The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1880-01-15

the ssAe sof feeding the soontributio
box. We knew Aens who did thak way
but they were always in financis
trouble, and l don't think they enjoye
their religion much, especially whe
| they were sold out by the Sheriff, thei
families reduced to penury, andvariou
other families su6ering Ices because O
their liberality u yarions ways. Now
don't misapPreAehd not Nobody il
the world loves to give better than
do; but had rather be branded ,
monster of penuriousness than to b,
guilty of being liberal with money tha
properly belongs to somebody else. NJ
doubt but that we were criticised, bu
we had the courage Of our convictions
We knew better than anybody elst
what we could afford to do, although
a. you know there are persons IN every
neighborhood who think they know
more about your ability to give thar
you do yourself.
"Well in the second or third year ol
our marriage the church building manis
seized upon the ambitious part of the
congregation of the church of which
Obed is a member. The old church was
old-fashioned, It il true, ivy-grown, but
in most ways very comfortable, and
so capacious as to hold congregation
three or four times as large as that
which worship in it. But the town, il
was argued, was growing rapidly in an.
other direction, and in order for 'our
church to hold its own, and to gather
Within its precincts the saints in cost.
" array, t6ere must be nav fold with
all modern improvements for. the ac-
commodation-of these fine-wooIed sheep
to pasture in; so subscriptions for the
new church began. We had no sympa-
thy with the movement, which was en-
tirely for the aggrandizement of the de-
nomination, and not at all for the sal
vation of sinners. The church was in
no sense needed, and Obed declared
that if he were . millionaire he would
not donate q sou toward its erection,
for it would be but q. useless and heavy
burden upon thepeople sort of eccle-
siastical white elephant
"But the aggrandizers carried the
day, and the building of the church be-
gan, with half of the required money
pledged. Obed was elected one of the
trustees, for the ecldt of his name, /
suppose. He attended one or two of
the business meetings, when he lifted
up his voice in opposition to the scheme,
and that was all Of his participation in
the matter. -.
Finally, dedication day came. 1t
was appointed for a Sunday in Septem.
Der, and everybody, far and near, who
was at all, likely to donate anything to-
ward the lifting of the debt on the en-
terprise, which amounted, TO six thou
sand dollars, was especially invited to
attend the dedicatory services. The
bishop was to officiate, and other
noted men in the church were to be
present. The Sunday morning came.
and I awoke with q headache which
quite untitled me for service. Obed an
his intention of going to hear
the bishop and added, laughingly,
6 to see the fun F6NE s-.tl-,-t
"'What funr asked, in surprise.
"' The fun of seeing $6, 900 squeezed
out of the people. II they are all as dry
an orange as am they'll raise about ten
cents and he thrust his hands into his
trousers empty pockets. Then, kissing
me, he walked away. watched him
IS far as the gate, taking pride in his
tall, manly figure and distinguished
Air, that asserted itself in spite of his
somewhat seedy church suit.
"Dinner hour came, but Obed had
not returned remember was sit
ing on the back porch of our cottage
waiting for him, when, like . flash,
came the thought in my mind What If
Obed should be induced to subscribe .
The thought actually made me faint for
being unworthy Of him. He knew our
struggle with poverty, and especially
the sacrifices that / was
called upon to make, and,
IS you know, had been reared in af-
slass, of men, who send money to the
lally suffer for the necessaries of exist
,nce. Bare acfts.
: THAT ignoble thought quite passed
way, and half an hour later i heard
)bed's step on the walk, little less
lager than usual, it seemed TO me, and
he moment he reached the porch /
new something was wrong, for can
Always tell from Obed's face the state
# his feelings. .o'0'fH 40
".Well, back again, are you ObedP'
said. by way of greeting, ss he threw
lis hat down with a boyish fling.
s"c Yes; and what do you think I've
Ipne, NellP he asked, vehemently.
r 1 couldn't say, IObed,'I replied,
iuietly.. /
SIS Subscribed a hundred dollars to |
hat pesky; church! Pm ashamed of
myself! I despise myself! + never
cit 80 mean in all my life! a hundred
you here shaving your
ingers' ends off! l deserve to be shot |
or my ignominyr' 5ft2 % i''ih
"'A hundred dollars 1 echoed,
aintly, feeling the blood rushing to
ny heart. 1t may seem silly to you |
hat for that paltry sum of money we |
hould have been made so miserable; |
ut 70 snssTss that time, it was like .
nillion.
-. Obedr, i cried. after some mo-
nents of silence, not for ten thousand |
ne hundred dollars would have lost 4
ay faith in your strength to do right
so, Nell, it's just that which cuts
ne to the quick he quickly retorted.
Nobody could have made me believe
hat would do such q thing. 1 am
s surprised aod panied, as you can
ossibfy be, for had no idea that had
1ch a streak of weakness within mel |
t. Paul must have foreseen me, for
ure, when he warned men to take heed
,st they fan, while thinking that they
tands' -. A.-..-I -, =. .-lT
=" Poor Obed! had never seen him
0 mortified and hun,iliated, and all onl
ccount Of what he SO ftiy termed that
pesky church,
Then asked him to tell me how il
appened and be described the method
vry,1ovoA hx thn = ,suh nt,s Ao,nd h;. oAe Il
ials to raise the six thousand dollars.
he officials each went among the
soliciting subscriptions
,0W Goocupants, y of each pew
hen, as the amount subscribed
siled to reach the desired sum,
new appeal WAS made, and persons
'ho had refused to subscribe at the
rst round were again besieged. There
as much joking by the various per-
,ns brought there to talk money out
the people. and one of than in !