The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1874-03-17
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The Dedication Of Our New Church

The Dedication Of Our New Church.
Our new church was dedicated last
Sunday. We had meeting time Mrs.
Fltzrobinson and her mother went to
morning service and Mr. Fitzrobinson
staid at home and took care Of the chill
dren. Filzrobinson is a very kind parent
and most excellent master, and does this
quite often,so that the servants may not
he kept from their devotions. Mrs.
Fizrobinson and her mother said Fitz
robinson must 90 with them to evening
service, it was so perfectly splendid
1.-The children" suggested Fitzrohinson.
mildly; 'syou know, nv dear, the ser
wants are all out" ''We'll take them
with u.s." said Mrs. Fiizrobinson. Fltz
robinson wanted TO go very much in
deed, but he again mildly suggested that
Johnny might disturb the meeting. mo,
|no,' said Mrs. Fitzrobinsnn's mother !;
1.-The Lorlll take care oflthat. He says,
Suffer little children to come unto me,
&c | wouldn't miss having you hear
Dr.. Ives for anything" That settled it.,
aud the Fitzrobinson family went to
church en- maSse
Now our new church is the incest lit
tie church in the world. but, like many
other temples, it has a debtor hal up
to last Sunday 1t was proposed to ex
tinguish the debt before the dedication,
so Dr. Ives was sent for all the way to
Auburn, in New York, because DR. Ives
is a star He is most wonderful di.
vine, for he can fill any house to its ut
most capacity, and can empty the pock
cts of his audience to their utmost Eickel
any day. Of this, however, Fitzrobinson
was in blissful ignorance.
The Fi'zrobinson family went early
that they might get good seats. They
succeeded in getting some very choice
ones in the front row but two, Dr.. Ives
is Just The kind of man to succeed in
the role he assumed-stout, good natur-
ed, comfortable looking He took for
bis text, 1T is more blessed. to give than
receive" Filzrobinson shuddered at
this as he vainly felt in his vest pocket
Tor fractional currency,for he knew the
lpurport Of the text.
! Dir. Ives knows how to do it. He does
not preach straight at the pocket, but he
does manage to make people feel as
though their future peace depended upon
their contributions. When he finished
his sermon there were a great msny in
1.-THE audience who seemed to be thinking
an be dal ned if I don't give all I've go'
and all can borrow"
The hnty hearted Fitzrobinson, re
gret to say,was not of these The doctor
saw that the opportunity was ripe. III
dropped a bomb into their midst withou
warning. "We want twenty-five thou
sand five hundred dollars said he. al
most in the same breath with the las
word of his seventeethly, sand we're go
ing to have it."
/, '.Shade of Jim Fisk!' thought Fitz
1 robinson turning pale. "a
q ''Put ME down for one thousand
, called out a fourteen hundred dolla
clerk at Fi,zrobinsUn's right and rear
> IFitzrobinsun came within an ace of over
o turning Johnny in the suddenness of hi
flank movement to bring this reckles
+ public servant within range. Fitzrobln
/ son gets sixteen hundred year himself
and he thought, as he heard the announce
e ment, "a hundred would bankrur
me.
"I'll give q thousand, too" cried
. second hand furniture dealer, who live
? around the corner from Fltzrobinson.
i "Have they all gone mad? = though
Fitzrobinson. 'The first thing / kno'
!. Mrs. f. II be calling out two, or may h
y five hundred tor Peleg Robinson H
4 smiled inwardly at the very ahsurdity
r the thought minute afterward.
"A thousand for me /" I'll take fiv
y hundred. 1.-TWO hundred and fifty,
o came in thick and fast Fltzrobiiiso
was bewildered He wondered where a
# these people kept their money. "belll
. da Brownsmith, five hundred dollars
: exclaimed d female voice just benin
a Fizrobnson Luckily for that devote
a parent he did not have to turn in h
q seat to recognize the speaker for the al
8 nuurcement had struck him dumb an
Q motionlees; he KNEW the voice; it W.
q Mrs. Fitzrolinson's mother's. In role
i the contributions like financial tids
~ wave.
g My DEAR" whispered Mrs Fi'zro'
!. linson, "aren't We going to give som
: thing toward the new church? II yu
can't give any more, give five hundred,
10 The look that Filzrobinson gave h
70 spouse then! so eloquent Of pity; astol
n ishment, fright, bewIldermept, reproac'
r. and all the passions anu emotions th'
, have a lodement in the human breast! J
He thought of his protested notes, h
9 importunate creditors He thought {
J. Teel & Henning, Of Gartrell and Burn
a. of Tatty s Wright, and the contempt
ton OF his name appearing in print
the contributor Of five hundred dola
almost drove him mad Whether Mr.
a Fitrobinson construed his silence rs 6
% assent to the insane proposition,
r whether she, with Christian tortitnde.r
NJ solved to assume the reins of Cover
lie ment herself,is matter Of no consequenc
J She dit heckon to one of the truste
and whisper something in his ear.
20 the next instant that functionary crit
- out in a loud voices
e. "reles Fitzrobinson FIVE hundred dc
e lars."
Vi don't think there IS any limit for &
4 violence Fitzrohinsoa would have dol
q. that trustee il he had been at liberty
d follow his own inclinati0ns He OPEN
his mouth to recall the fatal pledge, b
ere he could speak his eye encounter
70 Mrs. Fitzrobinson's gaze; he spake nt
d and it was recorded Oh, what wick
y thoughts came into the mind of Fitzro
a. ~ inson then! He wished the church h
: never been built. He wished the arc
ne tect who drew the plan of it had be
- long since cast away on a lone island
u The middle Of the ocean and there lett
co perish He wished that the fathers q
mothers Of the carpenters and maso
sit who wrought it. Of the men WHO ma
eel the nails and bricks and glass in its wa
we and ceiling had he2n drowned IN. cal
as when they were little children. He ev
uo,t ca Gar % tn .yisb that the prOu