sunshine sketches of a little town-第14部分

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to　see　what　it　was　that　must　have　been　left　out。

Mathematics；　you　will　understand；　were　not　the　Dean's　forte。　They
never　were　the　forte　of　the　men　who　had　been　trained　at　the　little
Anglican　college　with　the　clipped　hedges　and　the　cricket　ground；
where　Rupert　Drone　had　taken　the　gold　medal　in　Greek　fifty…two　years
ago。　You　will　see　the　medal　at　any　time　lying　there　in　its　open　box
on　the　rectory　table；　in　case　of　immediate　need。　Any　of　the　Drone
girls；　Lilian；　or　Jocelyn；　or　Theodora；　would　show　it　to　you。　But；　as
I　say；　mathematics　were　not　the　rector's　forte；　and　he　blamed　for　it
（in　a　Christian　spirit；　you　will　understand）　the　memory　of　his
mathematical　professor；　and　often　he　spoke　with　great　bitterness。　I
have　often　heard　him　say　that　in　his　opinion　the　colleges　ought　to
dismiss；　of　course　in　a　Christian　spirit；　all　the　professors　who　are
not；　in　the　most　reverential　sense　of　the　term；　fit　for　their　jobs。

No　doubt　many　of　the　clergy　of　the　diocese　had　suffered　more　or　less
just　as　the　Dean　had　from　lack　of　mathematical　training。　But　the　Dean
always　felt　that　his　own　case　was　especially　to　be　lamented。　For　you
see；　if　a　man　is　trying　to　make　a　model　aeroplanefor　a　poor　family
in　the　lower　part　of　the　townand　he　is　brought　to　a　stop　by　the
need　of　reckoning　the　coefficient　of　torsion　of　cast…iron　rods；　it
shows　plainly　enough　that　the　colleges　are　not　truly　filling　their
divine　mission。

But　the　figures　that　I　speak　of　were　not　those　of　the　model
aeroplane。　These　were　far　more　serious。　Night　and　day　they　had　been
with　the　rector　now　for　the　best　part　of　ten　years；　and　they　grew；　if
anything；　more　intricate。

If；　for　example；　you　try　to　reckon　the　debt　of　a　churcha　large
church　with　a　great　sweep　of　polished　cedar　beams　inside；　for　the
special　glorification　of　the　All　Powerful；　and　with　imported　tiles　on
the　roof　for　the　greater　glory　of　Heaven　and　with　stained…glass
windows　for　the　exaltation　of　the　All　Seeingif；　I　say；　you　try　to
reckon　up　the　debt　on　such　a　church　and　figure　out　its　interest　and
its　present　worth；　less　a　fixed　annual　payment；　it　makes　a　pretty
complicated　sum。　Then　if　you　try　to　add　to　this　the　annual　cost　of
insurance；　and　deduct　from　it　three…quarters　of　a　stipend；　year　by
year；　and　then　suddenly　remember　that　three…quarters　is　too　much；
because　you　have　forgotten　the　boarding…school　fees　of　the　littlest
of　the　Drones　（including　French；　as　an　extrashe　must　have　it；　all
the　older　girls　did）；　you　have　got　a　sum　that　pretty　well　defies
ordinary　arithmetic。　The　provoking　part　of　it　was　that　the　Dean　knew
perfectly　well　that　with　the　help　of　logarithms　he　could　have　done
the　thing　in　a　moment。　But　at　the　Anglican　college　they　had　stopped
short　at　that　very　place　in　the　book。　They　had　simply　explained　that
Logos　was　a　word　and　Arithmos　a　number；　which　at　the　time；　seemed
amply　sufficient。

So　the　Dean　was　perpetually　taking　out　his　sheets　of　figures；　and
adding　them　upwards　and　downwards；　and　they　never　came　the　same。　Very
often　Mr。　Gingham；　who　was　a　warden；　would　come　and　sit　beside　the
rector　and　ponder　over　the　figures；　and　Mr。　Drone　would　explain　that
with　a　book　of　logarithms　you　could　work　it　out　in　a　moment。　You
would　simply　open　the　book　and　run　your　finger　up　the　columns　（he
illustrated　exactly　the　way　in　which　the　finger　was　moved）；　and　there
you　were。　Mr。　Gingham　said　that　it　was　a　caution；　and　that　logarithms
（I　quote　his　exact　phrase）　must　be　a　terror。

