The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-06-29
The Preachers
Line OF w rk
is NOT WELL UNDERSTOOD 8.
THE 2EOPLE-HlS TASKS
ARSUCuS.

a leading Protestant preacher OF
Fairmon; was in med:taive mood.
He had just completed the duties OF
a very busy dag He was reclining il
his easy chair and ais face and man
ner bore witness to the claim that
the days labors had been Tery ar1u
Gus for the Clergyman.
Does a preacher eve. get tired:
Well. make the assertion without;
fear OF contradiction that no other
class of people welcome rest more
aaxiously than does tne preacher
This was a new, lie Of thought
about the work Of minister, for his
life is though: by the people TO be one
continuous round of ease. Re always
goes dressed up. smoothly shaver.
gets a fair saiarE. has nice house. a
lovable wife. a tranquil home. nice
! furniture, beautiful study. and moth
ing to do but to so to prayer meeting
once a week. and to prepare TWO ser
mons for Sunday. This is the rosea,e
and attractive conception which most
persons picture "a tue AS
pastor.
while such a condition OF affairs
is most beautiful" said the preacher,
yet it is as far from the truth as the
! East is from the West. dislike very
! much to dispel the attractive Illusion
vet facts will cause it rapidly to dis
appear.
u was in the army during TIE Civil
F.! War. and I nave preached for over
a quarter of a century. Yet say WIN
out hesitation that my four years IN
| the army were vacation when com
n.red To a similar length Of time in
the pastorate.
What does pastor do which is
so tiresomec The preparation OF
I sermon is not one-hund-edt3 part OF
| the labors Of the preacher The real
work comes and is completed Win the
knowledge of but few people. Wives
! come to the preacher who have had
trouble with their husbands. and nus
bands who have had trouble with their
wives: the minister must try to De
I; the peacemaker- People IN olstress
/. come at all hours of the day aud night
/ sany a time I have seen preacher
-;xe money to a needy one when ne
| sbould have spent the money in sup
!. port Of mis- own home. The "no'e u
! the week is made up of work just IKE
| this Some require money: others
| nscihcation: others advice: while
s1,,, others must be comforted- There
is a seamy side to every profession
and every work: yet none but the IN
dividuals who perform the laoors
thereof know OF its many unpleasant
and rough places
/ THE ministerial student, contin-
ued the minister. suffers one o! MS
most trying times when ne takes up
t.be active work OF the pastor AFTER
leaving the seminary. Among the peo-
pie he comes in contact win are
things which he had never read OF III
his text books. Strange and unthouShe
:. or dilenas arise on every shand from
which extrication often seems l'npos-
I Sible. Yet after years OF many ooil9
4 and knocks he finally becomes moulo-
ed TO the real life of the minister
with its stern realities which are far
different from the conception the stu
dent had formed of ti1e work while
in his room at the seminary
The speakers ear9estness and, his
gray hairs both went to proclaim the
5 truth of the statements which nae
lust been made The interviewer was
s wiser and more thoughtful man for
having gotten this small plimpse o.
the seamv life of preacher