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Show UNDERPAID CiiERGY. SOME OF THEM RECEIVE LESS THAN A DRAPER'S CLERK. The Trials and Final Rewi.d of an English Eng-lish Curate In the Eighteenth Century. Extracts From a IJiary Which Tell a Dismal Dis-mal Tale of Privation. A great deal is heard from time to time about tho underpaid clergy. It has been recently said : by an English writer that "there are many clerks in holy orders who receive less than clerks in linen draper's shops." This is especially es-pecially true in Europe, where the clergy, cler-gy, or at least the curates, are paid such miserably poor stipends that but for the generosity of the parishioners they could not live. In the United States, too, the clergyman, clergy-man, usually a college bred man of talents tal-ents and refinement, receives a salary altogether out of proportion to his calling call-ing and his ability. This remark does not apply to the clergy in the large cities, cit-ies, to many of whom are paid very large salaries. In New York city, for example, it is said that there are 100 ministers who receive salaries of $10,-000, $10,-000, and if.ny of them have rectories or parish houses free in addition. But in the country townft, east and west alike, the minister who gets $2,000 is a rare exception. Many, perhaps the majority, ma-jority, do not receive as much as $1,000. While the reflection may not prove of tangible benefit to these underpaid servants serv-ants in the highest of callings, still it is interesting to know that in a social and in a financial way, and in the self respect consequent upon these conditions, condi-tions, the clergyman of today is vastly better off than the chaplain or curate of a century ago. In point of abject poverty there are no vicars of Wakefield Wake-field today, nor any chaplains who figure fig-ure as jesters or bufbns, as did many of the morefavored'wesof Goldsmith's day. .- .... V: The following e:.t from The Gentleman's Gen-tleman's Magazine V 17GG shows how poor was the lot of the curate of that time: "Monday Receivfl 10 from my rector, being one-half year's salary; obliged to wait a Ion: time before my admittance to the doctor, and even when admitted was never once asked to sit down or refresh myself, though I had walked 11 miles. Item The doctor doc-tor hinted he could have the curacy filled fill-ed for 15 a year. "Tuesday Paid 9 to seven different differ-ent people, but could not buy the sec ondhand pair or DiacK Dreecnes onerea me as a great bargain, my wifo wanting want-ing a petticoat above all things, and neither Betsy nor Polly having a shoe to go to church. " Wednesday My wife bought a petticoat pet-ticoat for herself and shoes for her two daughters, but unluckily, in. coming home, dropped half a guinea through a hole which she had never before perceived per-ceived in her pocket and reduced all our cash in the world to half a crown. Item Chid my poor woman for being afflicted at the misfortune and tenderly advised her to depend upon the goodness good-ness of God. "Thursday Received a note from the alehouse at the top of the hill, informing in-forming me that a gentleman begged to speak to me on pressing business. Went and found it was an unfortunate member of a strolling company of players, play-ers, who was pledged for sevenpence half penny. In a struggle what to do. The baker, though wo had paid him but on Tuesday, quarreled with us, to avoid giving any credit in future, and the butcher sent us word that he heard it whispered how the rector intended to take a curate who would do the parish duty at an inferior price, and therefore, though ho would do anything to serve me, advised me to deal at the upper end of the town. Mortifying reflections these, but a want of humility is, in my opinion, a want of justice. The Father of the universe lends his blessings to us, with a view that we should relieve one another, and we consequently do no more than pay a debt when we perform per-form an act of benevolence. Paid the stranger's reckoning out of the shilling in my pocket and gave him the remainder re-mainder of the money to prosecute his journey. "Friday A very scant dinner, and pretended therefore to be ill, that, by avoiding to eat, I might leave something some-thing like enough for my poor wife and children. I told my wife what I had done with the shilling; the excellent creature, instead of blaming me for the action, bioeselfthe goodness of my heart and burst into tears. Mem. Never to contradict her as long as I live, for the mind that can argue like hers, though it may deviate from the more rigid sentiments of prudence, is even amiable for its indiscretion, and in every lapse from the severity of economy performs an act of virtue, superior su-perior to tho value of a kingdom. "Saturday Wrote a sermon, whicn on Sunday i preached at four different parish churches, and came home excessively exces-sively wearied and excessively hungry; no more money than twopence half penny in tho house, but you seo the goodness of God! The strolling player whom I had relieved was a man of fortune, for-tune, who accidently heard that I was as humane as 1 was indigent, and from a generous eccentricity of temper wanted want-ed to do me an essential piece of service. serv-ice. 1 had not been an hour at home when he came in, and declaring himself him-self my friend pnt a 50 note in my hand, and the next day presented me with a living of 300 a year." |
