Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1905-12-21
WANTED "a SERMON.
Nhat 0ns slneaFs Man DId'Not TInd.
BY ]. K. rR1EpMAN.


The Rev. Hiram Stoddard-kindest,
best and sincerest among men-had
been called from an obscure town to
guide the destinies Of one of Chica-
go's largest and most fashionable con-
gregations. On Sunday he was to
preach his first sermon and he was
naturally anxious to put forth the best
efforts of which he was capable, not
only IN order to maintain but also to
further his reputation for brilliancy,
eloquence and originality of thought.
He began, therefore, to work on his
Introductory sermon several weeks III
advance. But somehow all the topics
he chose failed to satisfy him, and he
dismissed one after the other as being
either hackneyed, uninteresting, down
right dull or .untimely. He wanted
something that would fit the hour and
stir his congregation by its fitness.
AS the appointed Sunday approached
the Rev Hiram Stoddard grew more
and more nervous, and he who had
such facility of invention and phrase,
to whom a sermon had been as moth
ing at all, now found that a sermon
was everything in the world. His
anxiety put a stumbling block in the
way of his abilities. If he had merely
showed his anxiety to one side his
quick mind would have found a clear
path--a bit Of advice as good as it is
useless to a man in the clutches of
worry
Thursday night found the reverend
gentleman in the library of his new
home in Michigan avenue, wretchedly
i'll at ease and all but on the verge of
despair.
From time to time he gazed restless
ly ut his well-stocked shelves in the
hope that some book would help him
out Of his quandary. He arose once or
twice as if inspired, fingered the fat
volumes and then sat down again,
signing to himself hopelessly.
"a walk might do me good and clear
the vapors from my brain" said the
minister to himself. So, giving over
all further attempts as useless, he put
on his hat and coat and passed out into
the night.
He walked north along Michigan
avenue, his hands crossed behind his
back, his brows puckered, still think
ing of his sermon despite himself. 1t
had occurred to him that the sight Of
the rolling waters of the lake would
serve as an inspiration, but in his alb
sent-mindedness he forgot about the
lake altogether and, needless Of where
he went, turned westward.
! All unaware Of it, the Rev. Hiram
Stoddard, his eyes bent on the ground
| in search of his elusive sermon, found
himself in the heart of squalid, pow
erty-stricken district that presented a
violent contrast to the neighborhood
out of which he had just passed.
/ If his mind had been concerned
more with what was going on outside
of it and less with what was going on
inside of it, if he had been more alive
to impressions, the minister might
have asked himself an endless number
of questions concerning this contrast,
its causes, its justification, its results,
but, as it was, he passed on without
rejecting, his eyes bent on the ground,
his hands crossed behind his back.
A long row of dark, forbidding tene-
ments loomed up. Out of the doorway
of the most ramshackle of these two
men passed and one said to the other
"Old Latham is squeezing us pretty
hard. The rent is going up next
month, and don't know how can
stand itl"
81 see by the papers" replied his
companion, "that Latham has just
made the church a handsome gift
He's got to square the two ends some
how, suppose"
81 suppose So said the other for
lornly, "but l wish some one would ex
plain to me how he justifies himself. u
The two men passed out OF sight
and earshot. Their conversation
SKINNED, so to say, over the surfac'
of the listeners preoccupied mind, moi
even ruffling it, leaving no impression
behind.
Suddenly it dawned on the minis
ter's attention that ii was growing
late and that it was high time to re
turn, and he retraced his steps, dis
tressed beyond measure to think how
the valuable minutes were flying anC
leaving him without topic for ser
mon.
On the way homeward he passed thu
unsightly tenements again. A crow(
had gathered around patrol wagoI
that stood in front of the last building
of the row. If the minister had PAUSED
to inquire he might have learned tina
night laborer, working at base
ment foundation, had been killed, tina
he had left a family penniless ant
that under the terms of his eontrac
he had absoIved his employers iron
all responsibility in case of accident
But in his haste the Rev. Hiram Stod
dard concluded that the disaster wa
the consequence of a drunken Draw
and he walked on, his mind still dis
traught by his missing sermon.