Laicus Or the Experiences of a Layman in a Country Parish

my library table. I rarely receive letters at Wheathedge; nearly all my correspondence c

THEDGE,

Calvary Presbyterian Church will be held on Thursday evening, at 8 P. M.,

rs, Resp

ATON, "Ch'n. B

rplexity, I handed the note to my wife. She read it with care. "Well," said she, "I am glad the people are waking up at last." "What does it mean?" said I. "It means money," said she. "Or rather it means the want of money. Mrs. Work told

en the Church and the Society. Mr. Wheaton is an officer, not of the church

" said Jennie; "but it makes me indignant

retty strong word

t finally make up the other $300 till he threatens to resign; if that is not defrauding, I don't know what is. If Mr. Wh

niwasset branch railroad, and a leading director of the Koniwasset coal mines, and a large operator in stocks, and lives in one of the finest houses in Wheathedge, and k

u'll go, John

"I don't want to get mixed up with our ch

better condition, John," said she, "unless s

late. The male members of the Calvary Presbyterian Congregation were already assembled in Mr. James Wheaton's library when I arrived. I was a little surprised to see how few male members we had. To look r

rd work to get along, financially. Its income is not at all equal to its expenditures. The consequence is we generally stand on the debtor side of the ledger. As probably you kno

on, and that gentleman, a bald-headed, weak-face man

resident, "have directed me to call this

resident, "if divided among us all. But, in some way, gentlemen, it must be raised. It won't do for us

ident thought not. He believed there was a small floating debt beside. "And to whom," said I, "Mr. Treasurer, is this

very serious burden to a church. Nominally it is due to him, but really it is distributed around among the members of the church. Part is due to the grocer, part to the tailor, part to the butcher, pa

parson did need the money, "how much is the p

nd dollars. Yes," continued he, thoughtfully, somewhat affectionately

nister did not have a fixed salary, when Deacon Goodsole br

made the parson a present of carpets for his parlors; the year before we gave him a donation party; almost every year, Deacon Goodsole sends him a barrel of flour from his store; in one way or another he gets a good many similar little presents. I alwa

ter, but more known for the virtue of economy than for any other. He lives in three rooms over h

profit he made in selling Koniwasset coal to the Newtown railroad a

nday, through that furious storm, was gone nearly all day, paid six dollars for his horse and buggy, and received five

the parson's mercantile ven

fancied, "let us get back to business. How shall we raise t

pay our debts, we must find out how much they are.

sident, but getting no response, found his

f last quart

asurer

ttle due on last year,

nty-five dollars,"

necessary not to be behind their neighbors, and so we have completely upholstered our church anew, at a cost of five hundred dollars." ("And made the parson pay the b

toward paying off this debt. But I will not pay a cent unl

and unexpected reinforcement. The Deacon told me afterwards, that Mr

he mortgage four thousand five hundred, raise the difference am

s than half an hour. The Treasurer looked at the President. The President looked at the Treasurer. The male members of the congregation loo

and the church, above all institutions, ought to remember the divine injunction of our blessed Master (the President is not very familiar with Scripture, and may be excused the blunder): 'Owe n

ld please Jennie. I wait with some curiosity to see what will become of a church whose expenditures are regularly a quarter more than its income. Meanwhile, I wonder whether the personal presents which friends make for affection's sake to their pastor ought to be inc