The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1916-11-16
Parson FTake'S
Donation
And He Took the Bishops
Advice.
BY CLARISSA NAcKIE

taking his departure he al!ed on thu
bishop 10 take leave Of h.m aud thanl
him for various acts VI kindness thu
good old man hd favored him will
during his period Of study.
"Wcll, my boy, said the bishop go
Ing out 10 service Ia the Lords vine
yard. eli? Sit Gown | have few
words TO say to you en- oHe subject anc
one subject only You've got all the
theology you need ia tie seminary II
isn't that which | wish TO speak t.
you about II isn't anything concern
Ing the methods you should observe IN
your work. II Is this:
I'VE clergymen are apt to be made
or marred-as all men are-by the
wives we choose Now, look out whom
you marry. Your field il not a worldly
field and If you marry worldly WON.
an It would be better for you that you
tied a milestone about your neck. IL
doesn't matter where you find a wife,
whether in the city or in the country.
She should have a sympathetic nature,
TO feel for those whom 1t becomes your
part to help. Indeed, she should make
your work her work"
This was the bishops advice. Mr..
Frake was much impressed with 1t,
but he had his doubts about finding a
girl that would fill his advisers condi-
tons. He had always associated with
the upper ten thousand and had not
found much unselfishness among them.
Instead of living for the world he had
usually found them disposed to con
slider the world as especially created to
to their comfort.
Nevertheless he shrank from taking
a life partner except from the class to
which he belonged Would it not be
better to be allied with woman of
fashion than with one whose unpolish-
ed manners would constantly put him
to the blush? Then too, his own fam
ilv were to be considered. Naturally
they would expect him to marry one
whom they might receive as a social
equal.
Mr.. Frake's first call was to village
dwelt only a few thousand
people. His congregation was not at
al like those of which he had been
member himself during his boyhood
md youth They were plain people,
honest in their way, but as to spirit
lality. or. rather. humanity, he did not
ind them any better than those he had
Known in the city. One day soon after
aking the pastoratc while writing In
lis study. looking up from his sermon,
lie saw his housekeeper standing in the
doorway
"What is it. Mrs, Wells?" he asked
Mrs. Wells, fat and painting from a
morning spent over the ironing board,
wiped her forehead with crisp white
II wondered what would come next"
he groaned First. there was the
Nuttles making trouble over the dis
of the pews, then the quar-
ell In the choir, and | knew that there
would be third calamity"
You haven't told me what it Is"
miled Arthur Frake.
"A donation, sir
"a donation" he repeated aghast. !
Dear me. | wish they wouldn't, Mrs.
Wells. They mean well, but
ooh. their intentions are all right
Interrupted the housekeeper darkly. |
Or she had served many ministers and
lany donation parties, but they don't
nalize that by the time they've de-
,ended like a flock of locusts and eat
n all the food they've brought and
lore, too. why I'm left with house
J be cleaned from top to bottom and
oure the richer by jar of Beulah
sour pickles and maybe a
Nv bushels of potatoes that we didn't
ave time to cook for 'em."
Arthur Frake laughed heartily.
There's a measure Of truth In what
III say. Mrs. Wells" he admitted
Still. ! suppose we must look at the
olive underneath this invasion They
can TO be kind, and we must do the
,st we can TO make it pleasant for
lem When Is ii to be-"
Tomorrow night and complete
Irprise. wouldn't have known
ord Of II If Betsy Haskell hadn't
armed me I'm glad to know. SOS ]
n bake some beans and corn bread;
en- they needn't eat mp all the layer
kes and salads they bring
She numbered ont of the room and
It the minister TO resume his sermon.
lis was his first charge. and be was
merely DESTROYS Of being adviser and
lend TO his little flock. They were
plain village people, with a large
rcentage Of prosperous families
long them.
De had heard Of donation parties
I he had believed that they were
,tlviiies Of the past century. Still.
yport chung to many traditions. and
was evident that donation party
: the new minister was a cherished
,titution
. be submitted with good grace and ,
: next afternoon picked all the chrys-
thrmurus ID the parsonage garden 70 i
lecl the Immediately neat but rath =
severe rooms /,
rs he wandered nhnnf Arthur Irnke |