The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-06-02
A PASTORS DUTIES AND DIFFICULTIES
"DIGNITY."

EVGIy pdSlOI ID CAPCStCu, %
former Presiding Elder admonished
this writer, to ''stand for the dignity
of his Office" This is not always an
easy matter. Instead of vaulting the
fence as he would much rather, and
this writer often does, he is expected
to enter through the gate with a dig
ni6ed air, and pass up the walk with
due solemnity, being careful not to
wrinkle his Prince Albert or disar-
range his necktie. 1t is not always
an easy matter to appear dignihed.
We remember young preacher who
sat ON the platform beside us one.
Decoration Day during two hours OF
services. After the benediction he
rose to his six feet two, stretched him.
self and said: my That was awful |!
You have no idea how hard it is for
me to sit up straight and look digni-
fed for two whole hours p
Not only may a mans own exu-
berant spirits be often a modi6er of
dignity, but ludicrous situations and
ridiculous occurrences sometimes ap-
pear in the midst of solemn duties
and sacred ceremonies. One or two
illustrations: Several years ago the
writer was called to attend family
reunion where the latest comers to
the home, a pair of three-year-old
twins, were to be christened. To
add to the pastors desire for a digni-
fed appearance and ceremony, the
aforesaid Presiding Elder was present.
The twins were of that lively three
year-old type whom lack of training
at home had failed to tame. During
the ceremony, the mother held one
and the father the other, at least they
did their best to do so. The Baptis-
NAL Service is too long anyway, but
that day it seemed longer than usual.
The twins became restless, squirmed,
kicked, fought and even screamed in
their efforts to get away to their play.
At last the mother cried out in sheer
desperation: "Say, Elder-you'll
have to cut that mighty short-I can't
hold this kid much longer !" We
tried to finish the ceremony with prop.
er decorum, but as for the Presiding
Elder who had admonished the pas
tor to "stand on his dignity" he did
not even pretend to stand on the
floor. He doubled up like jacknife
and partly swallowed his handker
chief. But think of the feelings Of
the sensitive pastor Was he to blame
if he spilled the water and mixed the
names of the twins at the critical mo-
ment?
Once while stationed in the coun-
try, eight miles from the railroad,
this same pastor was returning from
a neighboring town where he had lee
tured the night before. His train
reached the home station at three
thirty p. M. The season was March,
it had rained hard all day and was
still raining, the water standing a
foot deep in the road in many places,
melting snow was everywhere, and
none of his neighbors were in town to
give him a ride. There was pros
pect of Egyptian darkness before he
could hope TO reach home, but he set
out on foot. When still four miles
from home he met a neighbor who
said there was to be wedding at the
parsonage that evening. He arrived
home about seven O'Clock, after wa
ding i'll muddy water foot or more
deep many times on the way, his
clothing drenched through and
through, splashed with mud from
head to foot, his shoes so loaded with
mud that he had to cut the laces to
get them off. He pulled off his drip.
ping coat and was just washing the
worst of the mud from his hands and
face when the wedding party was
announced. He could not put on the
wet coat again for it would not come
on. In vain he pleaded for time to
change his clothes and "slick up
the party must take train eight miles
away at nine-the roads were almost
impossible and the ceremony must
take place at once. There was moth
ing for it but to appear in the parlor
in his shirt sleeves, his clothing
clinging to his skin, his teeth chat
tering from the wetting and exposure,
and tie the knot. We leave the
reader to imagine for himself the
"dignifed air" of the pastor during
that ceremony 1t is true that the
Office of a preacher of the gospel is
one an angel might envy, yet because
most pastors are human instead of
angelic, the dignity" must some
times be in the office rather than
in the bearing of the man. Wo,d
and Works.