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Taking Up A Collection

Taking Up A Collection image
Parent Issue
Day
24
Month
July
Year
1863
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Earely have we had a better story, or a better told stcry than this, from a lïev. gentleman in Missouri : The lile of a mioister here, in a sec ular point of view, 8 bardly as smooth and íree from difficulty as a position in more populous communities appears to be. The people aro thinly scattered here and there, engaged in different pursuits, thougb chiefly agricultnral. - Being collected from all parts of the older States, and gathered from every class of society, they meet upon tbo same eommon leve], upon terms of easy familiarity, and restrained by no irksome conveotionalities. People in a new country generally have a pretty hard time of it. They live a sort of "rough and tumble " lile, wearing their best efforts in a struggle íor existentie. Under these circumstance the material sometimes absorbs the spiritual; and the people not unfrequently " get so far behiiid" with the preacher, that they have to be powerfully ' stirred up" irom the pulpit. On one occasion we had a visit f rom the Presiding Eider of our distriet, at at one of our quarterly meetings. "We had not paid our preacher "ary dime," as theboys say, and vvere expecting a score from tbe Eider. Well, we were not disappointed. Tho Eider preached us a moving discourse from the text, ' Owe no man anything." At tho close of the sermon he carne at once to the subject in hand : "Brethren," said he, "have you paid brolher anything Ibis ye"ur ? Nolhing at all I understand. Well, now your preacher can't live on air, and you must pay up pay up, that's the idea. He needs twontyfive dollars and must have it ! Stevvard, we'll take up a collection now." Here eome of the aucÜÉnee near the door bëgan to " slide out " " Don't run ! don't run ! " exclaimed the Eider, " Steward, lock the door, and bring me the key 1 " he contimied, coming down out of the pulpit and taking his Beat by the stand 'table in front. The pteward locked tha door, and then depbsited "the key on the table by the side of the Eider. " Now, Steward," said he, " go around with the bat, I must have twenty-five dollars cut of this crowd before ono of you shall leave this house." Here was a fix. The congregation was taken all aback. The old folks tittered. The Steward gruvely proceeded in the official discharge o) his duties. Tlie hat was passt d around, and at lengtli deposited on the elder's tablb. The Eider poured out the funds on the table, and counted the amonnt. " Th ree dollars and a half! A slew ftart brethren ! Go round again, Stevvard. Wo mut pul' up a heap stronger than that ! " Around went the Steward with his hat again, and finally pulled up at tho Elder'8 stand. " JS'ine dollars and three-qnarters ! Not enough yet, Go around again Steward ! " Aruund goes the Steward the third time. " TwrIvc dollars and a half! Mighty slów brethren ! 'Fraid your dinpers vvill got cold beforo you get home 10 eat tbern. Go arounfd again Steward!" By tliis tim! the audienoe bagan to get fidoüly. They evidently thought the joke was geding Ferious. 13 ut the eider w:is relenllesfi. Again and again circulated tho indefatigable hat, and slowly, but surl, tho pile on the table sWelled towards the requisito amount. " Twenty-four dollars and a half! Only back half a dollar. Go around again, Steward. : Juet then there was a tap on the window from tho outsido, and a hand was thrust in holding a half a dollar betweon the thurub and finger, and a young fellow out side exclaimed : " Here Parson, here's your money let my gal out o' tbere ! I am tired o wailing lor her." It was the last hair that brote the catnel's back ; and the preaoher couk exclaim in the language of Ike Turtle ''This hear tneetin's done ; bust up ! "

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus