sunshine sketches of a little town-第15部分

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knew；　and　there　were　special　collections　at　Easter　and　special　days　of
giving；　and　special　weeks　of　tribulation；　and　special　arrangements
with　the　Hosanna　Pipe　and　Steam　Organ　Co。　And　it　was　noticed　that
when　the　Rural　Dean　announced　a　service　of　Lenten　Sorrow；aimed　more
especially　at　the　business　men；the　congregation　had　diminished　by
forty　per　cent。

I　suppose　things　are　just　the　same　elsewhere；I　mean　the　peculiar
kind　of　discontent　that　crept　into　the　Church　of　England　congregation
in　Mariposa　after　the　setting　up　of　the　Beacon。　There　were　those　who
claimed　that　they　had　seen　the　error　from　the　first；　though　they　had
kept　quiet；　as　such　people　always　do；　from　breadth　of　mind。　There
were　those　who　had　felt　years　before　how　it　would　end；　but　their　lips
were　sealed　from　humility　of　spirit。　What　was　worse　was　that　there
were　others　who　grew　dissatisfied　with　the　whole　conduct　of　the
church。

Yodel；　the　auctioneer；　for　example；　narrated　how　he　had　been　to　the
city　and　had　gone　into　a　service　of　the　Roman　Catholic　church：　I
believe；　to　state　it　more　fairly；　he　had　〃dropped　in；〃the　only
recognized　means　of　access　to　such　a　service。　He　claimed　that　the
music　that　he　had　heard　there　was　music；　and　that　（outside　of　his
profession）　the　chanting　and　intoning　could　not　be　touched。

Ed　Moore；　the　photographer；　also　related　that　he　had　listened　to　a
sermon　in　the　city；　and　that　if　anyone　would　guarantee　him　a　sermon
like　that　he　would　defy　you　to　keep　him　away　from　church。　Meanwhile；
failing　the　guarantee；　he　stayed　away。

The　very　doctrines　were　impeached。　Some　of　the　congregation　began　to
cast　doubts　on　eternal　punishment；doubts　so　grave　as　to　keep　them
absent　from　the　Lenten　Services　of　Sorrow。　Indeed；　Lawyer　Macartney
took　up　the　whole　question　of　the　Athanasian　Creed　one　afternoon　with
Joe　Milligan；　the　dentist；　and　hardly　left　a　clause　of　it　intact。

All　this　time；　you　will　understand；　Dean　Drone　kept　on　with　his
special　services；　and　leaflets；　calls；　and　appeals　went　out　from　the
Ark　of　Gideon　like　rockets　from　a　sinking　ship。　More　and　more　with
every　month　the　debt　of　the　church　lay　heavy　on　his　mind。　At　times　he
forgot　it。　At　other　times　he　woke　up　in　the　night　and　thought　about
it。　Sometimes　as　he　went　down　the　street　from　the　lighted　precincts
of　the　Greater　Testimony　and　passed　the　Salvation　Army；　praying
around　a　naphtha　lamp　under　the　open　sky；　it　smote　him　to　the　heart
with　a　stab。

But　the　congregation　were　wrong；　I　think；　in　imputing　fault　to　the
sermons　of　Dean　Drone。　There　I　do　think　they　were　wrong。　I　can　speak
from　personal　knowledge　when　I　say　that　the　rector's　sermons　were　not
only　stimulating　in　matters　of　faith；　but　contained　valuable　material
in　regard　to　the　Greek　language；　to　modern　machinery　and　to　a　variety
of　things　that　should　have　proved　of　the　highest　advantage　to　the
congregation。

There　was；　I　say；　the　Greek　language。　The　Dean　always　showed　the
greatest　delicacy　of　feeling　in　regard　to　any　translation　in　or　out
of　it　that　he　made　from　the　pulpit。　He　was　never　willing　to　accept
even　the　faintest　shade　of　rendering　different　from　that　commonly
given　without　being　assured　of　the　full　concurrence　of　the
congregation。　Either　the　translation　must　be　unanimous　and　without
contradiction；　or　he　could　not　pass　it。　He　would　pause　in　his　sermon
and　would　say：　〃The　original　Greek　is　'Hoson；'　but　perhaps　you　will
allow　me　to　translate　it　as　equivalent　to　'Hoyon。'〃　And　they　did。　So
that　if　there　was　any　fault　to　be　found　it　was　purely　on　the　side　of
the　congregation　for　not　entering　a　protest　at　the　time。

