Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1880-01-22
SIMON STRINGENT.

Mr.. Stringent was sixty years old--vcry
old, should have called him, when I was
child. He was "brought up" in thrifty,
economical way. His father was small,
snug farmer; but as his wants were but few,
he was called "wcll to do in the world"
which ! suppose means "wcll to do for this
world" His children received fair cdu-
cution, and were always among the best
scholars No better COWS and no better
sheep were owned in those parts than those
owned by Mr.. Stringent. His maxim was
"to keep what you have, and get all that
you can" This maxim lie incucatcd most
faithfully into the minds of his children.
In process Of time old Stringent died, and,
fortunately, auoh men carry nothing with
them. Tho children grew up and wero
scattered abroad, and have nothing to say
about them, except that they were all keen
to gain this world. am to speak of the
cold place." that is the farm, agreeing to
pay off his brothers and sisters their shares
as fast as he could earn it.
Aud now Simon in his youth was mar
ried, and settled at 'Craigs Valley" as the
farm was called He had to support him
self and his family, and yearly to pay
good round sum towards his debt Early
and lato he toiled. Carefully and aniousy
hc saved everything possible. His cx-
pcnses were the lowest possible; everything
went to "tho debt" And if there was
anything Simon dreaded moro than another,
it was call for charity, or, as lie termed it,
"thc everlasting contribution box" The
announcement that collection would
be made next Sabbath would inva.-
riably make him unwcl and unable to
attend chapel Indeed, so delicate was his
constitution, that once in while, when he
has been caught, he was sure to have the
nose-beed, and be compelled to 20 out
before the box reached him. But years
passed on, aud his habits grew feeble, until
at .ho end of fifteen years, he had paid eff
every debt, and owned a large farm free
from nearly every incumbrunce.
But now new chapter of his life was to
bo experienced. There was an outpouring
of tho Holy Spirit upon the people. Very
many rcjoiccd in tho hope Of life eternal.
Several of the children of Simon were
among tho ncw-born children Of light.
Simon was tho last to become interested.
lie was tho last to feel his sin; and he
struggled and resisted a long, long time,
before he yielded to tho demands aud con-
ditions Of Christ. Then he was very slow
to take up the crosses, as they lay in his
path. He was afraid TO commit himself.
lie was slow to erect the altar of prayer in
his house. lIo was slow to confess Christ
before tho world But he battles all these
difficulties and ovcrcamc thcul, because ho
really had Christian principles in lis soul.
But now he met dilliculty which seemed
ipcp pfobl blo
ing He found that now lis brethren aud
his Bible took it for granted that he would
be liberal How could he, who he'd never
given away shilling year, be expected to
give tens and even hundrcds2 How hard
to understand tho Christian fact--that
"nonc Of US liycth to himself" that a>man's
first duty is to provide for his family; and
conscience told him that nc had been doing
nothing else all his lie. lie tried to satisfy
himself that "Charity begins at homc;"
and conscience told him that he wanted it
stop there also. When he read his Bible,
he seemed as if he was always stumbling
upon such texts as "lfrcely yc havo re-
ccved, freely givo." One day hc sat long
timo motion|css, trying to convince himself
that he had not received much "Nhy,
what little have, earned myself By hard
labor. Pray, what havo / rcceivcd?'' and
then conscience would begin her whispers:
"Why, Simon Stringent, you received a
good constitution-you wcro never sick a
day in your life"
"That is true"
"And you received shrcwd mind; you
know how to manage and make money.
And you received q great deal of sunshine,
and great many rains on your farm, and
great Increase of your cattlc and nocks;
and you have received large, healthy
family, no deaths in it, and you have re-
ccived many years Of life already, and hope
for more; and you have received tho Sab
and ito bath blessings; and you have, as you
hope, received everything, it has been moth
ing but receiving and now you must give!"
Oh Simon! how hard you breathe! How
the perspiration stand on your brow! Had
he been dreaming or had the Spirit of God
been teaching him?
The next day, Simon or, as no was now
called, NJ. Stringent, heard "a loud and
tender appeal from the missionary field.
And now collection was to be madc--not
in tho chapel whcro every man could
dodge or conceal his parsmony, but by an
open subscription, black and white. The
collector was 10 come around at once,