The Recreations of a Country ParsonBoyd, Andrew Kennedy Hutchison
General
The Recreations of a Country Parson
Boyd, Andrew Kennedy Hutchison
Clergy -- Anecdotes; Country life -- England; Rural clergy -- England
And the ordinary citizen, even of a well-settled state, who, with
narrow means, increasing taxation, approaching age, failing health,
and augmenting cares, goes plodding about his daily work thickly
bestrewed with trouble and worry (all the while, perhaps, the thought
of a sick child at home being in the background of his mind), may
also, like any hero of renown in the midst of his world-wide and
world-attracting fortune, be a beautiful object for our sympathy.
There is indeed no more common error, than to estimate the extent
of suffering by the greatness of the causes which have produced
it; we mean their greatness as regards the amount of notice which
they attract. The anguish of an emperor who has lost his empire,
is probably not one whit greater than that of a poor lady who loses
her little means in a swindling Bank, and is obliged to take away
her daughter from school and to move into an inferior dwelling.
Nor is it unworthy of remark, in thinking of sympathy with human
beings in suffering, that scrubby-looking little men, with weak hair
and awkward demeanour, and not in the least degree gentleman-like,
may through domestic worry and bereavement undergo distress quite
as great as heroic individuals six feet four inches in height, with
a large quantity of raven hair, and with eyes of remarkable depth
of expression. It is probable, too, that in the lot of ordinary
men a ceaseless and countless succession of little worries does
a great deal more to fret away the happiness of life than is done
by the few great and overwhelming misfortunes which happen at long
intervals. You lose your child, and your sorrow is overwhelming;
but it is a sorrow on which before many months you look back with
a sad yet pleasing interest, and it is a sorrow which you know
you are the better for having felt. But petty unfaithfulness,
carelessness, and stupidity on the part of your servants; little
vexations and cross-accidents in your daily life; the ceaseless
cares of managing a household and family, and possibly of making
an effort to maintain appearances with very inadequate means;--all
those little annoying things which are not misfortune but worry,
effectually blister away the enjoyment of life while they last,
and serve no good end in respect to mental and moral discipline.
'Much tribulation,' deep and dignified sorrow, may prepare men for
'the kingdom of God;' but ceaseless worry, for the most part, does
but sour the temper, jaundice the views, and embitter and harden
the heart.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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