The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1874-03-05
Digby's Reform Club.

There was quartette Of free and
jovial spirits in Burville, and John
Digby was the acknowledged leader
thereof. Peter Slade and Tom Low
den and Sam Pepper were his assc-
ciates. They four were young men,
free-hearted and generous, with great
capacity for enjoyment. rti
On certain Monday evening they
were assembled in the small parlOr of
Lashton's tavern, for the purpose of
having good time, as they were
wont to assemble often. The season
was winter, ard the beverage they
were indulging was a compound of
rum, sugar, milk and eggs, Familiarity
known among the initiated as "TOm
and Jerry"
At an early stage of the wassail, be-
fore sense had been submerged, Peter
Slade suggested that he had a COM
plaint to make against one of the dig
nitaries of the town, and thereupon
he opened his walls of denunciation
upon Parson Meekly, the old clergy
man of the place.
"As near as 1 can find out" he
said, "the parson just about the same
as called us by name, and held us up
as set of graceless scamps."
"Not quite so bad as that" said
John Digby. "He did certainly al
lude to us very plainly; but the worst
he brought against us was, that We
were prostituting noble powers and
| opportunities to base and sinful pur-
poses. Rather hattering, / thonght,
especially the noble poWers.' I"
"Flattering with a vengeance"
growled Tom Lowden. "What busi-
ness is it of his ?"
"Aye," chimed Sam Pepper, "what
business is it of his? And then look
st the hullabaloo they're making over
this foreign mission business. 1t was
in connection with that that Parson
Meekly attacked us. They'd better
look at home. I think we're suffer-
ing enough under our very noses that
had better be looked out first"
"That's so," cried Slade. "I say
charity begins at home. What do
you say, JOhn?"
John Digby had listened attentive
ly, and during the conversation he
had turned his glass bottom upward
upon tine table.
"rhere may be truth in what you
say" he slowly and thOnghtfully re-
piled; "but people who live in glass
houses shouldn't throw stones. We
| may object to furnishing our money
for the foreign missions upon the plea
that charity begins at home, and all
/ that; but the question msy come
what have we done for this charity at
homo? What have we done toward
alleviating the distresses of the poor
of our own town? And if we haven't
done anything in that direction-if
we don't open our hands in charity at
all-what right have we to say in
what direction Others shall aim their
good works ?''
Blank were the looks that greeted
this speech. The trio of listeners
were taken aback. They hadn't ex-
pected this from their leader
"Now look here, boys,n continued
John Digby, pushing his inverted
glass away to the center of the table,
and leaving 1t there, 81 don't like this
overhauling that Parson Meekly gave
us, any better than you do, and pro-
pose to shut him up.n
"Hi-yah ~ shouted Tom Pepper.
HThat's the talk. Pm with YOU"
"Are you sure you've got the eour-
age, Sam?"
eyes, sir ~
"Count me in," said Tom.
"And me-" added Peter. "Let's
shut the old fellow. What's the pro-
gramme, Jack >"
/ "WeIl," answered Digby, slowly, "I
have planned that we would take the
wind out of Parson Meekly's sails by
1 hlfnhfrr poforna (NinI of
own, and starting a Missionary SocIe-
ty on the came basis"
1 "Eh ?n
"Look We, boys, people besides the
parson are talking pretty hard about
us, and we'll shut them ali up in a
lump. I'd like to astonish 'em. I'd
like to hit back in the most effective
way. I'd like to make 'em take the
back track here in Burville, in their
own business"
His hearers were interested and lis
tened eagerly.
"What is it? Tell us how it's to be
done?" they asked.
"Have you got the courage to do
it?n
"We'lI follow you," returned Peter
Slade.
| hOuOI DflSuI
"Yes.u e4.. - -s Z
"Then listen." ili- Us
"Hold on, "cried Sam Pepper; "let':
fill up before you commence"
mot with old Lushton's Tom and
Jerry" returned Jack. 1--WE shall
want the cost of it for another purpose
Turn your glasses bottom mp Tor the
present. There, that's q go. Now
lisien. We are in the habit of inset.
ing at the tavern three evenings in
the week; and our expenses for liquor
and cigars are at least two dollars al
evening, aren't they ?"
This was admitted with q nod.
"And in addition to this 1 spend al
least dollar more each week for beel
and tobacco on my own hook. How
is it with you?n
The others acknowledged that a dol
lar a week was little enough.
'NThus," resumed John Digby, "w'
have ten dollars q week as the resul
of our combined and individual ex
penditure for rum and tobacco. i, fol
one, think / can manage to liv'
through the rest of the winter withou
any more of it; and for the sake of tn
experiment / would be willing to pul
my share of that ten dollars a week Il
charitable use. Here it is in the be
ginning of December, and the vinte
has opened hard. There are poo
families not far away which we cal
bless with our sympathy and our help
We might organize benevolent so
ciety, or missionary society, upci
our own hook. Do you begin to un
n doratand 9ii