Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-02-24
;. Observation-Disclosures
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| FREDERICK L OfSytne FOUND 1t SO when
he accepted the position of assistant
pastor of Christ church of Robbindale.
The town and the church had been
founded by Horatio Robbins, a man
very set in his ways. and he had left
his impress upon both, especially the
church. If there ever was a young
man wrapped in his profession, it was
Mr.. Forsythe. Moreover, he was re-
markably well fitted for it,
But no one in Robbindale looked so
far ahead. The clergyman was but
twenty-six years DID, and, though it
was admitted that he had 'the gift of
gab," it was feared that he lacked that
discretion necessary to get on with
the members Of Christ church. There
was one essential to his retaining his
position, anu that was that he should
take wife from among the young
girls of the congregation. He was not
told this. He was simply Informed
when called to the church that his I'M
welded condition was an objection
and that his permanency would depend
upon his marrying.
| MI. Il OISy l1C IOuIu d
the membership of which had descend
ed exclusively from parent to child.
No one had ever joined the church
from any other circle-that is, to re-
main. Several had tried it, but, not be-
ing noticed by any of the members,
had quietly dropped out. Mr.. FOrsythe
had scarcely entered upon his duties
| dow Of
inquietude by drawing a number Of
outsiders into the fold The worst fea-
ture of the innovation was that none
of the new members was anything
like the Christ churchers. Indeed, one
of the oldest and most respectable Ia
dies pronounced them common"
When Mr. Forsythe found that his
| converts were being tabooed he preach
ed a sermon on Christian fellowship, in
which he gently chided his flock for
shutting themselves up in their little
| church when there was harvest wait
ing to be gathered in the broad fields.
He was surprised afterWard to notice
that his sermon had been received as
a matter of course. No one thought it
necessary to dissent from what was
the very essence of Christianity, but no
one proposed to pay any attention to
his exhortation except in a spiritual
way-that is, they would feel the bene-
fit of the spiritual admonitiOn, but
Christ church would go right on in its
beaten path. One person only objected
openly to the proposed departure. Mrs
Macpherson said: I'm Scotch meseP
and was a member of a church in
Scotland. No one in the church there
that didn't know me ever spoke to me,
and 1 never spoke to any one didn't
know
This was said to the pastor as a gen
tie admonition that he had better not
go wandering about from Christ
church traditions, but keep within
them. Mrs. MACPHERSON, being older
than he and one Of the wealthiest mem
bers of the congregation, could afford
to speak thus plainly and to the point,
but from no other of them did he get
one word for or against his effort to
make an opening for the entrance of
sinners in the walls of Christ church.
When Mr.. Forsythe had preached the
gospel to the Christ churchers an even
six months one of the deacOns called on
him informally at his study ostensibly
to discover if there was any prospect
Of his taking a wife, but really to make
it plain to him that if he did not do so
within the next six months the cOngre-
cation would find it essential to call
pastor with a woman to perform those
Mr. Forsythe said that he would take
the matter under consideration in all it's
bearings, and the deacon left, feeling
we'll satisfied. The result Of the inter-
view was soon whispered about through
the members of the fold. and the
young ladies were on a tiptoe of expec-
tation.
A few months after this the pastor
gave out through the deacon that after
the Wednesday evening prayer meet
ing he would make an announcement
Of Importance in regard to his connec-
ton with the church. The members
were puzzled. The pastor had not been
observed to be paying attention to any
Of the girls of the congregation, though
some mink might have caught him on
the sly. This must be the explanation.
The deacon had made him understand
what was required of him if he kept
his position, and ''calls" for young men
lust out Of seminaries at a salary of
$1,000 a year did not grow on bushes.
Besides, if a call had been made it
would have been preferred by an ex-
hibition sermon. Mr.. Forsythe had
been absent only one Sunday, and that
was when his mother was i'll.
On the evening of the expected an
nouncement the prayer meeting COM
prised all the women of the church
and most Of the men. When the serv-
ice was over, Mr. Forsythe, standing
beside the pulpit, said:
81 have long been anxious for a
! fold Of "a hrs0a oh % tso n