“Judge not, that ye be not judged," said my wife, in a serious voice. Try and think the best instead of the worst of people-it is much more satisfactory, depend upon it." I did not deny this, and for the sake of my wife's feelings dropped the discussion, half sorry, seeing that she took it so hard, that I had made any remark about Doctor Dearsoul. Well, as rapidly as we could desire, did we grow into consequence at St. Philemon's. We were not only visited socially by the élite of the church, and the pleasure of our company sought in return, but we had just as many official visits from all sorts of committees of ways and means, established for all sorts of purposes. It was no joke the way my purse suffered after this. I am not penurious-I know I am not. I think, in all the true be nefactions of charity, where left by myself, I give liberally, and I know with a great deal of pleasure. But the various sub-charities of St. Philemon's were conducted in a way that fretted me terribly, and made me grudge every dollar I gave. I happened to be weak enough to give merely because I did not wish to be thought mean. One day, while sitting at dinner, I was told that a lady in the parlour wished to see me. I dropped knife and fork, and forthwith descended to meet the visitor who had honoured me with a call. I cannot describe the pleasant smile with which she met me. I had seen her before. She was a tall, thin maiden lady, of an uncertain age. "Mr. Pringle," she said, after I had shaken the hand she extended with a cordial grace, "we, the ladies of the Martha and Mary Society, have determined to send out a missionary to the Nestorians. I need not inform you of the interest now felt throughout Christendom in this people. St. Philemon's has always done nobly in the cause of missions, and she must not be behindhand now. We want a thousand dollars a-year for the object proposed, and have arranged the mode of raising it. Twenty subscriptions of fifty dollars each will just give the amount. Of course, among the wealthy members of St. Philemon's, it is easy enough to find twenty willing to subscribe so small a sum annually for so noble a purpose. We made out a select list of twenty, and have divided the number among a committee of four. You"-and here she smiled most graciously-"I am happy to say, come first on my list. With your name to lead off, I shall have an easy task in visiting the rest." Now, Mr. Editor, what could I do? "Say ' no,' if you didn't wish to give the fifty dollars," | you reply. That is all easily enough said by one who stands off and looks on, but it isn't so easily done by an individual of my temperament, situ ated precisely as I was. “Then you gave the fifty dollars?" Certainly I did. There was no backing out; I was cornered. So with as good a grace as possible I headed the list, and told the lady to call on me for a check whenever the money was wanted. "Who was it, dear?" asked my wife when I returned to my cold dinner. "Miss Araminta Doolittle," I replied, with as much composure as possible. "Ah! What did she want?" "Fifty dollars to help to send a missionary to the Nestorians." "Did you give it to her?" "I did though I wished her in Jerico at the same time." My wife looked annoyed, but said—“ Hush-h! Don't speak so, Mr. Pringle; if you didn't want to give the money for that purpose, you should have said so." "I wish I'd only had the nerve to decline the proposed honour." "I don't see that it requires so much nerve," returned my wife, who is an honest, straightforward, simplc -minded woman, and says and does just what she thinks right to say or do. I only wish I possessed that peculiar virtue of hers in the same perfection that she does. "You are not a man, and in the hands of a tempting woman," I replied. "They've picked out twenty men to victimize at the rate of fifty dollars each per annum, and I'll bet fifty dollars that every mother's son of them permits himself to be victimized. Now, I don't call this the fair way of doing the thing. They knew precious well that not two out of the twenty would give a cent for the object they propose, if left to themselves. They could find, at least in their own estimation, other and better use for their money. But in order to coerce them, this precious scheme is got up. It's too bad! If this is the game that's going to be played, I'll give up my pew and join some other church, or stay at home altogether." But the way I was running on hurt my wife, so that I made a dead halt on the subject; resolying, however, that I would act a little more independently the next time I was called upon to subscribe for anything that my judgment did not fully approve. About three months after I moved into my new house, I received a communication notifying me that I had been chosen one of the vestrymen of St. Philemon's. "Good heavens !" I exclaimed, tossing the note across the table to my wife, "what is coming next?" Even Esther smiled on reading the strange document. "Think of Theophilus Pringle as vestryman !" said I, falling back in my chair, and elevating my hands to an obtuse angle with my wrists. "You can hold your head up in church now, Esther, with the best of them. I really think I am getting along bravely-don't you? A vestryman! Gracious me! So much for being the owner of a nice house." 