Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-10-05
|ThePastor Trinity
Memorial Church
A Story of an Easter
Sermon.
By EDITH v. ROSS.

Q By EDITH v. ROSS. 4
6oooooooooo ooooooooooo
The Rev. Edgar Tyndale, aged TWEEN
ty-six, upon being graduated from the
theological seminary had no difficulty
in getting a church, though the salary
even for 80 young man was small.
He had been marked during his SEM
mary course for eminence In his ca
reer, for he had the faculty Of speak
ing ofrhand, his voice was excellent,
and his heart was in what he said.
But Mr.. Tyndale's first effort was q
failure. His congregation expected
their pastor to tell them Of wickedness
generally, not particularly. He made
the mistake of holding up to them
those sins that beset them. The result
was that q party was soon formed In
the church to get rid Of him. Hearing
Of 1t, he offered his resignation. and it
was accepted.
The young clergyman, a bit discour-
aged in this first effort in his ministry
to introduce q better Christianity into
a congregation that considered itself
beyond improvement, was thinking OF
turning his attention to different ele-
ment when he received the following
note:
Rev. Edgar Tyndale:
Dear sir-Your name having been sug-
gested to mo for tho passionate OF Trinity
church at Pennington. which I have re-
Gently built In memory Of my deceased
mother and which pastorate Is in my gift.
I wish to say that you are invited TO
prepare a sermon to be delivered in tho
church on the morning Of Easter Sunday
next l will be there. and II am salts
fed to leave the church In your hands
you will receive the appointment. The
salary will be $1,000 year. Should you
desire further information will be pleas
ed to have you call at my house. No. 81
Eliot street. Pennington. Very truly yours
ELIZABETH WlNKLE.
Mr.. Tyndale, after spending some
time wondering what friend had sug-
gested his name for the position. be-
gan to consider the proposition. BE
would call on the writer and learn
whether he would be permitted to at.
tempt to make the congregation better.
If so, he would deliver the Easter ser
mon according to the invitation. If
not, he would look elsewhere for q field.
He found Elizabeth Wrinkle a little
old spinster. with couple OF short,
white curls thanking a CHEEKY face on
each side. When asked who had sug-
gested his name to her she said that
she was familiar with his work In the
church he had just left. that she was
aware that he had been forced out on
account of his having preached against
individual instead Of general sin and
that she wanted just such man for
her memorial church. She had built
It In the slums. and pastor was re-
quired who would preach to sinners.
This accorded with Mr.. Tyndale's
wishes exactly, and he told Miss Win
kle that he would be happy to preach
q sermon In her church on Easter Sun.
day. He would, In the meantime, IN
form himself somewhat rs to the needs
Of the congregation and make his re-
marks conform to those needs SO far
as he could. Before leaving he added:
81 have no desire to preach to those
who are already as good as the world
expects them to be. I have no espe-
cial interest In them nor have they In
me-"
what is wanted in this case" re-
piled the old lady. us a sinner to
preach to sinners"
Whether Mr.. Tyndale considered that
he filled the first part Of this require
ment he was quite pleased with Its
frankness. He went to Pennington.
a manufacturing town, and found Trim
ity Memorial church in the center OF
the district taken up by laborers. He
INQUIRED as to the conditions Of the
people to whom he would be required
to preach and the principal tempta-
tons by which they were beset He
visited number Of families and noted
their physical as well as spiritual re-
Quirements.
Among those families that he visited
he found some observation-disclosures
and poverty-which. not having any
income, he did not feel able to relieve
and concluded to call again on Miss
Wrinkle and report them. His card
was responded to by young lady
about twenty years old. who Informed
him that her aunt was indisposed and
had asked her to inquire If there was
anything she could do for him. Mr..
Tyndale gave an account Of the misery
he had witnessed. and the young lady
withdrew, telling him that she would
refer the matter to her aunt.
When she returned she was In street
costume and told Mr.. Tyndale that she
would visit the sufferers and should be
obliged to him If he would pilot her.
She had called up chauffeur, and
they found a car ut the door. On ar
irving ut their destination the young
lady entered upon an examination Of
what was required, made n note OF
everything, spoke words Of comfort,
left some money for an emergency
with each family. re-entered the car
and, with the clergyman. was driven
away.
Stopping at stores, she ordered the
requirements noted, telephoned a doc
tor to visit the families in whose
homes there was sickness-in short, at
tended to everything in such method.
ical fashion that Mr.. Tyndale was both
surprised and delighted. They reached
her home ut noon, and she invited Mr..
Tyndale to have luncheon with her, an
Invitation he accepted with alacrity.
"Your aunt" he said while they were
seated ut the table. must be q woman
Of great practical generosity"
"Aunty has a very tender heart"
was the reply. LET me help you to
some more Of this dish. Our drive In
the fresh air has doubtless made you
hungry"