New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1878-04-17
Raj ,ilas a. Church Debt.

wa that was staggering along under
"a comfortable debt, and it looked to
him as though it would just be re-
creation for hinlto LIT little coun-
try church out Of the depths, after
his experience and SUCCESS with the
big churches in the greatcities, with
their overwhelming indebtedness.
So he tackled the quiet little rustic
Ebenezer, and shook i ont Of the
debt he knew of, i'll about ten hours,
and the building was clear Of in
cunbrance.
Then, before the benn,l ietion was
pronounced, the senior deaeol: arose
and stated that there had been only
one payment made on the organ,
and that the accrued interest on the
deferred payments now amounted to
about double the principal.
Well, they raised this amount and
Brother Kimball was on the point
OF picking up his hat when the sex
ton rose and remarked that the man
was around last week and said if the
furnace wasn't paid for, the potes
having run q year over tame, he
would take it out before neKtSunday
Mr.. Klmball laid down his hat,
took off his coat, and the furnace
debt was lifted.
He got one arm into his coat sleeve
and nodded to the pastor to dismiss
the congregation, when the Presi-
dent of the Woman's Aid Society
said she wished to remark that the
Society had been unable to fulfill
their pledge to pay for the pew
cushions, and the upholsterer had,
several times during the past year,
scrTad notice on them, and she be-
LEVIED stait s. nd be commenced next
week.
Brother K::pball aroanod, slid his
aT]n out of the coat sleeve, headed
the subscription iq bis usually go1ier-
GUS manner, and soon cleared the
cushions, throwing his coat over his
arm and starting for the door Gu the
rul as soon as this was accomplished.
Bat the chorister cllled out that
he would like their dear brother
I\imball to remain and assist them
i'll an effort to pay for the hymn
books, and also for having the organ
tuned. The ''doar brother groaned
stopped and assisted
Once more lie started Cor The door.
But Deacon Ophiltrce said lie be-
|ieved, while they were trying to
clear off the church debt, it would
be we'll for them to remember that
the sexton had not been paid any
thing since 1874, and that the inter
est was running upon his back pay
all The time. So MI. Kimball halt
cd once more, and Struggled along
until the sexton was made happy.
Then he got to tlae door, but some;
one had locked it, and while he was
hunting for the key good sister
arose and stated that the baptisinal
robes had never been paid fcr, and
the woman who made them wanted
her money. Inquiry on this subject
revealed the startling fact that the
robes had all been loaned to neigh
boring churches and lost long ago,
but they had to be paid for all the
same.
The moncy was raised, and Mr..
l\imball was trying to climb out of
a window when lie was pulled back
and informed that there was an old
lax title on the lot when they bought
it, that had never been cleared off.
Mr.. kimball got this little flaw
cleared up with ncatness and dis
patch, and was running briskly down
the aisle when he was collared by a
trustee, and informed that the man
who grained the pulpit and l1alsom-
med the ceiling, last winter, was
there and wanted his money.
lie was paid, and good brother
kimball Vas half way out of the
door before he learned that the
chandelier must be paid for that
week, Or they would sit in outer
darkness Sunday night. So he went
back and frightened up he chande-
lier.
He ran out so quickly then that
he didn' hear the man who repaired
the front fence present his bill, but
while he was walking down to the
depot with the senior deacon, that
official suddenly halted, while a
look OF grave concern ovelspread his
face.