66 "Now, Mr. Pringle!" My wife's face be- tion to attend an extra-informal meeting of the came sober in a moment. Why will you talk lay church dignitaries. so? Do, pray, think a little good of your fellows. There must be vestrymen, and why may not you be chosen as well as another?" But why wasn't I chosen before? Can you tell me that?" "You were not so well known as now." "No, I grant you that." "You will accept the office?" 66 I don't know. I rather think I shall decline." "Don't think of such a thing, Mr. Pringle. If the office has been conferred upon you, accept it, and do your duty like a man," said my wife, firmly. "If you have higher and better views of right and wrong than you think men ordinarily in these stations possess, endeavour to do good in the position you are now chosen to occupy by letting your light be seen." Now this was coming down on me pretty vigorously. My wife was in earnest. In fact, she rarely jests on any subject, much less upon matters connected with the church. "But think of my being a vestryman," said I, almost laughing at the ludicrousness of the idea. "Theophilus Pringle a vestryman! What will Mrs. Grundy say?" "I don't know that there is anything co much out of the way in your being a vestryman, Mr. Pringle," returned my wife." It is an honourable and useful position, and I think you might fill it with honour to yourself and useful ness to others." Now what could I do? Mrs. Araminta Do little had cornered me on the question of the Nestorian missionary, and now my wife cornered me on the question of to be or not to be a vestryman. Not being able to conjure up any reason that was satisfactory to her mind, althouh I had more than a dozen that were perfectly satisfactory to mine, I was driven into accepting the proffered dignity. Well, at the very first meeting I attended, plump came a proposition to increase Dr. Dearsoul's salary. He was receiving twelve hundred dollars, and had his rent free into the bargain. But it was said that his family was large, and that he could not live on his salary without the closest economy. The proposal was to increase the salary to fifteen hundred dollars. To this I had no serious objection. It was next propose l, as the expenses of the church were very heavy, to effect this increase by an extra subscription. This was agreed to. It was then proposed that the amount to be raised should be equally divided among the several vestrymen, whose duty it should be to get their respective portions subscribed. It fell to my share to raise twenty-five dollars annually, which I did-out of my own pocket. I mentioned the subject to one or two, who shrugged their shoulders, and said that Mr. Dearsoul got enough salary, and ought to be ashamed of himself if he couldn't live upon it. I made no further effort, preferring to levy on my own treasury for my quota. A few months after this I received a notifica What's in the wind now?" I said to my wife. "Some more extra subscriptions?" "Don't be so nervous about extra subscriptions, Mr. Pringle," returned my wife; "I don't think you have been hurt with them yet. I'm really afraid you are getting penurious." 66 No, no, I won't admit that for a moment," I replied, quickly. "I think I'm as willing to do my part as any one, but I like things done openly and above board. I don't believe that it's honest to get a man into a corner and then pick his pockets." "Mr. Pringle!" "But look at it, Esther. What is the difference between getting money out of your pocket by physical or by moral terrors? I confess that I see none. A man gets me into a position in which I can neither defend myself nor retreat, and demands my money. I give it to him, of course, as the least dreaded of two evils. That is one statement of the case. Now look at this. A man or a set of men get me into a position from which I cannot retire without feeling that I have lost the good opinion of others, and place before me the two alternatives of giving money or being thought mean and penurious. I choose than the loss of money. to give rather than encounter what I fear more It is a weakness, I own; but does that make the conduct of those who take advantage of my weakness any more justifiable? And the worst of it all, Esther, is, that these things are done in the name of religion, and for the purpose of advancing that holy cause." that concerns the church you are sure to make a "That's just you, Mr. Pringle. In anything mountain out of a mole-hill. Just because there happens to be an extra meeting of the vestry called, your suspicions are all aroused, and you take it for granted that your pocket is going to be picked. I really would be ashamed of myself, Mr. Pringle!" Somehow or other I did feel a little ashamed, for I had been running on rather more freely than the cause of my mental disturbance warranted. Well, I went to the meeting at the time