Very　often；　too；　Nivens；　the　lawyer；　who　was　a　sidesman；　and　Mullins；
the　manager　of　the　Exchange　Bank；　who　was　the　chairman　of　the　vestry；
would　come　and　take　a　look；　at　the　figures。　But　they　never　could　make
much　of　them；　because　the　stipend　part　was　not　a　matter　that　one
could　discuss。

Mullins　would　notice　the　item　for　a　hundred　dollars　due　on　fire
insurance　and　would　say；　as　a　business　man；　that　surely　that　couldn't
be　fire　insurance；　and　the　Dean　would　say　surely　not；　and　change　it：
and　Mullins　would　say　surely　there　couldn't　be　fifty　dollars　for
taxes；　because　there　weren't　any　taxes；　and　the　Dean　would　admit　that
of　course　it　couldn't　be　for　the　taxes。　In　fact；　the　truth　is　that
the　Dean's　figures　were　badly　mixed；　and　the　fault　lay　indubitably
with　the　mathematical　professor　of　two　generations　back。

It　was　always　Mullins's　intention　some　day　to　look　into　the　finances
of　the　church；　the　more　so　as　his　father　had　been　with　Dean　Drone　at
the　little　Anglican　college　with　the　cricket　ground。　But　he　was　a
busy　man。　As　he　explained　to　the　rector　himself；　the　banking　business
nowadays　is　getting　to　be　such　that　a　banker　can　hardly　call　even　his
Sunday　mornings　his　own。　Certainly　Henry　Mullins　could　not。　They
belonged　largely　to　Smith's　Hotel；　and　during　the　fishing　season　they
belonged　away　down　the　lake；　so　far　away　that　practically　no　one；
unless　it　was　George　Duff　of　the　Commercial　Bank；　could　see　them。

But　to　think　that　all　this　trouble　had　come　through　the　building　of
the　new　church。

That　was　the　bitterness　of　it。

For　the　twenty…five　years　that　Rural　Dean　Drone　had　preached　in　the
little　stone　church；　it　had　been　his　one　aim；　as　he　often　put　it　in
his　sermons；　to　rear　a　larger　Ark　in　Gideon。　His　one　hope　had　been　to
set　up　a　greater　Evidence；　or；　very　simply　stated；　to　kindle　a
Brighter　Beacon。

After　twenty…five　years　of　waiting；　he　had　been　able　at　last　to
kindle　it。　Everybody　in　Mariposa　remembers　the　building　of　the
church。　First　of　all　they　had　demolished　the　little　stone　church　to
make　way　for　the　newer　Evidence。　It　seemed　almost　a　sacrilege；　as
the　Dean　himself　said；　to　lay　hands　on　it。　Indeed　it　was　at　first
proposed　to　take　the　stone　of　it　and　build　it　into　a　Sunday　School；
as　a　lesser　testimony。　Then；　when　that　provided　impracticable；　it　was
suggested　that　the　stone　be　reverently　fashioned　into　a　wall　that
should　stand　as　a　token。　And　when　even　that　could　not　be　managed；　the
stone　of　the　little　church　was　laid　reverently　into　a　stone　pile；
afterwards　it　was　devoutly　sold　to　a　building　contractor；　and；　like
so　much　else　in　life；　was　forgotten。

But　the　building　of　the　church；　no　one；　I　think；　will　forget。　The
Dean　threw　himself　into　the　work。　With　his　coat　off　and　his　white
shirt…sleeves　conspicuous　among　the　gang　that　were　working　at　the
foundations；　he　set　his　hand　to　the　shovel；　himself　guided　the
road…scraper；　urging　on　the　horses；　cheering　and　encouraging　the　men；
till　they　begged　him　to　desist。　He　mingled　with　the　stone…masons；
advising；　helping；　and　giving　counsel；　till　they　pleaded　with　him　to
rest。　He　was　among　the　carpenters；　sawing；　hammering；　enquiring；
suggesting；　till　they　besought　him　to　lay　off。　And　he　was　night　and
day　with　the　architect's　assistants；　drawing；　planning；　revising；
till　the　architect　told　him　to　cut　it　out。

