New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-02-21
An UNFORTUNATE PLAN.

We learn Of most serious state OF afairs al
Tomah, Wisconsin, from the telegraph columns OF
orr nblc contemporary "The Milwaukee Sentinel
Tho unfortunate occurrence NJ Ionah should. how
ever. lie valuable TO all, and especially to clergy
men as IL ilustraies the great need of thorough
understanding Of feminine human nature, as we
may 20 call it, by every man who proposes TO
take charge of any church work.
There is at Tomsh q Congregational Church
which has been presided over for the past few
months by tho Reverend Arthur IIollace. I'M
fortunately, though IL is an old church, it has
never been self-sustening, bnt has always been
assisted by the Home Missionary Society. That
the Tolnah church should be thus dependent, az
IL were, upon charity, grieved the Reverend Mr.
FOLIAGE from the first, and after having awakened
much new interest and added the names of twcn-
ty-throe new members 20 It's rolls, he began to agi-
tate the question OF making the church self-Sup-
porting He told them that in accepting aid from
The Missionary Society they put themselves OH
the level with the heather in distant lands in his
urclotled condition and unculturcd propensity
for using Only is and ks and other uncommon
letters in his names of places. He asked them
If they wanted the Eastern officers Of the Mission
AIRY Society to think that the 1omah people lived
in palm-eaf huts and ate cOcOanuts and carried
knorty wir-clubs; and how they liked it to have
these officers praying every Sunday that tho
Reverend Mr. iolIacc may not be eaten by the
fierce Tomah sayagcs This awakened the mem
bers Of the church, and they told him that they
were willing TO do something TO remove the i'm
putstlon that they were troclodytes of civiliza-
ton or anything Of that kind
The next Sunday morning after the regular
service the Rev Mr. Ilollacc said that he would
explain his plan for securing the necessary money
10 make the church sel(6uppOrtng His idea was,
he went on 10 say, to depend largely upon the
ladies to raise this money. He said that he pro-
posed 10 organize two societies Of the lady mem
hcrs OF the church TO suit their different ages,
each society to work upon the lines which it
seemed most likely would bring in the money. lie
then drew two papers from his pocket and cx-
planned tina, he would like to get the names of
those who would join one society on one paper.
and those who would 90 into the other the
other paper lie thought it would be well to call
one group the Young Lady Helpers and the other
the Woman's Aid Society; those under twenty
five years of ace 10 compose the former, and those
above that age the latter. lie then sat
down while the ladies crowded forward
{, sign the paper At the end of ten minutes
lie stepped forward for the papers, thanking the
ladies' as he did for their generous response.
But what was the astonishmcnt Of the good
nan on taking the sheets 10 lind every name on
the paper Of the Young i.ajy Helpers, while the
other was uuitc blank! lie looked around in
speechlcss surprise. Two old ladies in the back
part of hc'church who pride themselves on being
ructy-ci hit and one hundred and two, respectively.
arose and explained that they had signed neither
paucr. not wishing TO be thrown IN with such
Young people. but that if he would organize a
tnird society 10 be called tie Oldest Female In
habtants' Band Of Workers, all members to he
at least ninety five, that they would gladly join.
They then LETT the church. Mr.. llollacc finally
found his voice. and proceeded TO rebulc the
ladies', saying that many of them must he
much over twenty-five. Several Of the younger
ladies seemed to agree with him and looked
severely at the older ones. At this Mrs Buchanan
cot mp and said sharply that She Thought he
would do we'll 10 mind his own business. She then
gathered mp her family, wlioh consisted of Il
husband and six children. and marched out of
the church.
Others followed, and the minister was soon