Rensselaer Republican, Volume 12, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 January 1880 — OBED’S SUBSCRIPTION. [ARTICLE]

OBED’S SUBSCRIPTION.

“ • Let him that tbinketh he stan Jlth take heed lest he fall.’ That was the parson’s text this morning, and it recalled a circumstance in our early married life about which I sat thinking all through the service, and which, had 1 been moved by the spirit to arise and relate, would hate been a novel illustration for the text.” “ Relate it to me,” I urged. “It will do for a supplementary discourse.” My friend, at whose house I was led the -way out on the back piazza, and after placing me in a shaker fucker, seated herself in another, and began: * “ Obed and I Save been married ten years, you know. He, at the time of our marriage, had been at the bar but a year, and in a great city like B it is no easy matter for a young man to make his way among the best lawyers in the country. It nas been only within the last year or two that the receipts of his practice have allowed a deposit in the bank over and above our living expenses. But I had a little income, with which and my Yankee * capacity ’ I managed to make both ends of the year meet. Obed had plenty of money in prospect, but none in pocket; so, upon the whole, we were extremely poor, pinched for monev at even 1 turn, but nobody suspected it. 1 had a handsome outfit when I was married, and it lasted me for five years without the actual purchase of a new article. I was my own child's nurse, seamstress, cham-ber-maid and'honse maid, as we could only afford one domestic. It tires me now when I look back and live over those years of self-sacrifice, of a most tiresome economy, in order that we might keep out of debt. But we were young and hopeful, and we often had a little laugh at our own expense, as when dressed for church or a visit, Obed would say, * Nell, you’re dressed like a Princess, and I haven't a dollar in the world; one would think to see you that we rolled in wealth,’ while I would gayly remind him that 4 all that glitters is not gold.' I remember I had one costume of unusual beauty and richness which he never liked me to wear because it seemed to him like making a false impression, and so it lay folded in my trunk until half ruined, in order, as Obed said, to avoid the appearance of 4 evil.’ He is always quoting St- Paul, you know. 44 One secret of my cheerfulness during those trying years was that my faith in Obed was as deep as the sea and firm as the everlasting kills. Ino more believed it possible for him to do what he thought to be wrong than it was for him to fly. He is not a'brilliant fellow, as you know, but for solid qualities, as honesty, integrity, pureness of heart, earnestness, charitableness of judgment, accuracy of knowledge and a high and keen sense of justice. I have never known his equal. I never thought of hjs yielding to temptation, or abandoning any good cause because it was weak. In my estimation he was as a bulwark of strength. I suppose that I endowed him. in a way. with mv own decision and firmness, ’which have always made it as easy for me to sav uoas yes in regard to anything about’which my convictions were dear. “The greatest trial we had to contend with was our inability to be liberal and thoroughly hospitable. This suburban town where we now live is much wealthier now than then, but even then it was Aristocratic enough to tell what its futare would be. Every denomination must have its own church, and there were always fairs and festivals and sub scriptions for this and for that; and Obed was a church member, and very much looked up to because of his abilities, fine social position and high, character, and yon can imagine, how, with outmiserly income, it was utterly impossible for us to buy tickets for everything, subscribe toward the preachers salary, or contribute generously toward the church expenses in any way. The very best that we could do was to cast in our 4 widow s mite,’ and whenever help was needed that entailed no expense, to render that. * But when it came to money, mind yop, we could go no further. \\ e held it to be a crime to let our honest debts go unpaid for the sake of feeding the contributionbox.- \\ e knew men who did that way, but they were always in financial trouble, and I don't think they enjoyed their religion much, especially when they were sold out by the sheriff, their families reduced to penury, and various other families suffering loss because of their liberality in various ways. ’ Now, don’t misapprehend me! Nobody in the world loves to give better than I do; but I had rather be branded a monster oDpenuriousness than to be guilty of being liberal with money that properly belongs to somebody else. No doubt but that we were criticised, but we had the courage of our convictions. We knew better than anybody else what we could afford to do, although, as you know, there are persons in every neighborhood who think they know more aboqt your ability to give then you do yourself. “WeU in the second or third year of onr marrage the church-building mania seized upon the ambitious part of the congregation of the church of which Obed is a member. The old church was old-fashioned, it is true, ivy-grown, bat in most ways very comfortable, and to capacious as to hold a congregation shree our four times as large as that which worship in it But the town, it was argued, was growing rapidly in another direction, and in order for ‘our church’ to hold its own, and to gather