So　great　was　his　activity；　that　I　doubt　whether　the　new　church　would
ever　have　been　finished；　had　not　the　wardens　and　the　vestry　men
insisted　that　Mr。　Drone　must　take　a　holiday；　and　sent　him　on　the
Mackinaw　trip　up　the　lakes；the　only　foreign　travel　of　the　Dean's
life。

So　in　due　time　the　New　Church　was　built　and　it　towered　above　the
maple　trees　of　Mariposa　like　a　beacon　on　a　hill。　It　stood　so　high
that　from　the　open　steeple　of　it；　where　the　bells　were；　you　could　see
all　the　town　lying　at　its　feet；　and　the　farmsteads　to　the　south　of
it；　and　the　railway　like　a　double　pencil　line；　and　Lake　Wissanotti
spread　out　like　a　map。　You　could　see　and　appreciate　things　from　the
height　of　the　new　church；such　as　the　size　and　the　growing　wealth　of
Mariposa；that　you　never　could　have　seen　from　the　little　stone
church　at　all。

Presently　the　church　was　opened　and　the　Dean　preached　his　first
sermon　in　it；　and　he　called　it　a　Greater　Testimony；　and　he　said　that
it　was　an　earnest；　or　first　fruit　of　endeavour；　and　that　it　was　a
token　or　pledge；　and　he　named　it　also　a　covenant。　He　said；　too；　that
it　was　an　anchorage　and　a　harbour　and　a　lighthouse　as　well　as　being　a
city　set　upon　a　hill；　and　he　ended　by　declaring　it　an　Ark　of　Refuge
and　notified　them　that　the　Bible　Class　would　meet　in　the　basement　of
it　on　that　and　every　other　third　Wednesday。

In　the　opening　months　of　preaching　about　it　the　Dean　had　called　the
church　so　often　an　earnest　and　a　pledge　and　a　guerdon　and　a
tabernacle；　that　I　think　he　used　to　forget　that　it　wasn't　paid　for。
It　was　only　when　the　agent　of　the　building　society　and　a
representative　of　the　Hosanna　Pipe　and　Steam　Organ　Co。　（Limited）；
used　to　call　for　quarterly　payments　that　he　was　suddenly　reminded　of
the　fact。　Always　after　these　men　came　round　the　Dean　used　to　preach　a
special　sermon　on　sin；　in　the　course　of　which　he　would　mention　that
the　ancient　Hebrews　used　to　put　unjust　traders　to　death；a　thing　of
which　he　spoke　with　Christian　serenity。

I　don't　think　that　at　first　anybody　troubled　much　about　the　debt　on
the　church。　Dean　Drone's　figures　showed　that　it　was　only　a　matter　of
time　before　it　would　be　extinguished；　only　a　little　effort　was
needed；　a　little　girding　up　of　the　loins　of　the　congregation　and　they
could　shoulder　the　whole　debt　and　trample　it　under　their　feet。　Let
them　but　set　their　hands　to　the　plough　and　they　could　soon　guide　it
into　the　deep　water。　Then　they　might　furl　their　sails　and　sit　every
man　under　his　own　olive　tree。

Meantime；　while　the　congregation　was　waiting　to　gird　up　its　loins；
the　interest　on　the　debt　was　paid　somehow；　or；　when　it　wasn't　paid；
was　added　to　the　principal。

I　don't　know　whether　you　have　had　any　experience　with　Greater
Testimonies　and　with　Beacons　set　on　Hills。　If　you　have；　you　will
realize　how；　at　first　gradually；　and　then　rapidly；　their　position
from　year　to　year　grows　more　distressing。　What　with　the　building　loan
and　the　organ　instalment；　and　the　fire　insurance；a　cruel　charge；
and　the　heat　and　light；　the　rector　began　to　realize　as　he　added　up
the　figures　that　nothing　but　logarithms　could　solve　them。　Then　the
time　came　when　not　only　the　rector；　but　all　the　wardens　knew　and　the
sidesmen　knew　that　the　debt　was　more　than　the　church　could　carry；
then　the　choir　knew　and　the　congregation　knew　and　at　last　everybody
knew；　and　there　were　special　collections　at　Easter　and　special　days　of
giving；　and　s