The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-02-01

leaves which are waving SO gracefully in
the air, while they, the roots have 70
work In the dirt for them. NASTY stuck
up things, but they'll have a fall" The
town saints entirely reversed the situa-
ton, and had they been the leaves afore-
SAID, would have whispered to each other
as they rustled in their beautiful green.
We cannot get on without them at all,
dears, but they are so low, so rough. so
unlike us" So when the debt began to
press, the town brethren thought of sew
eral valuable plantations, the owners of
which could, and if at all large hearted
would pay nearly the whole sum and
never feel it, On the other hand, the
farmers considered that what they made
was by, digging slow profits out of the
SOIL, and that those who staid in town,
DONG nothing but studying how to live
without labor at other peoples expense,
were the individuals evidently designated
oy providence to assume the whole re-
sponslblllty. Under the influence of these
radically diverse views the schism be-
came really enormous for a BODY so
small, and our loved cause began greatly
to resemble that microscopic animal which
consists of just enough skin to hold a
large mouth together
And SO 1t came to pass, that every time
the Session was dunned, there was a
church meeting called and the two sec
tons coming out in force, talked at each
other, and made motions at each other,
until it sometimes appeared that parlia-
meentaIry motions must develop into that
other kind of motions familiar to prize
lighters. Town proposed to 1.-THE every
thing grown or raised, and country want
ed to 1.-THE every thing sold. Town in
sisted on a land tax, and country on a
house tax. They reached the point at
last that anything suggested by one side
was voted down by the other. Town
proposed to send out an agent to solicit
help, and country was sure the agent
would help himself only. Town proposed
that the debt should be scaled or read
Justed, because soon after it was finished
the splre took it into its head, or rather
into its back, to do the polite thing and
bow to the village, while country wanted
to fund the whole amount, principal and
interest, which the worthy souls thought
oJ VI So1IluS Ilu Oh III dlUO-
gether. Things became SO warm that
timid people were afraid to venture near
the building while the consultations were
IN progress, lest they should receive per-
sonal injury in the imminent scuffle.
Everybody believed they would have to
fight it out.
But everybody was mistaken, as that
dlstributive oftenis The principle should
have been enunciated by all writer's on
moral science that if man tries in vain
to cheat you, your just wrath is softened
partly from your delight at his disap-
pointment, and partly from the pleasing
conviction of your own, GnoAoiol ohiIity'
Each side consoled itself with the thought
that the others had met their match, or
as they expressed it, eve were one too
many for them" And the very little
moral, of this very little tale, is: The
best way for church to get out of debt
is never to get in. 1t is not servant,
but master which tends to stop all lib
erality, all spirituality, and all effort.
AS a general rule the members wait for
one or two who are rich or liberal to as
sumo the whole burden, and in most cases
this injustice must be submitted to, or
the cause is ruined. w. S.