And What We Gain 213 



for the pastor to work like a common laborer, 

 hanging his coat on a bramble bush, and one 

 of his vestrymen hinted that the church might 

 be able to squeeze out enough money to pro- 

 vide a gardener for the pastor. The pastor did 

 not want a gardener, and he gave way to some 

 one else who would keep his coat on and his 

 hands clean. It may be said that instead of 

 resigning his place, this victim of the Philistines 

 should have preached a few sermons upon the 

 dignity of manual labor, recalling the fact that 

 Christ was a carpenter; but the depth of such 

 prejudice is beyond the plummet of argument. 

 The commonplace mind is never tolerant of 

 other views. For years manual labor, because 

 it does not bring in much money, has been 

 looked upon as the work of the inferior man ; 

 the ambition of every one has been to get 

 away from it. The farmer's son deserts the 

 farm ; the carpenter's son leaves the bench ; 

 any occupation which allows a man to wear a 

 coat and keep his hands white is considered 

 better than manual labor. It is commonly 

 considered that of all the occupations farming 

 pays the least money in proportion to the care 



