Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1880-04-17

wouldn't It be funny" laughed Miss
Sally. Now 1 crocheted those mats
while l was rocking Jenny's baby to
sleep, and wanted desperately to read
George Eliot. And took my lunch to
school for two weeks to save time at
noon to embrOider those lambrequins.
Yes. and begged the pieces besides"
Il made every stitch of that toilet set
after the children were i'm bed" said Mrs.
Dimple. MY eyes used to get so tired
that | saw crOss-stitches all night. but it
was lovely"
Just fancy your husband running over
an evening to saw wood for neighbor,
or Mr.. Jones working an hour every
night at shOemaking, or Squire BuncOme
take orders for the grocery before he
went to his Office; or Colonel Wise shovel
ing paths on his way to lunch, and all
for the sake of earning a little money
Tor the church, without treSpaSsing on
any other fund. They'd see the church
turned into junkShOp first. declare
have a great mind to propose to them
to try it"
Mrs. Greatheart's eyes flashed OminOus-
ly, and the meeting went into secret
cOnclave, from which all reporters were
excluded by dropping the curtains, clos
ing tn, chimney, filling the key-hOle
with cotton, and StatiOning savage dog
upon the steps.
The next number of the Trumpet an
nOunced the fact that the ladies, had re-
tired from the field, and called a meet
ing of the brethren to consider the emer-
gency. The brethren were present in
force and commenced operations by ap-
pointing five committees; one to consult
with the pastor, one to interview the ar
chitect, one to canvass the membership,
one to prepare statement for the Off
cial board, and one to correspond with
Rev. MIR. Stunning in reference to secur-
ing his aid for some sabbath. There was
some talk about taking the So out of
their pockets, but most of them were
painfully conscious that the SIS was not
there and for their lives, they could hit
upon no eXpedient save the very one
whose fallacy they had so clearly dem
OnStrated their wives; and Greatheart-
moved, it is feared, by malice afOre-
thOught-actually proposed it.
II do not see that it would be any hard
er for us than for them. You, brother
Mead, could make your own fires and
sweep your own Office, and save your jan
itOr's fees; brother Hill could do copy
ing at home in the evening; brother Dale
could attend to jobs of vanishing and
repairing in his odd minutes; brother
Frost could raise vegetables i'm his back
yard, and brother Ward could rise an
hour earlier and work at his old trade of
type-Setting.
The brethren looked at each other and
laughed feebly.
THAT is the way our wives have earn
ed money; by adding some productive
industry to the regular labOrs of the day,
and turning into account the odd hours
and minutes that usually pass for moth
ing In our lives. L see no reason why
we should not do the same, and, if my
proposition is accepted, will immedi-
ately open an evening school in ChOctaw
for the benefit of the fund"
Still there was silence. At last old
Matthew Steadfast rose from his corner
and said:
Brethren, didn't come here to talk,
but while kept silence the fire burned.
! 1t never seemed to me like sound ecOnO-
my to split Wood with razor when you
hap good aye ready to your hand; it's a
hard, slow way, and it spileS the razor.
And it don't look to me like good COM
|
they were so much gold dust, and throw
away the whole loaf. Now, if / had nv
way i'm this church, I'd agree to pay off
the debt i'm two years and have a good
round sum left to send to the heather,
and not soul of you would be worried
or OyerwOrkod, or even know that you
had made any sacrifice.
Brethren" continued the old man,
coming out of his corner, and raising his
voice in his earnestness, you've heard
me talk till you've got kind of tired of
me, and some of you think I'm a sort of
fanatic about my ideas; but / tell you,
brethren, when ideas have got the word
of the Lord and 'rithmetic to stand on,
they'll bear good many hard knocks.
/ won't be hard on We. brethren, won't
say word agin yer idols, or ask We if We
don't think We could glOrify the Lord
Jesus better if We should throw 'em to
the moles and bats altogether. I know
some of We would be maxim bad off
without 'em, and so FL be fOrbearing
with your infrmities. but want We to
consider fair proposition.
"Pve calc'lated that there are at least
20 men in this church who smoke, who
could get along just as comfortably with
one cigar less day; i'm fact, not know
the difference-and there's clear in.
come of over $1,000 year just from those
20 men. Then there are at least 20 more
who smoke cheaper cigars who might dc
the same thing at saving of over 500
more. No hard work, you see, brethren
nObOdy'S comforts taken away so far
Then I'm sure there are 80 families in
this church who could save 81 week
from their table expenses, and never
miss it. Why, it's only matter of q
loaf of cake and a couple of pies less
and palmer sauce for a pudding, OF
even no desert at all for a few days
There are plenty of families that could
cut off five times as much, and be all thu
better for it; but I'll only ask for the 81
a week, and there you are $500 more
from just those 80 families. Now it doe:
pear to me, brethren, it wouldn't be 81
! hard on the women folks as wearing Ou
their souls and bodies making fOl-de-rOls
and trying to sell 'em to folks that dOn'l
want 'em. Then there are 80 people wht
could save 30 every year from their OWL
and their children's garments, just b,
putting in little less cloth or a littl,
less trimming. or saving few cents
yard on the goods, and nobody on eartl
be the wiser, unless they happened t,
think that their children looked less lik,
French dolls and more as if they nigh
be related to the little one the Lord JeSu
took in his arms. Why, brethren, hop,
it isn't sacrilegiOus, but I've sometime
thought the Lord wouldn't have daret
to touch one of the little creatures the,
call children nowadays, with their jew
els and flOunces and furbelOws.
"But was talking about saving, breth