The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1863-03-18
The w ar Contribution.

| had actually subscribed five hundred
dollars! Not in the history OF my givirgS
was there parallel to this Five hundred
dollars ] looked at the filled up check
aiter cutting It free from its blank compan.
ions, with fond reluctant eyes, ere passing
it to other hands; yet was not the grudg.
ing g'ver this it'll, hesitation implied. Ny
heart was in the cause Of national honor
and national safety, and in sacrificing
something for my country | was but dis
charging q patriotic duty. This was my
contribution to fund our citizens were
,a-ing for hospital and sanitary needs
lf double the sum had been required of me,
double would have been given.
$50 much for country! ~ I said in tho't,
v ith feeling Of selfspproval. | felt tha,
| was a better and truer man for the act
If every one would do as well according
I" their circumstances There came a
slight chill to my enthusiasm, consequent
On the thought that was doing so much
more, according to my ability, than other
people. had Seen tie subscription pa
per. 1t bore the record Of no larger contr-
huliOn than mine. Two citizens had only
put down their names for five hundred
dollars.
"ro have given equally," said to my
self, "Mr. Harland should have made his
contribution one thousand dollars instead
If five hundred, and Grant should at least
have come up to my figures, dollar for dol
lar he is quite as well off AS am. Then,
as tor Tompkins, | can't see how he had
courage to write down fifty in the face OF
half dozen poorer men, who gave their
hundred. But We have test Of patriotism
in this, and knew where to put men. Love
of country is Il fine thing to talk about, but
when sacrifice is asked, how rarely do We
find word and deed in harmony!'
1t is the most natural thing in the world
to let our speech betray our thoughts. As
| moved among my friends and acquaint-
ances, word dropped here and a sentence
there revealed the secret Of my self approx.
al; and doubt not tina: nearly every one
Of them understood what was going on in
my mind-how | considered my con.ribu.
ton to the war fund, taking IN ans into
account, as the largest made by any man
in town. For me, five hundred dollars was
u large sum to g i've away. Tens, twenties,
and an occasional Fifty, under the pressure
"f public calls f"r church or charitable
needs, had passed on through the cracless
ly loosened purse strings, that drew back
again with increasing t,ghtness on the di.
mnnished gold; but giving after this liberal
and exhausting style was altogether new
experience. felt somewhat poorer on
account thereof, and began to mediate on
economies. When paid thousand dol
lars for pair OF horses, no impression
like this was p revived; not even when
one Of the horses got injured by fall, and
I parted with him for one hundred and
fifty dollars; but in the face OF it nothing
so like = sense OF poverty touched me as in
the face Of my contribution TO the hospital
fund. l did not feel poorer for the five
hundred dollars expended in preparing and
stocking my tshpond, though the money
paid therefor was . suIken investment,
every dollar; nor for the six or seven hun.
| dr'd paid for my sumncr.houses, garden
statuary. and fancy work about my grounds
and dwelling. All this being for my own
qualification, l could afford. The expense
was calculated, and taken as u thing o
course. But this five hundred dollar gifi
to our country, in her time Of pressing
need, freely as it was bestowed, left mt
with feeling Of exhaustion. as If weakened
by an effort greater than my strength
NJ wonder such being the case, that
talked rather more, perhaps, than was
| seemly of what had done. We have ir
our town an excellent but piain.spoker
man, who, his life being one Of integrity
does not stand in fear OF any body's opinion
He is not a rough or ohtrusive man, but, Al
| have said, plain.spoken, free from gull.
and Aatt,ry. You can hardly convers,
with him for ten minutes without knowing
yourself a little better than when you bcgar
the conversation. His name is Preston.
ave have done our part" said to him
as we stood together in the street one day
We had been speaking Of the war, and tn,
necessity Of supporting the Government I.
the full extent Of its needs | referred, il
saying "our part" to the various contribu
tons in men and money which the pcopl
in our particular locality had made, ant
especially to the late subscription, whicl
footed up three thousand dollars. Thre,
thousand dollars, of which had given
sixth part, l could no, fail in remembrance
"Yes, and nobly,' h. answered, with /
glow Of enthusiasm not often seen bloom
ing on his quiet face. Our people hav'