The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1908-11-26
MINISTER'S WIVES.

Ia no profession does personal address
and individual popularity avail for more
than that of the minister. limo other
profession or vocation does a. mans do.
mestlc relations so seriously affect his
success. The physician may be thrice
welded Widower in quest of fourth twin
soul, or an exemplary benedict, and not
lose patient as result Of these cond-
tons. ne lawyers life lies wholly with
IN me walls of his office and and the court
ROOM. ne merchants command custom,
according to the excellence of their wares.
ana their clever way of putting them on
the market. A tailor who gives a perfect
iii may be ever so ignorant or disagreeable
ne IS sure of patronage. Even poor uu-
lettered Rachel Jackson could not keen
her husband out of the white house. nor
could fascinating Francis Cleveland keen
hers IN 1t, yet minister's wife can mar
his unselflShness, even to the utter GeS-
tructlon thereof. The people have the
Whlphand when the pastor is a masried
man, tor lot him be ever so high strung
ne viii bear much criticism, even to fault
flndlng, before be will uaset the wagon
that carries his wife and babies. Manv
times the wife feels confident that it is her
own inability to please that leads to trou-
bic, and she feels compelled to either neg
iect her family or fail in meeting the vari-
Gus demands whose fulfillment alone can
0rlng TO her popularity. Do what she
may, let her be saint, seraph or diplo-
mat; she cannot sustain him in his posi-.
ZION when the wind Of churchly favor
veerS.
A minister has little trouble in securing
wife, for as rule ministers are well
and their success in winning the fair sex.
is too patent to be argued, and how little
the unsuspecting victim realizes the grave
responsibilities which come with this aIIi--
ance. The young minister NAV be ever
SO popular with his psrish before marriage.
but 60 soon as he installs his new wife as
mistress of the manse the completion of
affairs is changed. His gentle partner
may be nothing more than timid shadow
stealing at his heels, yet this shadow
changes the perspective. If she asserts
her rights and persists in looking well to
ner household she IS dubbed useless in the
Church, and if on the other hand she de-
votes her time and talents to the work of
the church she is blamed for neglecting
her family. Her home affairs are discus
SEQ and handled by unclean hands and
the sacred precincts of the minister's fire.
SIDE are invaded by the cruel busy bodies
which lnfest all grades and conditions of
life % TT woman of mortal mould to
the needs and fancies of church is be-
yond the abilityof an archange.
he Idea seems to be that model min
lSter must HAYS model wife, and in too
many cases the wife is included in the en-
gagement which hires him, and such a
contract is surely Ubiquitous. What a
private church member can do consistently
with her duty to her husband and children
she is bound to undertake and nothing
more.
That she is or is not accomplished,
should affect her husbands influence no
more than if he were lay communicate
IN the church to which she belongs. The
rule which makes the popularity won by
her virtues Intellectual to suecor him in the
hour of need, should work both ways or
not at all. The mournfu conviction that
ne for whom she would sacrifice ease and
lie itself, would after all have done better
-or himself and the Master had he never
married her, has broken many loving
leart and brave spirit.
Right here let US enter a plea for minis '
.er's children which some claim are the
worst children in existence. MANY seem
~ ~ So sii0e AtiS VII Vi llCSC NlllI-
1ren is no freer from the faint of sin than
S that OF other children. and if those who
are ever ready to point out imperfections
n the character of minister's children
would read the history of the human fam
~, they will find that the perfect children
lie before they are old enough to become
by contact with the common
progeny of the race. AS a rule minister's
.hlldren are largely deprived of the society
and guidance of their fater, while he is
occupied in looking after other peoples
children and furnishing spiritual food to
he church, and when at home he is obi-
,ed to give his time and thought to the
PREPARATION of his sermons, ifhe is worthy
If the name of minister. AS quiet is a re-
luisite to study these poor children are
,ften deprived of their rights and their
little sports are spoiled because noise is a
part of these sports. So next to minis
er,s wives we pity minister's children,
Ind wonder there are not more bad ones.