The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1906-03-28

kindness, and the recipients, together with their
friends, deeply impressed When old Bell
Robb who brought up the tail of the procession
used to drag little in the passage with simple art
arranging her well-worn shawl or replacing the
peppermint leaves in her Bible in order that she
might get shake of the minister's hand, no one
grudged her his word good cheer for they knew
what a faithful soul she and how kind she
was to blind Marjorie. And if the minister had a
message for Bell to carry home to Marjorie and
Bell boosted that she never went empty-handed
tie glen was well content, for in it's length
and breadth had suffered so much as Marjorie
and none was full of peace Donald Menzies
would sometimes boldly stand at the pulpt-foot
upon occasion till the minister descended but
those were days in which his soul had come out
Oh prison. and he rejoiced upon his high places
OtherWlse they departed quietly from the House of
Cod Then the minister went up through the ST
lent church to his little vestry and it was his cus
tom to turn at the door look down the church
TO the pulpit imagining the people again in their
pews, AMI blessing in his heart the good men and
women who were now making their way by coun-
try roads to their distant homes.
To-day John Carmichael sits i'm the nuInit with
his head bent and buried in his hands for he has
oeeh deeply humbled When he appointed to
the free Kirk he knew that he could not preach
for that had been faithfully impressed upon him
in his city assistantship; but it was given him
during his first six months, face to face with the
critics of the glen to learn how vast was his IN
capacity Unto the end of his ministry he never
forgot the hours of travail, as he underworld to
prepare an exposition and a sermon for the Sab
baths service. He read every commentary on tbe
passage which he possessed and every reference in
books of dogma; he hunted literature through for
Illustrations and made adventurous VOYAGES into
science Tor anaIogies There field from
which he did not painfully gather except conven-
uoal religious anecdotage, which i'm even his hours
of despair he refused to touch Brick nv bricl, ba
pullt up his house. and then Sunday it would
tuiliOe 10 pieces in his hands, and present nothing
put a heap of disconnected remarks for the con-
sideration of the people This morning he had
come to halt trying to expound the dispute over
meat offered to idols in first epistle TO tbe Cor
mthiailS' ana he had omitted head of his SER
mon ana the whole of the practical application.
Simply because he nervous and his memory
had Jailed But he could not conceal from himself
that II there had been real unity in his think
ing, and if he had been speaking at first hand ne
would nos have been so helpless. The people were
very paueht and had made no complaint, but there
was limit and it must have been reached Be
SIDES 1t was not honorable toerable that a man
should undertake the duties of q nrofassio, o,1
not be able to discharge them. 1t was now evil
uelt tnat ne could not preach and it did not seem
nkey ne would ever be able to do so; and as in
the Kirk no man have the most modest
success or the narrowest sphere Of labor ,,nlass
he can produce some sort of sermon bis d,,+,,
seemed pain. He had not chosen the ministry, NJ
his own accord, but had entered it TO n1easa ono
whose kmdhess he could never repay; his action
had been a service of piety, but it had been q mis-
Iake IN practice, and one thing only remained for
him. During the week he would consult tho op1,,
person affected by the step and resign his charge
Inc people trooping by with nothing but friendly
thoughts Of him could not guess how bitter . crn
Ihelr minister was drinking, but the sound of their
auo'S'epS teI upon his heart like drops Of fire
There were other fields open to him and he r,ioht
I'VE to do good work in his day; but his public life
had started with disastrous failure and as long
as ne lived he would walk humblv Whom tho
Iasl OF the congregation had left, and there was
ol Sounu except thrush welcoming spring with
his cheerful note and caring not that ,yrnta. 80
settled Gown upon human soul Carmichael roea
ana crept up the forsalzen church q Irnl-o,, -.