Getting to Know the People of the Church

1905

Whenever Mrs. Joshua Ely declared that for her part she believed in speaking the truth and not mincing matters, her hearers know that somebody's reputation was about to suffer. Mrs. Ely, herself, said that she always had been outspoken, and she intended to be. Her neighbors said various things. The fact of the matter was that as Mrs. Ely was the possessor, in addition to her sharp tongue, of an imposing presence and much force of character, nobody in the village dared openly oppose her.

Nobody, that is, until the new minister's wife came. The new minister's wife was a slender, girlish-looking creature whom Mrs. Ely "sized up" at once as being one of those women who need somebody to form their opinions for them, and this responsible duty she promptly took upon herself. She was the first to call, and in the course of a long monologue she enlightened the minister's life in regard to the failings of a large number of her husband's parishioners.

"I think it is better to know the truth in the first place," she declared, slowing up a moment for breath.

Then the minister's wife spoke with quick earnestness:

"I quite agree with you, Mrs. Ely, only don't you think that, after all, there is nothing to difficult to know as the truth? Because, of course, the truth about a person means the whole person; it is no more fair to pick out one trait and call that the truth than it would be to define a rose bush as a bush with thorns. That is true, but it is only a part, and very small part, of the truth.

"I've thought a good deal about this since I've been a minister's wife, and I've made up my mind to learn just as much of the truth as I possibly can. This is especially necessary in coming to a new place, where we don't know anybody; and that's why I'm so glad that you came in this afternoon.

"You are just the one to help me, you've lived here so long and know everybody so well. I'm going to ask you, just as a beginning toward the truth, if you won't go over the list of church members with me, and tell me the very finest and bravest thing you know about everybody. You've no idea how it will help."

—Quoted from Youth's Companion.