It　was　the　same　way　in　regard　to　machinery。　After　all；　what　better
illustrates　the　supreme　purpose　of　the　All　Wise　than　such　a　thing　as
the　dynamo　or　the　reciprocating　marine　engine　or　the　pictures　in　the
Scientific　American？

Then；　too；　if　a　man　has　had　the　opportunity　to　travel　and　has　seen
the　great　lakes　spread　out　by　the　hand　of　Providence　from　where　one
leaves　the　new　dock　at　the　Sound　to　where　one　arrives　safe　and
thankful　with　one's　dear　fellow…passengers　in　the　spirit　at　the
concrete　landing　stage　at　Mackinawis　not　this　fit　and　proper
material　for　the　construction　of　an　analogy　or　illustration？　Indeed；
even　apart　from　an　analogy；　is　it　not　mighty　interesting　to　narrate；
anyway？　In　any　case；　why　should　the。　church…wardens　have　sent　the
rector　on　the　Mackinaw　trip；　if　they　had　not　expected　him　to　make
some　little　return　for　it？

I　lay　some　stress　on　this　point　because　the　criticisms　directed
against　the　Mackinaw　sermons　always　seemed　so　unfair。　If　the　rector
had　described　his　experiences　in　the　crude　language　of　the　ordinary
newspaper；　there　might；　I　admit；　have　been　something　unfitting　about
it。　But　he　was　always　careful　to　express　himself　in　a　way　that
showed；or；　listen；　let　me　explain　with　an　example。

〃It　happened　to　be　my　lot　some　years　ago；〃　he　would　say；　〃to　find
myself　a　voyager；　just　as　one　is　a　voyager　on　the　sea　of　life；　on　the
broad　expanse　of　water　which　has　been　spread　out　to　the　north…west　of
us　by　the　hand　of　Providence；　at　a　height　of　five　hundred　and
eighty…one　feet　above　the　level　of　the　sea；I　refer；　I　may　say；　to
Lake　Huron。〃　Now；　how　different　that　is　from　saying：　〃I'll　never
forget　the　time　I　went　on　the　Mackinaw　trip。〃　The　whole　thing　has　a
different　sound　entirely。　In　the　same　way　the　Dean　would　go　on：

〃I　was　voyaging　on　one　of　those　magnificent　leviathans　of　the
water；I　refer　to　the　boats　of　the　Northern　Navigation　Company；and
was　standing　beside　the　forward　rail　talking　with　a　dear　brother　in
the　faith　who　was　journeying　westward　alsoI　may　say　he　was　a
commercial　traveller；and　beside　us　was　a　dear　sister　in　the　spirit
seated　in　a　deck　chair；　while　near　us　were　two　other　dear　souls　in
grace　engaged　in　Christian　pastime　on　the　deck；I　allude　more
particularly　to　the　game　of　deck　billiards。〃

I　leave　it　to　any　reasonable　man　whether；　with　that　complete　and
fair…minded　explanation　of　the　environment；　it　was　not　perfectly
proper　to　close　down　the　analogy；　as　the　rector　did；　with　the　simple
words：　〃In　fact；　it　was　an　extremely　fine　morning。〃

Yet　there　were　some　people；　even　in　Mariposa；　that　took　exception　and
spent　their　Sunday　dinner　time　in　making　out　that　they　couldn't
understand　what　Dean　Drone　was　talking　about；　and　asking　one　another
if　they　knew。　Once；　as　he　passed　out　from　the　doors　of　the　Greater
Testimony；　the　rector　heard　some　one　say：　〃The　Church　would　be　all
right　if　that　old　mugwump　was　out　of　the　pulpit。〃　It　went　to　his
heart　like　a　barbed　thorn；　and　stayed　there。

