The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-20
PASSING TIE PLATE
The Church Trustees Studies of Human Ma
ture, Plugged Coin and Buttons.

Protestant Episcopal ministers say before
the ~offertory:
Let your light so shine before men that they
may see your good works, and glorify your Faith
or which is N heaven"
Other ministers say other things, and the for
mulas vary all the way from Scriptural phrase
to the outspoken invitation of the old farmer
who runs the meeting house in Fanwood, n. j.,
and says, as he hands over his stovepipe to be
passed around:
'Now, friends. make that there old hat hum,
and bust the bottom out of her if you kin"
Taking up a collection brings out the different
characteristics of individuals, and that fact
seemed to impress a sexton who was asked about
collections in general.
Nothing you'll ever see" he said, Twill bring
out more human nature than passing around the
plate just once If the prominent church mem
bers who do that would speak, they could tell
you interesting things. But. of course, their
position is q confidential one, something
like that Of n confessor, or o lawyer. and 1t
wouldn't do for them to tell. But, as l was say
ing, it brings out the most curious human ma
ture that d man has got in him. Before l be-
came connected with this church / was a simple
member of a smaller downtown congregations;
and, although | don't take any p.i1e ia it now, l
may say that was a trustee, aud did take up
collections. When | tell you there were two
hundred persons in the congregation, and that
$50 was an unusually large sum to take up at
one time, you will understand how little enthu-
siasm there is about contributing unless on some
special occasion. The only way that ] can eX-
plain it is this: You see a regular church mem
Der looks upon the collection as q lifelong fact
that has got to be mev every Sunday, and, if he
is at all inclined to be economical, he is apt to
trim down there, because he feels that he does
his duty in paying for his pew. Then when out
slders come in they may give a little, but, as a
rule, they will finger the five cents or ten cents in
their pockets, and then drop it, rejecting that,
after all, it isn't worth while to help build up a
church with which they will have no further
connection"
tEnNa- ,@-+tsro -o-l - -. - - - - ,,o,
the platel"
well, a great deal. He needs to have a sharp
eye, OF course, not to miss anybody, because
there IS not one chance in a thousand of his be-
ing called back. What he needs more than any
thing else, though, is business tact There's
everything in knowing how to. pass a plate to
different people. Some are cranky. If you put
the plate at them too persistently they feel Of
Tended, and take pride in not contributing a cent
for six weeks. Then other people have their
little weaknesses. and want their light to have a
good chance to shine. | knew a man who, if q
plate came to him empty, would put on a quarter
or q half, and be satisfied with starting it that
way; but, if there were a lot Of quarters and
things on already, he'd just as like as not slap
down a dollar bill And he'd get at least a dol
lars worth of satisfaction in watching the hest
tation of the men next to HIM, who knew they
were as good as he, and yet didn't like to give so
much Why. I've had a plate come sailing by
me just loaded with bills, and you'd think the
congregation was extravagantly liberal, when
Sio LdCI was ludG Two u Three Meu SLaFlou III
that way, and the rest wouldn't take u bluff.
More diplomacy may be exercised by acollect-
or than any one would think. But he can't do
nearly as much to help the church as the mem
bers themselves can as they sit in their seats.
Lett gentleman put silver in the plate, and then
follow it with his eye. The chances are that no
one within sight will have the courage to put in
copper. More than once I've seen a man drop
A penny from the palm of his hand in the middle
Of the plate, thinking it would pass unperceived.
But some deacon, or some one interested in the
church, would light ,ignt onto the cent with a
well-dlrected glance. Then the man would look
down, discover with surprise that he had put in
a cent. say What a ridiculous mistake, and put
IN more. There are lots of old church members
who understand this, and no matter what church
you may go to, unless you sit up in the gallery,
you will be pretty sure to see some old gentle
man, or old lady, with an eye on you as the plate
goes by. More hesitating nickels have been
turned in the right direction by this means than
any one has any idea of. And it's only right,
Tor no one can supply a church with heat, light
and a good minister unless he has money to do
1t with. And every one who enjoys those com
forts ought to help pay for them.
There is a curious case in this church. 1t
IS that Of an old white-haired member, worth a
mulon, who always puts just ten cents in the
box. lain or shine, he's always in his seat at
the same hour, aud always has a dime IN change,
I've heard our minister make the most touching
sermons on the heather that YOU ever heard.
Tears would wet the old mlllionaire's cheeks,
but just as sure as that box came around Re
would wipe his eyes, reach with his right hand
IN his left w~aistcoat pocket, and draw out that
dime; just enough to take a missionary to
Harlem. He probably contracted that habit
when he was a poor man and grew to like it.
Other men are just the other way. and give
lberally-more, perhaps, than they can afford.
Men who get their money most easily are most
liberal: brokers and spectators who don't know
whether they own a cent or not will throw in a
twenty dollar bill, when a solid real estate
owner will give a quarter And I've seen a
regular gambler come into church in all kinds
OF fancy clothes, and contribute something
handsome just for luck.
About punched quarters and dimes we don't
have so much trouble nowadays, because they
are getting scarce since they have become hard
to pass. But, of course, if "a man has got a
nickel with a hole in it plugged up with tin
foil, he is tempted to contribute it in church.
II seems as natural to most men us to put it in
the box Of q bobtail car. Foreign missions and
bobtail car companies, in think, divide up the
punched coin of this country. OF course we
wouldn't appear to notice a punched coin, even
if there was nothing but the rim left. We might
offend some one who would do the right thing
when his punched money ran out.
Buttons we get, too, but rarely from grown
up people. They come nearly always from boys
who have been provided with money by their
parents, and tear from their trousers a button
with which to 60 through the motions of con
tributing.
Foreign coinl"
eyes, certainly. It would delight the heart
Of a coin dealer to go through some Of the col
~lections that used to be taken up down in my
old church. That was near the river, and lots
of sailors and foreigners would drop in and
give whatever they happened to have. Once, |
remember, a big tar came up the aisle, rolling
under tne combined influences of alcohol and
a life at sea. When the plate passed around he
took a bright silk handkerchief from his neck
and contributed That, after having gone through
all his pockets in search of money. wanted to
give it back. but one of the Sunday-school teach
ers thought 1t was a pretty idea. and embroider-
cd the handkerchief for the minister.
Another thing that often happens is to have
q man put in more than he meant. But few
have courage to ask for it back. though it does
happen. | dropped into ST. Johns Protestant
Episcopal Church on Varick street, one day, and
was rather surprised to see a man next to me
drop in a s. gold piece. He didn't look very