ap pointed. There I found Mr. Dearsoul and about ten members of the church, besides the vestry. There's something in the wind, sure enough," I said to myself, half turning round, instinctively, in a moment after, to see if Mrs. Pringle were not within ear-shot of my thoughts. Dearsoul stated, that it was very apparent to all As soon as the meeting was organized, Mr. that the church needed some repairs badly. What they were he then specified. I could not but agree with him. Particularly the church needed painting and whitewashing. There was no objection to this made by any one present. One of the vestrymen then remarked that certain members of the church to whom the subject had been named, objected, evidently because they didn't wish to give anything. But for this, a general subscription would have been made to, upon the doctor," said one of the committeedefray the expense of painting and whitewash- men. "I think we'd better pass him. In fact, ing. Now it was thought best to confine the he's not able to give twenty-five dollars anyhow, matter to a few. There was no doubt that the and should never have subscribed so large a repairs and renewals were needed. In short," sum. But he is so enthusiastic and self-sacrihe said, "we have drawn up a subscription ficing in every good work. paper, as the quickest and surest way of doing the thing. Here it is," and he laid a paper upon the table. Mr. Dearsoul reached forward, rather quickly, I thought, and drew the paper towards him. After reading the form at the head, he took up a pen, remarking, as he did so―" Let me head the list." 66 "No, no, Mr. Dearsoul," said two or three, quickly, you musn't give anything. There is no necessity for that.” "No absolute necessity, I know," he replied, "but I always like to do my part." a And with that he wrote his name with a flourish. The paper was then passed to the one who sat nearest Mr. Dearsoul. He looked at it for moment, and then, saying as plainly as face and manners could express it, " If I must I suppose I must," deliberately wrote his name. Thus the ball was set in motion, and rolled steadily around the room. When the paper came to me, I saw that Mr. Dearsoul had subscribed twenty-five dollars. As he was the least able to give of any one in the room, of course no one thought of putting down a smaller sum, and as he had hit quite the maximum of any one's benevolent intentions, no higher amount was subscribed so the paper presented a long column of uniform 25 dollars. I had intended to give ten dollars, and thought my intention quite liberal; but I was cornered again, and put down my twentyfive with the rest. After the paper had gone fairly around, and the amount subscribed upon it had been footed up, the sum total was about five hundred dollars, an amount amply sufficient for the required purpose. "Oh, no, we musn't call upon him," said the other. only regret in my mind was that he had ever put "I don't just like this," I said to my wife. "It looks as if Mr. Dearsoul had scheemed a little in the matter." "He is incapable of such a thing, Mr. Pringle," promptly answered my wife, with a visible show of indignation. "It was done from the generous impulse of his heart." "I hope so," I replied, doubtingly. "But I must confess that things look rather suspicious to my mind." I was getting bolder, you see. But my wife came down upon me warmer than usual, and I beat a retreat-silenced, but not convinced. Not a very long time elapsed after the church was brightened up so as to look almost as good as new, before the old organ began to be badly abused-and not without justifiable reasons, I am free to confess. I had certainly heard, in my time, a much pleasanter instrument. After the discovery by a few that it contained its share of imperfections, the perception of the fact became general. One talked to another about it, and another to another, until finally the sound of the old organ became so intolerable that the pious states of many of the worshipers were sadly disturbed every Sabbath. To the minds of others the excellent discourses of Mr. Dearsoul found no avenue; they were too busy in devising the ways and means for procuring a new instrument to hear anything more than the monotonous reverberations of the minister's voice. This most important part of the business settled, a committee of three to superintend the repairs was chosen. On this committee your humble servant, Theophilus Pringle, was placed. He made an effort to decline the honour, but it was of no use; so making a virtue of necessity, he entered upon the duty with as much good will as he could muster. When I ventured to complain a little about being saddled with a thankless office, my wife said that she thought me a very unreasonable man. The repairs were needed, and some one had to see to them, and the thought that I ought at least to be willing to do my part for the good of the whole. I couldn't very well gainsay this, but still I did my duty At last a general meeting of the church was with bad grace. called, at which there was much of warm speakAfter the repairs