within its precincts the saints in costly array, there must be a new fold with all modern improvements for the accommodation of these fine-wooled sheep to pasture in; so subscriptions for the new church began. We had no sympathy with the movement, which was entirely for the aggrandizement of the denomination, and not at all for the salvation of sinners. . The churdh was in no sense needed, and Obed declared that if he were a millionaire he would not donate a sou toward its erection, for it would be but a useless and heavy burden upon The people—a sort.of ecclesiastical ‘white elephant’ “But the rggrandizers carried the day, and the bunding of the church began. with half of the required money pledged. Obed was elected one of the trustees, for the eclat of his name, I suppose. He attended one or two of the business meetings, when he lifted up his voice in opposition to the scheme, and that was all of his participation in the matter. “Finally, dedication day came. It was appointed for a Sunday in September, and everybody, far and near, who was at all likely to donate anything toward the lifting of the;debt on the enterprise, which amounted to six thousand dollars, was especially invited to attend the dedicatory services. The ‘bishop* was to officiate, and other noted men in the church were to be present. The Sunday morning came, and I awoke with a* headache which quite unfitted me for service. Obed announced his intention of going to hear the ‘bishop,’ and added, laughingly, 4 to see the run.’ ' “ 4 What fun? 1 I asked, in surprise. “ 4 The fun of seeing six thousand dollars squeezed out of the people. If they are all as dry an orange as I am they’ll raise about ten cents,’ and he thrust his hands into his trousers’ empty pockets. Then, kissing me, he walked away. I watched him as far as the gate, taking pride in his tall, manly figure and distinguished air, that asserted itself in spite of his somewhat seedy church suit. “Dinner hour came, but Obed had not returned. I remember I was sitting on the back porch of our cottage waiting tor him, when, like a flash, came the thought in my mind • What if Obed should be induced to subscriber The thought actually made me faint for a moment, but I ’ quickly dismissed it as being unworthy of him. He knew our struggle with poverty, and especially appreciated the sacrifices that I was constantly called upon- to make, and, as you know, I had been reared in affluence. No, Obed was not of that class of men who send money.to the 4 heathen’ while wife and children actually suffer for the necessaries of existence.

