Clergymen like the Stand-bys.
By Sunday Afternoon
The simple presence of such persons in the church is of itself to every minister a powerful help and encouragement. He is glad, of course, to see new faces coming in from time to time. The poor mother, the stand-by at home, who has a breakfast and a husband and half a dozen children to get ready in the morning, so that she herself can come out only now and then, whenever she does come is seen with pleasure. The young men of his flock, flowers of the kingdom, whose eyes and religious natures open usually only in the latter part of the day, but who occasionally under the inspiration of a new suit of Sunday clothes blossom out in the forenoon, excite in him till he learns better, a gleam of hope. The religious casual, the small and infrequent worshiper described by Horace, owning a pew but occupying it so seldom that when he does use it it has to be found for him by the sexton, is not by any means unwelcome; and there is always an inspiration of some sort in the great crowd of strangers who appear Sunday nights when it has been advertised that he is going to speak on the kingdom of Satan, or the doings of the devil, or the sowing of wild oats, or some kindred theme. But after all it is the stand-bys, the men—usually old ones—and the women living often farthest from the church, who are absolutely sure of being in their places punctually every Sunday, Thanksgiving and even Fast day, whatever the season or the weather or the subject may be—these that he looks upon with special delight and finds to be the fountains of his greatest earthly inspiration.—Sunday Afternoon.