The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-06-11
-. ,,.l, bowed, and glanced about the


Only myself and Bro. BROWN was pro'
Smiths reply. Religion Is at q low ebb with
US. We had been dePloring the iukewarm STATE
OF our church when you entered.
what did you conclude was the cause Oh NJ
asked inc aay' resting asAih'' S'P anu P''-
ting her iee' 70 the warm s'o'e'
we think there are more causes tnan one
Bro, smith replied. Suppose some Oh US may
have neglected duties ana mus asp'eased our
Master. Then we are all apt more or iess' 70
lean on the minister and ours does mt seem to
be In the place he was some months ago. Bro.
Brown and 1 have been considering whether or
no, when the year is up, Il will not be as well TO
let him 90, and try another one
Then youhaye become dissatisfied with MT.
Denham,' said the lady.
well, we should not wish to say that, exact
w. was the reply. Perhaps the man does as
well as he can, though he has not the life and
power Of some ministers. have not been rs
blessed under his preaching as 1 expected to be
at the outset. and Bro. Browns experience cor
responds with my own,'
YES said Bro. Brown. approaching, i con-
fess Mr.. Denham has not come up to my expect
ations. When he first came among u.s. thought
he was going to be an instrument in the hands
Of God Of accomplishing much good in oui
church and community; but these prospects arr
now quite overcast. 1t looks gloomy ahead
Mr.. Denham has lost much Of his spirituality
or am no Judge Of such matters. The bless
ing obtain from his ministra'iOn Is very small
.Ifyou have got five dollar blessing ! don
know what more you could eipec'' si '"e
lady, in quiet tone OF voice.
Her words were electric. The two men look
Ell quickly at each Other and 'urned their steps
toward the door.
Bro. Smith ana Bro brown oommuneu WIN
themselves that night They were Do'h worm
their thousands. Inc ht'ie woman a' inc W.
try was dependent on her own exertions for
support. Yet ON the minister's subscription list
her name was down for an equal sum with Bro.
Smith and Bro. Brown. and she had found no
dearth of spirituality in Mr.. Denham's sermons
On the contrary, they fed her soul each sabbath.
She saw the minister's family were pinched in
every way. The very small salary was slow
and irregular about coming in, and they often
lacked for the comforts, IL not for the necessares
Of life. These things depressed Mr.. Dcnham.
lie was comparatively young, and peculiarly
Autobiography lacking in self-assertion. He
could not 60 to men of wealth, years his senior,
and ask for the pittance they had subscribed to-
ward his salary. But he felt that God would
Withhold his blessing from those who treated his
cause so nirvarlly, and prayed in his closet
that the little church might be delivered from
the tbrall Of covetousness. II was hard place
10 work. and when, added to other difficulties,
his wife fell sick, Mr.. Denham felt he would
not be sorry to end his labOrs there with the
closing year
But "a word spoken in season, how good IL
is = and the little woman who visited the 'es-
try on monthly meeting day had spoken TINS
word.
If you have got five dollar blessing, don't
know what more you could expect
What more, truly They were amply able to
nav tuenty-6ye; such sum would be no more
for them than was Eve for the little vestry
uoman They had raised two hundred and fifty
dollars for their miuister,-he needed five
hundred. II was only a reasonable compeusa-
ton for his services and support. He did not
ask 1.-THE agreement had been that he should
accent what they could raise. Yet il was a
mean thing to half support servant Of God.
How could they. As A church, expect Coils
blessing. till they righted this wrong in their
midst,
Bro. Brown and Bro. Smith sent their boys
next dsy with load Of dry wood and kindlings
70 the minister. Then Bro. Smith who held
,,o .r,scr;rt;on lis, drew Il forth. and placed a
s,ure l Mt the left hand Of the 8 which stood
,s,irs, his name. 20 now IL read:
.,,rh.,s smith-sl5.,
He though, I, was an improvement, and con-
c,ud.d 10 90 round the parish and see how many
others would be Of n like opinion. He found
several, and quite little purse Of ready money
was made up for the minister. Bro smith and
Bro. Brown found the sermons more spiritual AZ
once. The praycr-ineetings put on new me-
and ere long there were indications Of genuine
revival Of religion.
Bro. Smith and Bro. Brown openly declared
in monthly concert that they believed covetOus-
ness was the great sin in their midst, at which
God was angry. Bro. Dix felt the force OF the
declaration. and hauled two cords Of his best
marketable wood into the church sheds LOT WIN
ter fires.
When MIR. Dcnham's year came round' IN
stead OF seeking out new field with heart de-
Pressed oy mahno'u 'einpOrai u'a's' NC was III
where crowds OF anxious souls hocked TO the al
tar seeking salvation through Jesus.