Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-01-06
CHAPTER XIV,

CHAPTER XIV.
Every Sunday morning Mr.. Samuel
Wright and Mr.. Thomas Dilworth-the
one pale and pompous, the other rosy and
smiling-took up the collection in st. MI
chael's. A mahogany pole with black
| velvet pouch on one end was thrust SOL
EMMY into each pew. then drawn back
with very personal pauses-which were
embarrassing if you had forgotten to put
some change into your glove before start
| ing for church. When these poles had
/ raked every pew they were carried up
the aisle to DR.. Lavendar who. taking
| hold of the purple tassel on the bottom
of each bag, turned the contents into a
silver plate. The change came out with
fine clatter; we children used to keep
awake on purpose to hear it. Once in a
while a bill would rustic out with the
silver and balance on the top of the little
heap in such an exciting way that DR..
Lavendar had to put his hand over it to
keep it from blowing off as he carried
the plate to the communion table-we did
not say altar in Old Chester. This
done, MIR. Wright and Mr.. Dilworth would
| tiptoe solemnly back to their respective
l'pews. When the service was over the
senior warden always counted the money.
On this summer Sunday morning, when
| he went into the vestry for that purpose,
he found DR.. Lavendar just hanging up
his black gown behind the door.
DIR. Lavendar," said the senior warden,
you will, I am sure, be pleased when I
Inform you that there is good collection.
Mrs. Richie put in five.dollar bill
We'll" said DR.. Lavendar, I'VE need
it.. Your father sent me check the
other day. but we need some more"
Mr.. Wright did not comment upon his
fathers generosity; instead, he slid the
money from the silver plate On to the
table and began to count it. DR.. Law
endar looked at him over his spectacles;
when only half a dozen coppers were left,
he said, suddenly:
Samuel
The senior warden looked up. Eyes,
sir?"
Samuel your father has spoken to me
of you"
slowly picked up the last penny
Yes, he spoke Of you. Samuel, have
something to say to you of very serious
nature"
I'VE have nine dollars and seventy
seven cents" said the senior warden.
Your father said DR.. Lavendar. has
expressed a willingness to see you
Mr.. Wright put the money into a small
| canvas bag, and, pulling the drawing
string up, wound 1t round and round the
top; his hands trefnbled.
He has some concern about your Sam
AS you have yourself. He is disturbed
because the boy has lost his heart to
your tenant, Mrs. Richie"
Call it twelve dollars Samuel said,
embarrassed to the point Of munifcence.
He put the canvas bag in his pocket and
| rose. "Pll deposit this tomorrow, sir. :"
he added, as he had added every Sunday
morning for the last twenty years.
Samuel" said DR.. Lavendar' sternly'
With involuntary haste the senior war;
den sat down., but he would not look at
DR.. Lavendar. 1T Is not my purpose or
desire" he said. Ito be disrespectful, but
| 1 must request you., sir
Sam, will! Ny business is to admonish
| you: Leave there thy gift before the
| altar, and go thy way. First, be recon-
| ciled to thy brother, and then come and
offer thy gift -.
| Samuel Wright cleared his throat 81
| cannot, DR.. Lavendar, discuss this mat
| ter with you. I must be my own judge
| Il have heard that a man might be his
own lawyer" said DR.. Lavender, smiling;
| but you can't be your own judge. The
and convicts you. Your father is willing
to see you; he has taken the. first step.
| Think what that means to a man like
your father! Now listen to me; l want
to tell you what it's all about"
Il have no desire sir to be informed.
| Dr. Lavender checked him gently. II
am sure you will listen, Samuel, no mat
ter what your decision may be-" Then,
very cautiously. he began about young
| Sam. your father thinks he ought to
get away from Old Chester; he's worried
| because of Mrs. Richie"
You know my sentiments, sir, in re-
gard to my sons idiocy."
"oh, come. come! Falling in love is a
/ Har shrt tall
deal to heart. He wants to get him out
/ of town. However, to send him away
| without letting him know why, is diff
| cult, and the last thing would be to let
| him think we take his love-making seri-
| ously! Therefore your father thinks some
kind of excuse has to be made
| Here DR.. Lavendar became deliberately
| casual; he had decided that he must pre-
pare his senior warden for possible ref
erence to a dangerous topic HE mustn't
told himself But he quailed now that
| the moment Of preparation had come.
Your father thinks the excuse might be
the finding publisher for some poetry
| that Sam has written 81
Samuel Wright's large palIid face sud-
denly twitched; his dull eyes blazed
straight at DR.. Lavendar. Finding a
publisher = for poetry! DR.. Lavendar
rather than have my son encouraged in
making what you call poetry I'd let
4
| Well said DR.. Lavendar easily
''never mind about his poetry; your father
i has an idea that life in a small place
| with only your own interests is narrow
ing, and guess he's right to some extent
Anyway this project of a journey isn't a
| bad one. Sam has never been further
from his mothers apron-string in his life
than Mercer
MY dear DR.. Lavendar,'' said Samuel
pompously, "a boy attached to that string
will never have the chance to fall into
! temptation
MY dear Samuel" said DIR. Lavendar
"a boy attached to that string may
never have the chance to overcome temp
tation-which would be almost as serious
I tell you. Sam. safety that depends or
| an apron-string is very unsafe!" -
| my son is not to be trusted. sir
Samuel DR.. Lavendar protested with
indignation, 'how can he become worthy
of trust without being trusted? Yor
have no more right to shut up grown
man in Old Chester for fear of tempta
ton. than you would have to keep {
growing boy in his first pair of trousers
| Why, Sam. there isn't any virtue where
there has never been any temptation
Virtue is just temptation overcome
| Hasn't that ever struck you! However