Laicus; Or, the Experiences of a Layman in a Country Parish.Abbott, Lyman
Religion
Laicus; Or, the Experiences of a Layman in a Country Parish.
Abbott, Lyman
Christian fiction; New York (State) -- Fiction; Parishes -- Fiction
--There is something in that. There is Mrs. Wheaton who has only one
child, a grown up boy, and who keeps three or four servants to take
care of herself and her husband and her solitary son, and she is
always too busy to do anything in the church.
Deacon Goodsole.:
--On the other hand there is not a busier person in the church than
Miss Moore. She supports herself and her widowed mother by teaching.
She is in school from nine till three, and gives private lessons
three evenings in the week, and yet she finds time to visit all the
sick in the neighborhood. And when last year we held a fair to raise
money for an organ for the Sabbath school, she was the most active
and indefatigable worker among them all. Mrs. Bisket was the only
one who compared with her. And Mrs. Bisket keeps a summer
boarding-house, and it was the height of the season, and she only
had one girl part of the time.
Dr. Argure rose to go, Deacon Goodsole followed his example. There
were a few minutes of miscellaneous conversation as the gentlemen
put on their coats. As we followed them to the library door Deacon
Goodsole turned to me:--
"But you have not given me your answer yet, Mr. Laicus," said he.
Before I could give it, Jennie had drawn her arm through mine, and
looking up into my face for assent had answered for me. "He will
think of it, Mr. Goodsole," said she. "He never decides any question
of importance without sleeping on it."
I have been thinking of it. I am sure that I am right in my belief
that there are many ways of working for Christ beside working for
the church. I am sure the first thing is for us to work for Christ
in our daily, secular affairs. I am sure that all are not drones who
are not buzzing in the ecclesiastical hive. But I am not so sure
that I have not time to take that Bible-class. I am not so sure that
the busy ones in the church are not also the busy ones out of the
church. I remember that when Mr. James Harper was hard at work
establishing the business of Harper & Brothers, which has grown to
such immense proportions since, at the very time he was working
night as well as day to expedite publications, he was a trustee and
class-leader in John Street Methodist Church, and rarely missed the
sessions of the board or the meetings of the class. I remember that
Mr. Hatch, the famous banker, was almost the founder of the Jersey
City Tabernacle Church, and his now President of the Howard Mission.
Yet I suppose there is not a busier man in Wall street. I remember
that Wm. E. Dodge, jr., and Morris K. Jessup, than whom there are
few men more industrious, commercially, are yet both active in City
Missions and in the Young Men's Christian Association; the former is
an elder in an up-town church, and very active in Sabbath School
work. I remember Ralph Wells, bishop of all the Presbyterian Sabbath
Schools for miles around New York, who was, until lately, active in
daily business in the city. Yes I am sure that hard work in the week
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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