have the face to come an' talk to me about 'em, as if that had anything to do with wages.It's my belief their priests put 'em up to it.People don't begin to reelize--that church of idolatry 'll be the ruin o' this country, if it ain't checked in time.Jest you go at 'em hammer 'n' tongs! I've got Eyetalians in the quarries now.
They're sensible fellows: they know when they're well off--a dollar a day, an' they're satisfied, an' everything goes smooth.""But they're Catholics, the same as the Irish," suddenly interjected the lawyer, from his place by the window.
Theron pricked up his ears at the sound of his voice.
There was an anti-Pierce note in it, so to speak, which it did him good to hear.The consciousness of sympathy began on the instant to inspire him with courage.
"I know some people SAY they are," Brother Pierce guardedly retorted "but I've summered an' wintered both kinds, an' I hold to it they're different.I grant ye, the Eyetalians ARE some given to jabbin' knives into each other, but they never git up strikes, an' they don't grumble about wages.Why, look at the way they live--jest some weeds an' yarbs dug up on the roadside, an'
stewed in a kettle with a piece o' fat the size o'
your finger, an' a loaf o' bread, an' they're happy as a king.
There's some sense in THAT; but the Irish, they've got to have meat an' potatoes an' butter jest as if--as if--""As if they'd b'en used to 'em at home," put in Mr.Winch, to help his colleague out.
The lawyer ostentatiously drew up his chair to the desk, and began turning over the leaves of his biggest book.
"It's getting on toward noon, gentlemen," he said, in an impatient voice.
The business meeting which followed was for a considerable time confined to hearing extracts from the books and papers read in a swift and formal fashion by Mr.Gorringe.
If this was intended to inform the new pastor of the exact financial situation in Octavius, it lamentably failed of its purpose.Theron had little knowledge of figures;and though he tried hard to listen, and to assume an air of comprehension, he did not understand much of what he heard.
In a general way he gathered that the church property was put down at $12,000, on which there was a debt of $4,800.
The annual expenses were $2,250, of which the principal items were $800 for his salary, $170 for the rent of the parsonage, and $319 for interest on the debt.
It seemed that last year the receipts had fallen just under $2,000, and they now confronted the necessity of making good this deficit during the coming year, as well as increasing the regular revenues.Without much discussion, it was agreed that they should endeavor to secure the services of a celebrated "debt-raiser," early in the autumn, and utilize him in the closing days of a revival.
Theron knew this "debt-raiser," and had seen him at work--a burly, bustling, vulgar man who took possession of the pulpit as if it were an auctioneer's block, and pursued the task of exciting liberality in the bosoms of the congregation by alternating prayer, anecdote, song, and cheap buffoonery in a manner truly sickening.
Would it not be preferable, he feebly suggested, to raise the money by a festival, or fair, or some other form of entertainment which the ladies could manage?
Brother Pierce shook his head with contemptuous emphasis.
"Our women-folks ain't that kind," he said."They did try to hold a sociable once, but nobody came, and we didn't raise more 'n three or four dollars.It ain't their line.
They lack the worldly arts.As the Discipline commands, they avoid the evil of putting on gold and costly apparel, and taking such diversions as cannot be used in the name of the Lord Jesus.""Well--of course--if you prefer the 'debt-raiser'--"Theron began, and took the itemized account from Gorringe's knee as an excuse for not finishing the hateful sentence.
He looked down the foolscap sheet, line by line, with no special sense of what it signified, until his eye caught upon this little section of the report, bracketed by itself in the Secretary's neat hand:
INTEREST CHARGE.
First mortgage (1873)..$1,000...(E.Winch)@7..$ 70Second mortgage (1776)..1,700...(L.Gorringe) @6..102Third mortgage (1878)...2,100...(L.Pierce) @7..147------- -----
$4,800$319
It was no news to him that the three mortgages on the church property were held by the three trustees.
But as he looked once more, another feature of the thing struck him as curious.
"I notice that the rates of interest vary," he remarked without thinking, and then wished the words unsaid, for the two trustees in view moved uneasily on their seats.
"Oh, that's nothing," exclaimed Erastus Winch, with a boisterous display of jollity."It's only Brother Gorringe's pleasant little way of making a contribution to our funds.You will notice that, at the date of all these mortgages, the State rate of interest was seven per cent.Since then it's b'en lowered to six.
Well, when that happened, you see, Brother Gorringe, not being a professin' member, and so not bound by our rules, he could just as well as not let his interest down a cent.
But Brother Pierce an' me, we talked it over, an' we made up our minds we were tied hand an' foot by our contract.
You know how strong the Discipline lays it down that we must be bound to the letter of our agreements.
That bein' so, we seen it in the light of duty not to change what we'd set our hands to.That's how it is, Brother Ware.""I understand," said Theron, with an effort at polite calmness of tone."And--is there anything else?""There's this," broke in Brother Pierce: "we're commanded to be law-abiding people, an' seven per cent WAS the law an'
would be now if them ragamuffins in the Legislation--""Surely we needn't go further into that," interrupted the minister, conscious of a growing stiffness in his moral spine."Have we any other business before us?"Brother Pierce's little eyes snapped, and the wrinkles in his forehead deepened angrily."Business?" he demanded.
"Yes, plenty of it.We've got to reduce expenses.
