The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1863-06-13
miscellaneous.
Taking up "a Collection,

Taking UP "a Collection.
Rarely have we had better story, or
or better told story, than this, from a
reverend gentleman in Missouri -
The life of preacher in new coun-
try, from regular point of view, is
hardly as smoothe and free from difficulty
as a position in more cultivated and pop
ulous communities seem to be. The
people are thinly scattered here and
there, engaged by different pursuits,
though chiefly agricultural. Being COL
lected from all parts Of the older States,
and gathered from every class of society,
they meet upon he same common ground,
upon terms of easy familiarity, and re-
strained BY no irksome conven ionalities
People III new country generally have
pretty hard time of it, They live a
sort of " rough and-tumble " life, wear
ing out their best efforts in struggle
for existence. Under these circumstan-
ces the ma ,erial sometimes absorbs the
spiritual; and the people not unfrc-
quently {" get so far behind" with the
preacher that they have to be power
fully stirred up" from the pulpit.
On one occasion we had visit from
the presiding elder of our district at one
of our quarterly meetings. We had
not paid our preacher g nary dime" as
The boys say, and we expected a scoring
from the elder.
Wen, we were not disappointed The
elder preached US a moving discourse
from the text G. owc no man anytaing."
Al the close of his sermon, he came at
once to the C subject in hand"
&" Brethren," said he, " have you paid
Bro her -- any thing this year {?
Nothing at all, unders and. Well,
now, your preacher can't live on the air,
and you must pay up-pay up that's
the idea. He needs twenty-five dollars
and must have it Steward, we'll take
up collection no1O'"
Here some Of the audience near the
door began to " slide " out.
" Don't run DONE run - exclaimed
the elder. " Steward, lock that door
ana fetch me the key !" he continued,
coming down out of the pulpit and tax
ing his seat by the stand-tabl in front.
The Steward locked the door, and then
deposited the key on the table by the
side of the elder
" Now Steward" said he, " 90 round
with the hat must have Twenty-Five
dollars out Of this crowd before one of
you shall leave this house"
Here was a fix" The congregation
were taken all aback. The old folks
looked astonishcd the young folks tit
tered. The Steward gravely proceeded
in the discharge of his official duties. -
The hat was passed around, and at length
deposited ON the elders table. The ell
der poured out (" the funds" on the ia
bic, and counted the amount.
I" Three dollars and half! A slow
start brethren Go round again, Stew
ard. We must pull up heap stronger
than that"
Around went the Steward with his hat
again, and finally pulled up at the elder
stand.
1" Nine dollars aud three quarters -
Not enough yet. Go round again, Stew
ard !"
Around goes the Steward the third
time.
"Twelve dollars and half Mighty
slow, brethren Fraid your dinners
will get cold before you get home to eat
'em Go round again, Steward !"
BY this time the audience began to be
fdgety. They evidently thought the
joke was getting to be serious. But the
elder was relentless. Again and again
circulated the indefatigable hat, and
slowly, slowly, but surely, the " pile :"
on the table swelled towards the Iequi-
site amount.
L" Twenty-four dollars and a half -
Only lack half a dollar. Go round
again, Steward :"
just then there was tap on the win
dow from the outside hand was thrust
IN holding half dollar between the
thumb and finger, aud young fellow
outside exclaimed:
" Here parson, here's your money
Let my gal out O. there Pm tired of
waitin' for her." .
1t was &C the last hair that broke the
cancels back )" and the preacher could
exclaim, in the language of Ike Tur-
tle," This ere meetin's done, bust up ~
ss~-----
The BANK OF ENGLAND-Qute a
to,cn By tself-Hs wonderful SYSTEM
An American correspondent writing from
London says:
Z" | have had access to the Bank Of
England, and seen how dumb iron rods,
connected with a shaft turned by steam
power, tell how many bank notes are
struck off in the room, above; how a
book of paper will not come out of its
place itself, put there by machinery, till
a similar box of notes is brought back
to be deposited there, and in turn to be
removed by mechanical force and how