were nearly completed, it ing on both sides of the question. I found that became necessary to collect in the subscriptions there were a good many strong and independent not already paid; so the three of us, committee- minds in the church, who were not afraid to exmen good and true, had a sitting over the sub-press their sentiments boldly. The strongest scription paper, for the purpose of apportioning the names of the persons to be called upon be First of all stood that of Doctor Next came estimates of what it would cost to have a new organ built. These ran from two to five thousand dollars. At every meeting of the vestry the subject came up in private conversation or for public discussion. I kept aloof, and looked on-willing to do my part in buying a new organ, but not willing to have much to say about it. a very tween us. ground taken against buying a new organ was the better use that could be made of the money. But against this it was argued that the money was yet in the pockets of the members, and if given for this specific use, no one had a right to complain. Every one should be left free to do as he thought right. I liked that position vastly. "But would we be free?" I asked myself. Involuntarily I shook my head. said that five hundred dollars more could easily be raised; so I yielded to the majority. The next business in order was the collection of the money that had been subscribed. A man was employed to go round with the subscripIn the midst of these discussions, Mr. Dear- tion paper. As I happened to be the chairman soul addressed the meeting in his peculiarly of the committee, it fell to my duty to write out bland and captivating manner, throwing oil in a book the names of the different persons upon the troubled elements around him. This is who had subscribed, arranged in order accorda matter in which every one must be free," he ing to the amount given by each. At the top said. "There is no doubt but the organ is a of the one hundred dollar list I placed the name very poor one, and that, if able, we ought to of Mr. Dearsoul, as a matter of course. Regu procure a better instrument. But there is no larly every day I received returns from the coluse in wrangling about it. Now, I propose lector, and deposited the amount in the bank. that, to test this matter, a subscription for the The money did not come in very freely. A purpose be at once started. Let there be six good many said "call again," or it wasn't distinct papers; one for hundred dollar sub-convenient" just then, &c., &c. scriptions, one for fifty, one for twenty, one for ten, one for five, and one for one dollar subscriptions. Six such papers, with appropriate headings, now lie upon the table. Mr. Chairman,” he added, turning to the president of the meeting, "I move you that this be the order of proceeding adopted forthwith." "I see that Mr. Dearsoul hasn't paid his subscription yet," I remarked to the collector, as I was looking over his book about three weeks after he had commenced gathering in the subscriptions. "Oh, yes, sure enough," he said, I forgot to mention about Dr. Dearsoul. He says he thinks perhaps there is some mistake." "No, there cannot be a mistake; he subscribed a hundred dollars with his own hand," I replied. "Here is the original paper," and I took it from my desk. "There is no mistake, you see; there is his signature." "He said that he would see you about it." "Very well." In about ten days the collector said to me"Has Doctor Dearsoul seen you yet about his subscription?" "No, he has not called upon me in reference to the matter." "Hadn't I better see him again?" The collector called once more. This motion was seconded, and the question put to the meeting and carried. The president then announced that the hundred dollar subscription was open. First to rise and head this list was the Rev. Dr. Dearsoul. I touched my wife with my elbow, but she did not turn her head towards me the distance of a line. About twenty followed in the wake of the minister. Fifty dollars I had intended to give for the purpose, but I was strongly tempted, for the sake of appearance, to go in with the one hundred dollar subscribers. I could not bear the idea of Mr. Dearsoul's giving a hundred dollars, while I gave but fifty. If the thing had been done more quietly, his giving five hundred dollars would not have influenced me in the least. I would have given my fifty with a clear enough conscience. It was the publicity of the thing. To be held up as giving but fifty dollars, when Mr. Dearsoul, with only fifteen hundred dollars per annum and a large family to support, was generous to give a hundred. This time, how- "That's a little strange," remarked Mr. Dearever, I remained firm, and waited for the open-soul. "I must see Mr. Pringle." ing of the second list. I must own that I felt rather meanly as I went up to subscribe my It seemed as if I could hear voices all round me, saying-"Fifty dollars for you? Is it possible!" I was sorry that I had not punished my pocket instead of my feelings. But it was too late now. I made one in a respectable