Preachers and Cooks

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Aug 29, 1878

Preachers and Cooks.

A WRITER in the Galveston Christian Advocate tells this story of a camp-meeting held in Middle Tennessee, and presided over by the Rev. Dr. G.:—

One day, towards the close of meeting, which had been most successful, the weather being a little cool, the doctor went behind the tent to the fire to warm himself. He found there an elderly colored woman busy with the cooking, preparing the ample meal for many guests. The doctor noticed that she was reticent and grum. He felt kindly toward the faithful cook, and said to her in his pleasant way:—

"Aunty, how are you enjoying the meeting?"

Said she, scarcely looking at him, "I ain't enjoying it at all!"

"Why, what's the matter?" said the doctor.

"I do n't have no pleasure. I thought I was gwine to have a good time."

"Why do n't you have a good time?"

" 'Cause I do n't get to meetin' hardly at all. I hears de singin' out dare, but I'se no time to go. I am all time here wid pots and ovens and things cooking. I wish I had n't come, no how—I ain't a gitting good, and I'se doing no good."

The doctor's Christian sympathies were quite touched with this simple recital of the old servant's disappointment. So he felt he must comfort her if he could. He said:—

"Why, aunty, you do n't look at it right. You are doing a great deal of good, much more than you think."

Hearing this, she straightened up, and looked with interest to know what the doctor would say.

"Why," said the doctor, "we could not get on without you. We preachers and cooks are the most important and useful people here. I would like to know what all these people would do without us? Why, if it were not for us the meeting would not last a day. So you see, aunty, you are doing a great work here; and be sure the Lord will remember and reward you."

As the doctor proceeded the old woman's grim countenance relaxed into a smile, her eye glistened with a tear of grateful joy, and she burst into an exclamation:—

"Dat's so! I never thought of it before. Bless de Lord! I believe I am doing some good."

All her grief was gone—'twas morning with her soul.

"If done to obey thy laws, E'en servile labors shine, Hallowed is toil, if this the cause, The meanest work divine."