“xThat ignoble thought quite passed away, and half an hour later I heard Obed’s step on the walk, a little leas eager than usual, it seemed to me, and the moment he reached the porch I knew something was wrong, for I can always tell from Obed’s face the state of his feelings. 44 4 Well, back again, are you, Obed?’ I said, by way of greeting, as he threw his hat down with a boyish fling.- “ 4 Yes; and what do you think I’ve done, Nell?’ he asked, vehemently. “ 4 1 couldn’t say, Obed,’ I replied, quietly. “‘Subscribed a hundred dollars to that pesky church! I’m ashamed of myself! I despise myself! I never felt so mean in all my life! a hundred dollars!—and you here slaving your fingers’ ends off! .1 deserve to be shot for my ignominy!’ “ 4 A hundred dollars,’ I echoed, faintly, feeling the blood rushing to my heart. It may seem silly to you that for that paltry sum of money we should have been made so miserable; but to us, at that time, it was like a million. 44 4 Obed!’ I cried, after some moments of silence, 4 not for ten thousand one hundred dollars would I have lost my faith in your strength to do right.’ “ ‘Oh, Nell, ’tis just that which cuts me to the quick,’ he quickly retorted. ‘ Nobody could have made me believe that I would do such a thing. lam as surprised and pained as you can possibly be, for I had no idea that 1 had such a streak of weakness within me! St. Paul must have foreseen me, for sure, when he warned men to take heed lest they fall, while thinking that they stand.' “ Poor Obed| I bad never seen him so mortified and humiliated, and all on account of what he so fitly termed that 4 peskv church.’ “Then I asked him to tell me how it Happened ahd he described the 'method employed by the ‘bishop’ and bis officials to raise the six thousand * dollars. The officials each went among the congregation, soliciting subscriptions from occupants of each pew; then, as the amount subscribed failed to reach the desired sum, a neW appeal was made, and persons who had refused to subscribe at the first round were again besieged. There was much joking oy the various persons brought there to 4 talk’ money out of the people, and one of them, in speaking of certain pews, said the 4 swaths had not been mowed clean.’ So the 4 mowing’ was done over and over, and it was in the last 4 mowing,’ when the last thousand dollars was being raised, that Obed, after repeatedly saying he could not subscribe, was overcome by the combined persuasions of two parsons to allow his name to be put down for a hundred dollars—surprised, the moment he yielded, and regretting it as you have heard. “ 4 But we can’t pay it, so what was the use?’ I argued, in woman fashion. “ 4 Oh, I shall pay it, Nell,’ he cried, desperately, 4 if for no better reason than as a punishment for my weakness. But you shan’t suffer from it,’ he added, stonily.

“‘Don’t be too sure,’ I said, quietly. “He winced and replied: “‘True, Nell. I can never again feel sure of anything.’ t “As a comforting rejoinder I quoted ‘All things work together for to them who love theXord and keep His commandments.’ “We concluded the talk by Obed’s asking me to promise never to allude to the matter again until the subscription was paid, which I did, and then freeing himself of a final anathema against his own weakness and that 4 pesky church,’ we dropped the subject and went to the dinner table, which we had for the time being forgotten. “Well, within the following two years Obed paid that dreadful subscription. 1 remember well the night when he caine home, and, catching me np in his arms as if he had gone daft, explained his behavior by saying that the 4 unmentionable horror’ Was at last canceled, the hundred-dollar subscription was paid, and that if we only had a 4 fatted calf we would kill it in honor of the occasion. “Although neither Obed nor I during these two years had mentioned the matter, it was like a skeleton behind the door. My keen eyes detected his new economies; the retrenching screw had recived another turn, and it made my heart ache. Unknown to him I, too, made my new economies, in behalf of the same cause, until I felt mean and skimped to the furthest degree. I can’t tell you how much we endured because of that hundred dollars, which went toward paying for carpets and cushions and other luxuries that the worshipers in the old church had always done without. “Of course that ‘pesky church’ still stands, but from that day to this we have never entered it. The effort to

R aristocratic failnd and ita entire history has been a series of straggles to pay the preacher and ‘keep up style,’ “Two yean ago Obed, almost entirely at Us own expense, for he had come into possession of his patrimony then, refitted the old church, which, after all, has come to be fashionable as well as useful. When the suggestion was made to have the old church repaired Obed made a little speech, in which he said that rather than have a single man or woman subscribe a farthing beyond what ke or she was abundantly able to give, he much preferred to bear the enure expense himself; and that all subscriptions to the fond must be voluntary, He afterward said to me that rather than have any person subjected to the pain and humiliation that we had undergone because of that * dreadful subscription,’ he would worship in a barn to the end of his days., I often think if people who solicit subscriptions with a persistence that amounts to insolence would but consider the possible harm they commit that they would ply their business with more consideration, remembering that overcoming a good man’s sense of right and duty is leading him into the temptation from which he daily prays to be delivered. And now I’m through,” concluded my friend, with a bright laugh, “only that I wish to suggest to you that, if ever you have an 4 Obed’ bound for a cburch dedication, you had better go with him, unless yon happily more abound in filthy lucre than we did ten years ago; for Obed said afterward that if I only had been with him we should have been spared the history of that ‘dreadful subscription.’”— Mary Wager Fisher, in Good Company.