company of thirty. The twenties, tens, fives, and ones followed. It was then announced that the handsome sum of four thousand five hundred dollars had been subscribed by four hundred persons. name. At the next meeting of the vestry, the business of procuring the organ was confided to a committee of three: upon this committee I was placed. We forthwith procured estimates from two or three organ-builders, and finally decided to have one put up at a cost of five thousand dollars. I objected to going beyond the amount subscribed, but the majority on the committee Did any one tell you to call upon me about this?" asked our minister. "Yes; Mr. Pringle told me to call," replied the collector. When this was reported to me, I didn't feel exactly pleased. Instead of waiting for Mr. Dearsoul to call upon me, I called upon him forthwith. "Didn't you make a little mistake?" he said to me, shortly after we met, speaking in the softest manner, and with a gentle smile upon his face. "In the matter of your subscription for the organ?" "Yes." "No, I think not: here is the original list of subscribers," and I drew the paper from my pocket. "You see that your name is upon it." "Oh yes, I know that," he replied, in the same gentle voice, and with the same bland smile; "but you don't seem to understand, Mr. Pringle. It is never expected that the minister will be called upon for a subscription like this." "Indeed! That is all new to me. Why, then, does he subscribe, Mr. Dearsoul? What good is there in it ?” "Oh, as for that, Mr. Pringle, it does a great deal of good. If I hadn't put my name down at the head of that list, you wouldn't have got five hundred-dollar subscriptions: as it was, you got twenty. Don't you see the effect? Don't you see the use?" 66 Oh, yes, very clearly," I replied, for my eyes were now completely open. Mr. Dearsoul smiled with much self-complacency. "I have been so long familiar with these matters," he went on to say, "that I understand exactly how to manage them. The plan, which I had all cut and dried, I knew would work to admiration. If things had been left to their own course, you wouldn't have got a thousand dollars at that meeting. It was my heading the hundred-dollar list that brought forth such a generous response to the call made upon the congregation." I was strongly tempted to read Mr. Dearsoul a lecture upon the morality of the act which he reviewed with so much pleasure; but as I was a mere layman, I thought it might be as well for me to keep silence, which I did. The interview I managed to cut short as soon as possible. I had a good many thoughts of my own as I walked away from the minister's house. Sinner as I was, I felt grieved and hurt to think that in high and holy places there should be such dim perceptions of what was just and honest. When I arrived at home, I said to my wife, with an abruptness that startled her, "I'm done with Dr. Dearsoul!" "What has happened, Mr. Pringle?" she asked, with a look of anxiety. I related the conversation that had passed between me and the minister: she was confounded. "Could you have heard aright?" she asked, in a husky voice. "It was hardly possible to hear wrong in a matter like this, Esther. Oh no, there is no doubt about it; and therefore I am done with Dr. Dearsoul. Trick and scheming like this may do among the Bulls and Bears of Thirdstreet, but I positively object to such practices in the church. If a new organ cannot be had by means fair, honest, and above-board, I at least am content to put up with the old one." "I wouldn't say anything about it," said my wife; "it can do no good." "I am not so sure, Esther, that covering up things like this is exactly the best way," I replied. "Diseases, if not allowed to come to the surface, and throw themselves off in painful sores, are very apt to strike in upon the vitals. I think, for the good of the whole, I will send a history of this organ business to one of the newspapers. It will make a capital story, and do good into the bargain." "Oh, no, no, no; don't think of such a thing, Mr. Pringle; it will bring a reproach upon religion." "No such thing, my dear-no such thing; it will make true religion look purer and brighter in her simplicity and truth. Trick and double But I have done it, Mr. Editor-that is, I have written it-and if you send the story forth in your excellent publication, what will Mrs. Pringle say? As for the organ, it has been filling the vaulted ceiling of St. Philemon's with its varied harmonies for some months; but I have never heard it utter a note-with me it could awaken no devotional feelings, for the sound of it would bring a recollection of Dr. Dearsoul's hundreddollar subscription, and fill my soul with discord. THOUGHTS OF THEE. BY A. T The last faint hues of daylight fade; The varied sights and sounds are o'er All the long weary day 'tis sad and lone; Thro' tears I watch that quiv'ring far-off star, Altho' 'mid sorrow's low'ring clouds I can recall thy voice-thy every look; Aided by Fancy's wand, I can indulge The last faint hues of daylight fade; Ramsgate, Nov. 27th, 1847. |