The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1862-11-01
NJ CONTRIBUTION TO TIE WAR.

i bad actually subscribed FIVE hundre
dollars! Not in oil the history Of my gi,
ings was there a parallel to this. Five hui
dred dollarsl l looked At the filed U
check, after cutting it free from its blan
companions. with fond, reluctant eyes. e,
passing it to other hands; yet was not ID
grudgiDg giver this little hesitation imp piled
Ny heart was in the cause of national homo
and national safety; and in sacrificing some
thing for my country. was but dischargio
sPatrio'ic duty. This was my contribute
70 fund our citizens were raising for hos
pital and sanitary needs. II double tn
sum had been required of me. double woul
have been given.
$50 much for my countryl' 1 said j,
thought. with feeling Of sel,- approval.
felt that / was better and truer msn fo
the act. "If every one would do IS vel
according to their circumstances There
came . slight chill to my enthusiasm. conss-
qusnt on the thought that was doing 80
much more. according to my ability. thAs
other people. lad seen the subscription
paper. 1t bore the record of no larger con-
tribution than mine. Two citizens only
had put down their names for FIVE hundred
dollars.
ITO have given equally" I said to my
cell, "Hr. Hsrland should have made his
contribution thousand dollars, instead of
five hundred; and Grant should at least
have come up to my figures. dollar for dol
lar; he is quite as well off as l am. Then
as for Tompkins, can't see how he had
courage to write down fifty, in the face Of a
halt dozen poorer men who each gave their
hundred. But we have test Of patriotism
IN this and know where TO place men,
Love OF country is fine thing to talk about.
bu, when sacrifice is asked how rarely do
We 6nd word aud Deed in harmony
1t is the most natural thing in the world
20 let speech betrsy our thoughts. As
moved about friends and acqua'nt ntsnces, .
word dropped here aud sentence there, rs
vsalsd the secret OF my self.spproval: and
I doubt not that nearly all of them under
stood what was going on in my mind-how
l considered my contribution to the war
fund. taking means into accounts. as the
largest ma Q by any msn in the town.
For me. five hundred dollars was a large
sum to give away. Tens. twenlies. and an
occasional fifty. under The pressure OF pub
lic calls for church or charitable needs, had
passed ou, through the csrelessly Ioosened
purse strings, that drew back agsin with in
creasing tightnsss on the diminishing gold;
style was altogether q new experience 1
felt something poorer on account thereof. !
sod began to mediate economies. When l
paid . shousaud dollars for . pair of horses
no impression like this was perceived; not
evon whsn ons of them got Injured By a
iall. and parted with him Tor one hundred
snd fifty dollars. Here was = dead loss Of
three hundred and fifty dollars; but in face
OF 1t nothing 80 like q sense Of poverty
touched mo a. in the face Of my contribu-
ton to the hospital and sanitary fund.
did not feel poorer for the three hundred
dollars expended in preparing and stocking
my fish pond. though the money paid there
for was . sunk investment. every dollar, nor
for the six or seven hundred paid tor sum-
>msr houses, garden, ststuary, and fancy
work about my grounds and dwelling. All
this, being for my own qualification. l could
al I'D. Tho expense was calculsted, and
taken as . thing Of course. But this Eve
hundred dollar gift to our country in her
time Of pressing need. freely ~ it was be-
- though weakened by an effort greater
than my strength.
No wonder, such being the case. that
talked rather more than was seemly Of what
] had done. We have in our town an ex
csllsnt but plain spoken man. no his lite I
being one of :hs srictsst integrity, does not
sland in Tear of any body's opinion. He is :
not rough or obtrusive man, bnt as have q
said. plain spoken, free from guile or Aattery. I
You can hardly converse with him Tor ten Z
minutes without knowing yourself a little q
better than when you began the converse. e
ton. His name is Preston. 9
1--WE have done our part" said to him
- We stood together in the street one day.
We had been speaking Of the war, and of Z
he necessity of supporting the government 9
10 the full extent Of its needs reierr ed. Z
in saying sour part" to the various contri =
buttons in men and morsy which the peo- 4
pie in our particular locality had made, and
especially to the late subscription, which
footed up three thousand dollars. Three +,
dollars Of which I had given .
.ixth part. could not fail in this remem. I,
brance. I
"Yes, and uobly." he answered. with . I
glow Of enthusiasm not often seen, bloom
ing his quiet face. "Our people have doue {
nobly, not keeping back their most precious I
thing
'Tnree thousand dollars Is a liberal sum" S
I said. I
Eyes" His voice dropped little. s
''And OF this sum two men gave thi- d."
U
sssagh 10 let it forth. ]
Mr. Preston did not answer-"And are
you one OF them!" "No," but said in . 4
voice that slill tell l,wer and lower. until |
Il expressed . sentiment Of reverence I
There is one in our midst ~ho has given q
more than these two men, hundred fold. +,
But the name is not down on any subscrip- !,
lion paper" {
More precious than silver or gold! Yes,
there are things more precious thaa silver
And gold; and understood Mr.. Preston to ,
refer to human lite and human love-
Shame touched me: I stood silent and re- Z
buked. 7
"Come." eaid he. "walk with me into |
he next street little way. 1t is Well for I
y all to comprehend these questions of sac. q
'i6cs and patriotism in all their bearings.
The danger with rs all is that We magnify
,ur own burteus and ,oy alty and in s.oinp