The New Minister's Great Opportunity First published in the "Century Magazine"

In a small, rain‑soaked town a newly appointed minister finds his first real test: delivering a funeral sermon for the eccentric Uncle Capen. The task quickly becomes a community affair, as the local cobbler, a secret‑society member, and a pragmatic doctor argue over what makes a worthy tribute. Their banter, peppered with colorful dialect and practical jokes, reveals a village where every occupation—shoemaking, preaching, even sawing wood—has its own peculiar pride.

As the minister searches for material, he discovers that Uncle Capen’s life was a patchwork of odd jobs, stubborn sayings, and humble quirks. The townspeople’s lively debates about sermon structure, biblical references, and the right balance of humor versus solemnity turn the preparation into a lively, almost theatrical, collaboration. Listeners are invited into this charmingly chaotic workshop, where the ordinary becomes the foundation for a heartfelt, if slightly unconventional, eulogy.