News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-01-22
PASSING THE PLATE.
The CHURCH TRUSTEES STUDIES
OF HUMAN NATURE.
How Some Men Give and Others Decline
to GiVe-HuIaau Nature as Sexton
Sees 1t.
from the New York Sun1

before the offertory:
''Let your light so shine before men
that they may see your good works, and
| glorify your Father which is in heaven"
Other ministers say other things, and
the formulas vary all the way from
Scriptural phrase to the outspoken invi-
tation of the old farmer who runs the
meeting house in Fanwood, n. J., and
says, SIS he hands over his stoVepipe to
be passed around:
''Now, friends, make that there old
hat hum, and bust the bottom cut of
| her If You kin"
Taking up collection brings out the
different characteristics of individuals,
and that fact seemed to impress a sexton
who was asked about collections in gen.
eral.
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
bcrs who do that would speak, they
could tell you interesting things. But,
OF course, their position is a confidential
one, something like that of confessor,
| or lawyer, and it wouldn't do for them
| to tell. But, as l was saying, it brings
out the most curious human nature that
man has got in him. Before [ became
| connected with this church / was a
simple member of a smaller downtown
congregation and, although 1 don't
! take any pride in it now, I may say that
was a trustee, and did take up collec-
tions. When L tell you there were two
hundred persons in the congregation.
and that $40 was an unusually large
sum to take up at one time, you will
understand how little enthusiasm there
IS about contributing unless on some
special occasion. The only way that l
can explain it is this: You see, a regular
church member looks upon the collec-
ton as lifelong fact that has got to be
met 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 outsiders come in, they
may give a little, but, as a rule, they
finger the five or ten cents in their peck
cts, and then drop it, rejecting that,
after all, it isn't worth while to help
build up church with which they will
have no further connection"
'Does anything depend upon the
man who carries the plate %
"Well, great deal He needs to
have sharp eye, of course, not to miss
anybody, because there is not one
chance in thousand of his being called
back. What he needs more than any
thing else, though, is business tact.
There's everything in knowing how to
pass plate to different people. Some
are cranky. If you put the plate at
them too persistently they feel offended,
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. L knew a man who, if a plate
came to him empty, would put on n
quarter or 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 q dol
lar bill. And he'd get at least a dollars
worth of satisfaction in Watching the
hesitation of the men next to him, who
knew they were as good as he, and vet
didn't like to give so much. Why, I've
had a plate come sailing by me lust
loaded with bills, and you'd think the
congregation was extravagantly liberal.
when the fact was that two or three
men started in that way, and the rest
wouldn't take bluff.
''More diplomacy may be exercised
by collector than anyone would think.
But he can't do nearly as much to help
the church as the members themselves
can as they sit in their seats. Let
gentleman put silver In the plate, and
then follow it with his eye. The
chances are that no one in sinbt will
More than once I've seen q man drop
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 right onto the cent with a we'll
directed glance. Then the man would
ook down, discover with surprise that
he had put III a cent, say What ridic-
ulous 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 mp
III the gallery, you will be pretty sure to
see some Old ge ntleman or lady with an
eye on you as the plate goes by. More
hcsitating nickels have been turned in
the right direction by this means than
anyone has an idea of. And it's only
right, for no one can supply a church
with heat, light, and good minister
unless he has money to do 1t with. Aud
everyone who enjoys those comforts
ought to help pay Tor them.
"There is a curious case in this
church. It is that of an old white haired
! member, worth million, who always
puts Just ten cents in the box. Rain or
shine, he's always in his scat at the same
hour, and always has dime in change.
I've heard our minister make the most
touching sermon on the heather that
you ever heard. Tears would wet the
old milionsire's cheeks, but just as sure
as that box came around he would wipe
his eyes, reach with his right hand in
his left waistcoat pocket, and draw out
that dime; just enough to take a mis-
sionary to Harlem. He probably con-
tracted that habit when he was a poor
man. and grew to like it.
"Other men are just the other way,
and give liberally-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 twenty dollar bill, when o
solid real estate owner will give 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 nova
days, because they are getting scarce
since they have become hard to pass.
But, of course, if man has got a nickel
with hole in it plugged up with tin
foil, he is tempted to contribute it in
church. 1t seems as natural to most
men as to put in the box of bobtail car.
| Foreign missions and bobtaii car COM
panies, 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 al,
| ways from boys who have been provided
with money by their parents. and tear
from their trousers a button with which
to go through the motions of contribu-
ting"
Foreign coin ?"
eyes, certainty. 1t would delight the
leart of coin dealer to 90 through
some of the collections 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,
oll;ng under the combined influences of
s'cohOl and q life at sea. When the