter, or during the
season of the spring floods, it was no
small task to reach the remote coun-
try towns to which we were sum-
moned, and often We would have to
start before daylight on Saturday, and
travel by all sorts of conveyances, in
order to reach our destination in sea-
son.
However, we were all eager to get
these preaching assignments, which
served to introduce us to the actual
work Of the ministry; and not one of
us ever complained if he was sent $50
or 200 miles "up country" to serve
some small church in the hills, that
could offer no more than to pay his
expenses.
In the spring of 1874, which was my
own senior year, Prof. Mason, of the
seminary faculty, came to my room in
Fletcher hall. one lovely April evening,
with letter in his hand from the COM
mittee of small church in Bakersville,
VT, 95 miles away, in thinly-settled
section of the state. Can you go?"
he asked. 1.-The pay is only $10-the
fare So"
Certainly can," l replied, CRATE
fully, for l had not had an assignment
to preach for more than month.
The pastor has been called away,
suddenly, by the probably fatal illness
Of his falner," explained Prof. Mason,
land you are to be entertained by his
wife. A man will meet you with horse
and wagon at Gambia station, and you
will have drive of nine miles from
there to Bakersville, which, as under
stand, is an out-of-the-way place in a
mountain valley. It's long, hard
trip, but you may get some pleasurable
spice of adventure out of it,"
Prof. Mason handed me the letter
from the chairman of the church COM
mittee, Deacon John Fay, and assured
him that would look up time tables
"a be ready to start early Saturday
sSuing. 1t was already Friday even
lpso packed my bag, putting in two
mons, with the usual change of
hing, and then walked down to the
Dad station to get posted as to my
| found that should have to
It seven o'clock in the morning,
n, as usual in such trips to out
Oh places, wait for three hours
in the lie of the day to make con-
nections a small junction. 1t was
exasperatihs6 but there was no other
way, SO aided lunch and good
book to my budget, and soon went to
bed, SO as to wake in time for an early
start.
The day passed more pleasantly than
had expected, for the ride through the
country, clad in that first delicate green
early LEAKAGE, and bright with clear
nshine and sparkling brooks, afford
a succession of charming pictures
spent my three hours at the little
ction in the hills strolling and lis
Ing to delicious brook music, in
ad Of reading, and then settled to
ak as the long-awaited train
out, anu read 2ntil the brake
,houted Gambia"
Deacon Fay himself who met
stout horse and buggy, at
alton and we had q pleasant
o ROD" in the late afternoon
through the lonely
,oded ridges of
as dusk be-