Sermons and Woodboxes

           OntheafternoonthatPollyannatoldJohnPendletonofJimmyBean,theRev.PaulFordclimbedthehillandenteredthePendletonWoods,hopingthatthehushedbeautyofGod’sout-of-doorswouldstillthetumultthatHischildrenofmenhadwrought. 

           TheRev.PaulFordwassickatheart. Monthbymonth,forayearpast,conditionsintheparishunderhimhadbeengrowingworseandworse; untilitseemedthatnow,turnwhichwayhewould,heencounteredonlywrangling,backbiting,scandal,andjealousy. Hehadargued,pleaded,rebuked,andignoredbyturns; andalwaysandthroughallhehadprayed—earnestly,hopefully. Butto-daymiserablyhewasforcedtoownthatmatterswerenobetter,butratherworse. 

           Twoofhisdeaconswereatswords’pointsoverasillysomethingthatonlyendlessbroodinghadmadeofanyaccount. ThreeofhismostenergeticwomenworkershadwithdrawnfromtheLadies’AidSocietybecauseatinysparkofgossiphadbeenfannedbywaggingtonguesintoadevouringflameofscandal. Thechoirhadsplitovertheamountofsoloworkgiventoafanciedlypreferredsinger. EventheChristianEndeavorSocietywasinafermentofunrestowingtoopencriticismoftwoofitsofficers. AstotheSundayschool—ithadbeentheresignationofitssuperintendentandtwoofitsteachersthathadbeenthelaststraw,andthathadsenttheharassedministertothequietwoodsforprayerandmeditation. 

           UnderthegreenarchofthetreestheRev.PaulFordfacedthethingsquarely. Tohismind,thecrisishadcome. Somethingmustbedone—anddoneatonce.