Norwich bulletin., 1915-07-17
THE MINISTER'S JUSTIFICATION

which they heard internationally con-
veyed to them the meaning OF their
unlxind treatment.
The delusion of their people troubled
the reverend gentleman and his wife.
for they had for many years been con-
nected with this church and their peo-
pie had grown very dear TO Mr.. and
Mrs. Colby, and 1t wounded them to
feel that the parishioners did not re-
ciprocate the feeling, but WITHOUT any
apparent cause suspected their spirit
ual teacher of q crime
Mrs. Colby wished her husband to
explain the happenings Of that we'll
remembered night. but he said 1t was
good time for gossipers to learn a
lesson, so kept silent even after two
private conferences consisting Of the
deacons and members OF the church
had been held
will. was appointed by the church COM
mittee to inform Mr.. Colby that the
members of his church had voted for
his resignation and were waiting for
tho same. This request was refused,
and then and there, a church meeting
| noon. and the pastor demanded that
the church committee should give their
reason for asking their pastor to re-
sign.
his ministers pardon for joking over
| the burglary, for he said: Il sincerely
believe that If / had kept my mouth
| shut, those foolish idiots would never
have thought OF such preposterous
| charge Now they will not listen to
| to have sprung from the jokes. You,
| and you alone, parson, can stop them,
| and 1 hope you will do SO tomorrow
afternoon
The meeting was well attended by
nearly every member, consisting of
those who believed in the charges and
| of those who did not. 1t was opened
! with prayer from one of the deacons-
After going through the preliminaries
the chairman of the church commit
F, tee addressed Rev. AR Colby, saying:
| u wish you to understand that l am
\ laying aside my personal dislike
against this assigned task, but as
| chairman of the church committee and
because it is my solemn duty to carry
| out the laws of this church and COM
mitTee, address you thus:
| Because you failed to give any ex-
PLANTATION concerning the circumstan-
tial evidence regarding the reason Of
your accompanying the policemen on
i committed at Mr.. Stoddard's house,
| they have detailed me to notify you
| thar at recent church conference the
majority church members present vot-
| ed that you be asked to resign
Rev. Mr.. Colby, who had stood while
he was being addressed, replied:
81 now declare that my services as
pastor of the Congregational church of
Fayette are concluded, and the ties
that bound us together are now sew
cred. 1 will suggest right here that
when you have another pastor and cir
| cumstantial evidence and appearances
are strong against him, that you talk
/ 1T over with him and hear his story
| before appointing private church meet
| ings and arralgning him on simple gos-
| sip. Appearances are often deceitful,
as in my case, for your new minister,
like myself. might also ride with off,
| GERS OF the law to show them the way,
| and they. because of his kindness to
| them, would not permit him to walk
home. May God bless you always, my
! friends"
Mr.. Colby's explanation stunned the
people. and before they rallied he and
his wife had left the church.
/ A delegation to ask him to withdraw
his resignation followed him, but Mr..
| Colby felt that the peoples lesson
/ would not be perfectly learned if he
recalled il. So, owing to a few gossip
ers and busybodies, who persisted in
moulding jokes into actual facts, their
church was left without shepherd.
Temper not with idle rumor, lest the
truth appear to lie,
/ Carve thy life to hilted silence, wrong
| shall fall on 1t, and die;
| Tamper not with accusation, harvest
| not what thou hast heard,
| Christ stood in the court of PLATE. but
he answered not a word"
DIANA.