Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1908-09-23


either to VOW the estate of single life
or to abstain from marriage; there
fore, it is lawful for them, as for all
other Christian men, to marry at their
own discretion, as they shall judge the
same to serve better to godliness."
ostenatious celibacy of a certain
small section of the extremely ritual
istic party, surely the cleric may be
entitled to little gentle dalliance be-
fore he cyommits himself to putting
the moments in the conservatory, or
detached from the others at a Sunday
School teachers outing, that would
discover to him whether Angelina's
special aptitude for the position he
hopes to see her in will lie in the
direction of district visiting or the
conduct of girls clubs?
The popular parson exercising
real influence, and carrying his con-
gregation with him, is in these days
the man of broad, human sympathies.
For the ascetfc, hampered with no
ideas beyond the multiplication of
services, there may be a kind of
wondering respect that sums itself up
in phrases about safntlineSs, but
which also deplores the omission of
the more practical work that has to
be done. In the country, especially,
does a parish appreciate the man who
enters into it's daily life-who under
stands something of the crops and
markets, who has kindly word for
the children at school and in the cot
tages, is ready to help and advise on
the placing out of the boys and girls.
And if it is known that he is contemp-
lating matrimony the progress OF
events will be watched with an un-
bounded interest that will detect
hints of happiness or doubt in the
modulations of his voice in the Litany
or the eloquence of his sermon.
The bishop of Norwich makes ref
erence to feminine idea1ism and ven
Grafton, but the observer of social
tendencies is aware of distinct
change in the attitude of the average
woman towards the clergy In the
earlier and mid-Victorian days the
curate was as important parsonage in
the quiet round of life in The provin-
cial towns and villages. No dinner
party was complete without him; he
was expected to be quite invincible
at croquet, and happy indeed was she
who was fortunate enough to be his
partner in the game. He was made
much. of by the younger ladies, who
wed with one another for his smiles
and approval over some elaborate de-
vice for the church decorations, while
their aunts worked slippers for him,
and sent him jellies and soups if he
had the misfortune to get cold, His
sermons were regarded as deep, edify-
| ing and instructive, and when the Of
| fer of living came to him the whole
circle lived in a state of tensest eX-
pectancy as to whom he would invite
to share the rectory house and the
parochial responsibilities with him.
| In those days people did not travel as
much they do now, and with the ex-
ception OF the curates the number of
possible suitors in a country district
was often very limited.
Girls look now upon broader hor-
lion than their grandmothers and
mothers did Many of them enter a
profession which may prove to pro-
portion of it's followers more attrac-
tive even than marriage itself. Bish-
ops, it may be, meet with type of
womanhood which undertakes the
modern equivalent of the conyentual
life, devoting itself to some form or
other of devotion as a Church sister
or deaconess, and these, it is possible,
might see such virtues in those of the
assistant clergy'-to give them a
designation now often preferred to
that of curate-as would raise undue
feelings of pride and vanity in them.
But the ordinary, average young wom-
an of the present day does not set
the clergyman on a much higher pc
destal than his fellows. She brings
an impartial judgment to bear upon
his theology and his delivery alike.
If he plays golf, motors, keeps abreast
of the new books, the new amuse-
ments, his company will be as inter
esting and attractive as that of any
other man. But, unless she is try
ing to get into social circle rather
higher than that in which she general
Iy moves, the fact of his clerical call
ing will not weigh greatly in his fav-
or 1t may, in fact, be against him,
for as a clergymen's wife she knowns
that a certain seriousness and sedate-
ness at least will be expected of her.
The clerical f1irt, of course, does
exist, and sometimes he can be cap
able of things worse than flirting, as
occasional stories of a heart-broken
disappointment demonstrate. But,
happily, he is not a very common
specimen of his cloth, and one looks
round at the homes in hundreds of
rectories where the family life is the
sweetest and highest example that
could be set before the congregations,