That Printer of Udell's: A Story of the Middle WestWright, Harold Bell
General
That Printer of Udell's: A Story of the Middle West
Wright, Harold Bell
Christian fiction; Middle West -- Fiction; Printers -- Fiction; Young men -- Fiction
The deacons, with the baskets and paper and pencils, started through
the congregation. In a moment Mr. Godfrey went back to Cameron and
placed something in his hand. The pastor, after listening a moment to
the whispered words of his officer, turned to the audience and said:
"At our last meeting, one of the young people made the remark that
there were jewels enough on the persons of those present to pay half
the amount needed. Brother Godfrey has just handed me this diamond
ring, worth I should say, between forty and fifty dollars. It was
dropped into the basket by a member of the Young People's Society.
Friends, do you need any more proof that these young folks are in
earnest?"
At last the offering was taken, and the deacons reported one thousand
dollars in cash, and pledges, payable at once. "And perhaps," said the
leader, "I ought to say, in jewelry also." And he held up to the gaze
of the audience a handful of finger rings, scarf-pins, ear-rings and
ornaments, and a gold watch, in the ease of which was set a tiny
diamond.
Again for a moment a deep hush fell over the vast congregation as they
sat awed by this evidence of earnestness. Then the minister raised his
voice in prayer that God would bless the offering and use it in his
service, and the audience was dismissed.
Dick did not sleep well that night. Something Cameron had said in his
talk, together with the remarkable gifts of the young people, had
impressed him. He had gone to the church more from curiosity than
anything, and had come away with a feeling of respect for Christians,
that was new to him. As he thought of the jewelry, given without the
display of name or show of hands, he said to himself, "Surely these
people are in earnest." Then, too, under the spell of Cameron's talk,
he saw always before him the figure of the Christ as he lived his life
of sacrifice and love, and heard him command, "Follow thou me." In the
meantime at the church he had seen people doing just that, following
Him; doing as He did; and the whole thing impressed him as nothing had
ever done before. So, when he went to the office next morning and found
Udell strangely silent and apparently in a brown study, he was not at
all surprised, and asked, "What's the matter, George? Didn't you sleep
well last night either? Or did the thoughts of having been so generous
with your property keep you awake?"
"The property hasn't anything to do with it," answered Udell. "It's
what that preacher said; and not so much that either, I guess, as what
those young folks did. I've been thinking about that handful of jewelry;
if I hadn't seen it I wouldn't have believed it. Say, do you know that
a few sermons like those gold trinkets would do more to convert the
world than all the theological seminaries that ever bewildered the
brains of poor preachers?"
"Right you are, George, but is it true?"
"Is what true?" asked the other.
"Why, what Cameron said about Christ being the Saviour of men, and all
that."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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