The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-04-26

In the councils or the State, In the army and navy. in exploration. and in the sons of elergymen. As 1t Is true that no man ever becomes great or good without some good woman to train and insure him the influence of the clerical wives over their husbands and sons Is a power for good that can nev- CT be estimated She may be poor but the sclergyman's wife has a powerful influence. She may be an invalid. but her Husbands most eloquent sermons probably owe much of their helpful- ness and power to her life and pray CTS.
 A cIergyman's wife, can make or mar her husbands position more than the wives of other men. A doctors or . solicitors wife need not necessarily be brought, in contact with. her husbands patients and clients. A ciergyman's wife occupies a position of publicity from the fact that she Is clergyman's wife. The doctors wife may wear any bonnet she chooses; but the par son's wife's bonnet will be talked over at the sewing party; it's price will be compared with his income; its suitabtl- ity will be judged not by the pretty. Iadylike head that wears 1t, but by her husband.a hiack coat.
 She should be q lady. but not a sO- ciety lady. She should be so certain of her social position that she, would feel no hesitation in shaking hands with other women. As the clergyman belongs not to one rank in society but to all and looks upon the nobleman and the nobleman's gardener as equal Iy in his pastoral charge. 50 the cler- gyman's wife, without stepping out Of the position fin which she was born, enters with her husband into mansion and cottage alike as the friend of all. There is no position in any foreign country or in any foreign church sim- liar to that filled by the parsons wife in England. She Is sister. or Mercy without the uniform. and with infinite ly closer sympathy. with wives and mothers because she has husband and children.
 The matter is well stated by Rev. selwyn Biackett, the rector of Ware ham. Y have been young and now am old. vet never saw the clergyman brought to poverty because he had wife and children" he says. T have known him come to poverty through hastiuR to be rich. It is said that the promoters of sham companies ma par sons to be pigeons easy to pluck; that some of the clergy, in spite or col- leRe education, remain uneducated m common business principles; that they sneculate with borrowed money and have to borrow again on ruinous terms to avoid exposure. and no doubt this Ia true in some cases; but have nev" CT vet heard that a bankrupt clergy man attributed his position to his be- ing the father of a family.
 "The unmarried clergy of middle a re can freauently$be detected as bach eiors by their curious antics in church N one has unconsciously acquired a Sro- tesoue habit of rubbing the side of his a nose as he breaches. Another hops uneasiIy from one foot to the other like a cat on hot bricks. It is wife's wifely duty to check these oddities in her husband at their first appearance. The good wife cannot bear that her should be considered ridiculous She may not have sufficient theological education to criticise the sermon. but she has sufficient good sence to make her a valuable critic of a preacher; and her geniune admiration for him will guard her from uttering criticisms in the hearing of others and from trying to make others praise him. "A pru- dent wife Is from the Lord says Solo mon-and the poor fellow never found one. If the parson has a prudent wife she will manage him, as all other mems wives manage them, but let her not try to manage the parish.
 My wife says that when her shop ping takes her into town she can aI- ways detect the parsons wives among