THE CLERGYMAN'S WIFE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 187, 2 May 1908, Page 11

THE CLERGYMAN'S WIFE.

Tho "Daily Mail" publishes an apprccia--'t.ion of tho British clergyman's wife, by which'it is-soon; that sho and her colonial sisters havo mucli of worry, work, and privilege in oonimon.; It may bo said that tho appreciation is written by a rector, and he ought' to know. I A clergyman's Iwifo (says tho writer) can mako or mar lior husband's position moro than tho wives oi other men. A doctor's or a solicitor's wife need not necessarily bo. brought in contact with her husband's patients and clients. A clergyman's wife occupies a position; of publicity from the fact that sho is a clergyman's wife. Tho doctor's wife may wear aiy bonnet sho chooses; but tho parson's wife's bonnet will be talked over at tho sewing party; its price will be compared with his income; its suitability will be judged not by tho pretty, ladyliko head that wears it, but by licr husband's black coat. Sho should bo ui lady, but hot a society lady. As tho clergy man belongs, not to one rank in society but to all, and looks upon the nobloman . and tlio nobleman's gardener as equally in his pastoral charge, so tho clergyman's wife, without stepping out of-tho position in which shoj was born, outers with her husband into, mansion and cottage aljko as tho friend of all. !There is no position in any foreign oountry or in,any foreign church similar to that filled by the parson's wife i,n England. Sho isla Sister of Mercy.without tho uniform, and! with infinitely closer sympathy with wives and mothers becauso she also lias a husband, and children. : England owes : mucli of her glory to tho sons of tho clergy. Any biographical dictionary will shov that very many of our great men in tho Councils of tho State, in the army and navy, in exploration, and in tho extension of our Empire, havo been the soiis of clergymen. As it; is true that no man ovor bccomes great vor good without somo good woman to irain and inspire him, tho ■ -i ; ' -

influence of tho clergy wives over their husbands and sons is a power for good that can never bo estimated-. '. .■ i Tlio ■ clorgyman's wife should be his ) candid and yet most'kindly critic. The unf married clergy of middle • ago can frequently bo .dotected as , bachelors by thoir'curious antics in; church. The good wife cannot bear that her husband should be considered ridiculous.' She ,may not have sufficient theplo- ) gical education to criticise the sermon, but 1 sho, has "sufficient good sense to make her a •> valuable critic of the preacher; and her. genuine admiration for liim will guard her 1 from uttering her criticisms in the hearing i of others, and from trying to make others . praise him. :"A prudent, wife is from the i Lord," ; says Solomon—and tho poor fellow , never found one. If tho ,parson has a prudent .wife sho will manage him, as all other j: men's wives manago them, but lot her not try to manago the parish. , . 1 , The unmarried vicar iuay possibly succeed . in a largo■ town ' parish, 'but his bachelor brother in the oountry is as much to bo pitied as.tho parish that has no "reverend lady" at tho vicarage. Poor,, helpless creature; ho J may get' along all right ill the pulpit, but ; .when he visits tlio,cottagers in their homes • hd will display appalling;ignorance. I was a bachelor once, and nearly caino to grief for ' want of a "lady"shepherd" to supply my lack of domestic knowledge. I was a youthful ' curate, a deacon aged six weeks, ■ when a . young mother, shomng me her first-bom, • who had come into the parish about the same 1 date as I, gravoly asked mo at what age I 1 should recommend- her to short-coat the ' baby! . ': ' •' 1 Bless me 1 Hero was a-dilemma for which 1 my theological tutors had never prepared n:o. , What was I to do?: ... I-could not, , liko the'young man who anointed' Jehu, open 1 the door and flee. I must face tho question, 1 and alone. To confess,bluntly that I.did not know would bo to'shatter at brow all'the good expectations that tho parish had formed •of me; if 1 did-not.know when to short-coat I the baby, how oould 1 know how to christen .. it? , ', ':. ■.' ■ • ' So I looked at the pink infant, and, re- : piembering: to say him, not At, I exclaimed: ' '"Well, he is a baby; and, as to short-coating liim, .what I always say is, 'that must depend i oh the weather.' "'