You　know；　perhaps；　how　a　remark　of　that　sort　can　stay　and　rankle；　and
make　you　wish　you　could　hear　it　again　to　make　sure　of　it；　because
perhaps　you　didn't　hear　it　aright；　and　it　was　a　mistake　after　all。
Perhaps　no　one　said　it；　anyway。　You　ought　to　have　written　it　down　at
the　time。　I　have　seen　the　Dean　take　down　the　encyclopaedia　in　the
rectory；　and　move　his　finger　slowly　down　the　pages　of　the　letter　M；
looking　for　mugwump。　But　it　wasn't　there。　I　have　known　him；　in　his
little　study　upstairs；　turn　over　the　pages　of　the　〃Animals　of
Palestine；〃　looking　for　a　mugwump。　But　there　was　none　there。　It　must
have　been　unknown　in　the　greater　days　of　Judea。

So　things　went　on　from　month　to　month；　and　from　year　to　year；　and　the
debt　and　the　charges　loomed　like　a　dark　and　gathering　cloud　on　the
horizon。　I　don't　mean　to　say　that　efforts　were　not　made　to　face　the
difficulty　and　to　fight　it。　They　were。　Time　after　time　the　workers　of
the　congregation　got　together　and　thought　out　plans　for　the
extinction　of　the　debt。　But　somehow；　after　every　trial；　the　debt　grew
larger　with　each　year；　and　every　system　that　could　be　devised　turned
out　more　hopeless　than　the　last。

They　began；　I　think；　with　the　〃endless　chain〃　of　letters　of　appeal。
You　may　remember　the　device；　for　it　was　all…popular　in　clerical
circles　some　ten　or　fifteen　years　ago。　You　got　a　number　of　people　to
write　each　of　them　three　letters　asking　for　ten　cents　from　three　each
of　their　friends　and　asking　each　of　them　to　send　on　three　similar
letters。　Three　each　from　three　each；　and　three　each　more　from　each！
Do　you　observe　the　wonderful　ingenuity　of　it？　Nobody；　I　think；　has
forgotten　how　the　Willing　Workers　of　the　Church　of　England　Church　of
Mariposa　sat　down　in　the　vestry　room　in　the　basement　with　a　pile　of
stationery　three　feet　high；　sending　out　the　letters。　Some；　I　know；
will　never　forget　it。　Certainly　not　Mr。　Pupkin；　the　teller　in　the
Exchange　Bank；　for　it　was　here　that　he　met　Zena　Pepperleigh；　the
judge's　daughter；　for　the　first　time；　and　they　worked　so　busily　that
they　wrote　out　ever　so　many　letterseight　or　ninein　a　single
afternoon；　and　they　discovered　that　their　handwritings　were　awfully
alike；　which　was　one　of　the　most　extraordinary　and　amazing
coincidences；　you　will　admit；　in　the　history　of　chirography。

But　the　scheme　failedfailed　utterly。　I　don't　know　why。　The　letters
went　out　and　were　copied　broadcast　and　recopied；　till　you　could　see
the　Mariposa　endless　chain　winding　its　way　towards　the　Rocky
Mountains。　But　they　never　got　the　ten　cents。　The　Willing　Workers
wrote　for　it　in　thousands；　but　by　some　odd　chance　they　never　struck
the　person　who　had　it。

Then　after　that　there　came　a　regular　winter　of　effort。　First　of　all
they　had　a　bazaar　that　was　got　up　by　the　Girls'　Auxiliary　and　held　in
the　basement　of　the　church。　All　the　girls　wore　special　costumes　that
were　brought　up　from　the　city；　and　they　had　booths；　where　there　was
every　imaginable　thing　for　salepincushion　covers；　and　chair　covers；
and　sofa　covers；　everything　that　you　can　think　of。　If　the　people　had
once　started　buying　them；　the　debt　would　have　been　lifted　in　no　time。
Even　as　it　was　the　bazaar　only　lost　twenty　dollars。

After　that；　I　think；　was　the　magic　lantern　lecture　that　Dean　Drone
gave　on　〃Italy　and　her　Invaders。〃　They　got　the　lantern　and　the　slides
up　from　the　city；　and　it　was　simply　splendid。　Some　of　the　slides　were
perhaps　a　little　confusing；　but　it　was　all　there；the　pictures　of
the　dense　Italian　jungle　and　the　crocodiles　and　the　naked　invaders
with　their　invading　clubs。　It　was　a　pity　that　it　was　such　a　bad
night；　snowing　hard；　and　a　curling　match