Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-02-28

insurance policies brought him fair
dividends, and his wife kept house
with economy and thrift. But the
church-the church seemed an unmit-
gated drag. Joe attended all the
church meetings - was compelled to
contribute to the current teXpenses-be
had himself appointed treasurer, so he
could get the use of the church money,
generally obtained, did not balance
the amount of his contributions.
Joe worried over the matter until he
became very peevish, yet he came no
nearer q business-like adjustment of
receipts and expenditures. One day
when his venerable partner presented
him a certificate of dividend from the
Patagonian Mutual, Joe remarked:
"Never got any dividends on that
other insurance you put me up to TAX
ing, partner-that against the fire.
risks in the next world, you know.
Twill be tough if there's any mistake
church does take sight of money!
"Joseph, y said the Squire, in sor-
rowful tone, "I've always been afeard
they didn't look enough into your evil
dences when they took you into that
church. How can a man escape on
the day of wrath if he's all the time
grumbling at the cost of his salvation?
Mistake? Ifyou don't know in your
heart the truth of what you profess,
there's mighty little hope for you,
church or no church"
'Know in my heartW cried Joe.
"rThat's pretty kind of security. Is
that what I've been paying church
dues for? Better have known it In my
heart in the first place, and have saved
my money. What's the use of believ-
ing all these knotty points, If they
don't make sure thing for MANI"
sIf your belief don't make you any
better or happier, Joseph," rejoined
the Squire, "you'd better look again
and see if you've got good hold of it;
those that's got clear title don't find
their investments as slow in making
returns, while those that find fault are
generally the ones that make a mis-
take.n
Poor Joe! He thought he had set
tied this whole matter; but now, if his
partner was right he was worse OFT
than if he hadn't begun. He believed
in justification by faith; now, wasn't
his faith strong-first-class he might
say? To be sure of being safe, hadn't
he believed everything that all the
ministers had insisted upon as essen
tial? And what was faith, if it wasn't
believing? He would ask his partner;
the old man had got him into this
scrape-now he must see him through.
esquire" said he, "isn't faith the
same thing as believing?n
"Well,n said the Squire, adjusting
his glasses, and taking from his desk
the little Testament upon which he
administered oaths, "that depends on
how. you believe. Here's verse on
the subject: Thou believest in God;
thou doest well; the devils also believe
and tremble.p at4
Ugh! Joe shivered. He wasn't an
aristocrat, bnt would any one fancy
such companionship as the Squire re-
ferred to?
"Here,n said the Squire, turning the
leaves, "is another passage bearing on
the subject: %, generation of vipers,
who hath warned you to flee from the
wrath to come? Bring forth, there
fore, fruits meet for repentance
V1pers! Joe uncomfortably Won
dered who else the Squire was going
to introduce into the brotherhood of
faith.
"Now see what it says in another
place. continued the Squire; Not
every one that saith unto me, Lord,
Lord, shall eater into the Kingdom of
Heaven, but he that doeth the will of
my Father which is in Heaven.n
EYES," said Joe, grateful for hearing
of Ia hAt
what is His will but believing in Him?
Don't the Bible say that they that be-
lieve shall be saved?n
"Joseph,p said the Squire, "when
you believed in my store, you put your
time and money in there; when you
believed in hoss tradin' you devoted
yourself to practicing it; when you
believed life insurance was a good
thing, you took out policies and paid
for them, though you haze complained
of the Patagonian dividends. Now, if
you do believe in God, what have you
done to prove it?''
"I've paid over hundred dollars a
year church dues,u said Joe, wrath
fully, "not counting subscriptions to a
bell and new organ.n
"That wasn't for God, Joseph said
the Squire; "'twas all for you. God
never ii thank you forrunning All asy-
lum for paupers fit to work. You'll find
in the twenty-fifth chapter of Mat
thew description of those that are
going into the kingdom of heaven
they're the people that give food and
clothing to the needy, and visit the
sick and prisoners; those that DOM t do
these things don't 60 in, to put it
mildly. He don't say word about
belief there, Joseph; for he knows
that giving away property don't hap
pen till a mans belief is pretty
strong.n
Joe felt troubled. Could it really be
that his eternal insurance was G DING
to cost more money? Joe thought en-
viously of Colonel Bung, President of
the Bungfield Railroad Company-the
Colonel didn't believe in anything; so
he saved all his money, and Joe wished
he had some Of the ColonePs courage.
Joe's meditations were interrupted
by the entrance of Sam Ottrey, poor
fellow who owed Joe some money.
Joe had lent Sam 500, discounted ten
per cent. for ninety days, and secured
by chattel mortgage on Sam's horse
and wagon. But Sam had been sick
during the most of the ninety days,
and when he went to Joe to beg few
days grace, that exemplary business
man insisted upon immediate pay
ment.
1t was easy to see by Sam's hopeless
eye and strained features that he had
not come to pay-he was staring ruin
in the face, and felt as uncomfortable
as ii the account were millions instead
of a horse and wagon, his only means
of support. AS for Joe, he had got
that one hundred dollars and horse