“What is the use of social visiting, Doctor?”
“Whether there is use in it or not, people require it,” replied the Doctor. “You will find some of them very unreasonable. They will complain if you do not call every week.”
“How then, shall I ever find time to study?” asked Ernest.
“You must take it. You can not please everybody, try never so hard.”
And for a long time the Doctor gave the young man excellent advice, which we need not detail, as it would be of no great interest to the general reader. Besides, we are well aware, that people do not read a story for the sake of the moral, but for their own entertainment. So we shall proceed, at once, to relate the most interesting events of Ernest’s life.
The next month, the Presbytery of —— met, and received Ernest under its care. Instead of going to a Seminary, it was allowed him to take a course of Theological study under the tuition of Dr. Arrington. At the expiration of a year he stood his examination, and having received a call from the Presbyterian church in his own town, he was regularly ordained a minister of the gospel. His trial sermon aroused universal wonder and admiration. The people had rarely ever witnessed such oratorical power in the pulpit. Every one predicted for him a brilliant career of usefulness. No young minister ever entered upon his work with more flattering prospects.
Ernest was praised and complimented sufficiently to have turned an older head, but he now possessed too much of the grace of humility to be affected by human applause. The great object with him was the approval of the Master and his own conscience. With the settlement of Ernest in his charge it might seem that our story had reached a point at which it could properly and happily be brought to an end, but we have other interesting events yet to relate.
