Deacons . with them myself—will be looked upon as a misfortune, and not to beregarded as proof of high scholarship, and sound-ness in doctrine, as they have been, and are still inmany of our rural churches. Why, friends 1 I knowwhat I am saying. A man who says nothing but whatstares at him from a manuscript is not careless ofspeech. I was born and brought up among people likethose I am describing. I have served in countrychurches for years; I have preached in a parish wherethe blast of a steam-whistle had never sounded ; whereto skate was unministerial, and to slide down hill asin; where the c
Deacons . with them myself—will be looked upon as a misfortune, and not to beregarded as proof of high scholarship, and sound-ness in doctrine, as they have been, and are still inmany of our rural churches. Why, friends 1 I knowwhat I am saying. A man who says nothing but whatstares at him from a manuscript is not careless ofspeech. I was born and brought up among people likethose I am describing. I have served in countrychurches for years; I have preached in a parish wherethe blast of a steam-whistle had never sounded ; whereto skate was unministerial, and to slide down hill asin; where the crack of my rifle caused as much ex-citement in the church as the last trump; and where,if I took a step over fourteen inches and a half fromheel to toe, it made the sewing-society lively for two 40 DEACONS. weeks. I think the man who came after me, thepresent incumbent, could step fourteen feet at a stride,and no one notice that it was longer than yet, to show you how rapidly changes are going. IT MADE THE SEWING-SOCIETY LIVELY FOR TWO WEEKS. on in New England, I had not been gone six monthsbefore the church came together, and chose two newdeacons out of my rifle-club, and they were my bestshots at that. THE UNLOVELY DEACON. 41 I tell you, friends, the large-hearted, level-headedmen in our churches must come to the front. Wecannot put pious inefficiency in office much longer. Anecklace of six millstones is more than a church canwear, and keep her head above water in as rough seasas heave us around now. Every election in a churchshould be to a service, and not to a rank; and the manor woman best calculated to do the work, nominated todo it. Then, when by reason of years, or failing health,or change in circumstances, they became unable to dothe work intrusted to them, they would naturallyresign, or else the church would depose them. Icounsel no harshness, no disrespect, no unnecessarywounding of feeling. But when it comes to offendingone man, or crippling the usefuln
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