 | Chapter 5 A Fancy of Hers |  |
Chapter 5
In an old fashioned house a little east of the village lived the Rev. Theophilus Wilson, pastor of the Congregational Church in Granville. The house was considerably out of repair, and badly needed painting. It belonged to Squire Hadley, of whom the minister hired it, together with an acre of land adjoining, for seventy five dollars a year. An expenditure of one or two hundred dollars would have improved its appearance and made it a little more habitable, and the Squire, who was not a mean man, would have consented to this outlay but for the strenuous opposition of his wife.
"It's good enough for the minister," she said. "Ministers shouldn't be too particular about their earthly dwellings. I believe in ministers being unworldly, for my part."
"The house does look rather bad," said the Squire. "Mrs. Wilson says the roof leaks, too."
"A few drops won't hurt all the furniture she's got," said Mrs. Hadley contemptuously.
Mrs. Hadley was rather inconsistent. She regarded the minister's poor furniture and his wife's worn dresses with scornful superiority; yet, had either complained, she would have charged them with worldliness.
"One coat of paint won't cost much," said the Squire, watching his wife's countenance for signs of approval or the opposite.
"It will do no good," said she positively. "It won't make the house any warmer, and will only conduce to the vanity of the minister and his wife."
"I never thought either of them vain," expostulated her husband.
"You only look to the surface," said his wife, in a tone of calm superiority. "I go deeper. You think, because Mrs. Wilson can't afford to dress well, that she has no vanity. I can read her better. If she had the means she'd cut a dash, you may depend upon it."
"There's one thing I can't understand, Lucretia," said her husband. "Why are things worldly in them that are not in us?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"You like to dress well, and I like my house to look neat. Why doesn't that show a worldly spirit in us?"
"Because you are not a minister nor I a minister's wife."
"What difference does that make?"
"You are very dull this morning, Mr. Hadley," said his wife scornfully.
"Perhaps I may be, but still I should like an explanation."
"Ministers should set their hearts on things above."
"Shouldn't we?"
"Not in the same way. They should be humble and not self seeking. They should set a good example to the parish. Does Mr. Wilson pay his rent regular?" she asked, suddenly changing the subject.
"Tolerable."
"Isn't he in arrears?
"I can't tell exactly without looking at the books," said the Squire evasively.
"I understand; you don't want to tell me. I dare say he is owing you half a year's rent."
This was quite true, but Squire Hadley neither confirmed nor denied it. He could quite understand that Mr. Wilson, with a wife and three children, found it hard to keep even with the world on his scanty stipend, and he did not feel like pressing him.
"I think it shameful for a minister not to pay his debts," said Mrs. Hadley, in an acid tone.
"Suppose he can't, my dear."
"Don't dear me. I am out of patience with you," said the lady sharply.
"Why?"
"You needn't ask. You encourage the minister in his shiftless course."
"Suppose I had three children, and all our clothing and household expenses had to be paid out of five hundred a year."
"If you was a minister you ought to do it."
"A minister can't make a dollar go any farther than other people."
"He can give up luxuries and vanities."
"Our minister indulges in very few of those," said the Squire, shrugging his shoulders.
"I don't know about that. I saw Sarah Wilson in the store the other day buying some granulated sugar, when brown is cheaper and would do equally as well."
"I believe we use granulated sugar, Lucretia," said Squire Hadley, his eyes twinkling.
"You're not a minister."
"And I shouldn't want to be if the sinners are to get all the good things of this life, and the saints have to take up with the poorest."
"Call yourself a sinner if you like, but don't call me one, Mr. Hadley," said his wife with some asperity.
"Ain't you a sinner?"
"We are all sinners, if it comes to that, but I consider myself as good as most people. How much rent did you say the minister was owing you?"
"I didn't say," said the Squire shrewdly.
"Keep it a secret if you please. All I say is that it's a duty you owe your family to collect what is honestly due you. I would do it if I were a man."
"I think you would, Lucretia. However, to please you, I'll attend to it within a week."
"I am glad you're getting sensible. You allow your good nature to run away with you."
"I am glad you allow me one good quality, Lucretia," said her husband with an attempt at humor.
Mrs. Hadley did not fail to inquire of her husband, a few days afterward, if the rent had been collected, and heard with satisfaction that it had been paid up to the current month.
"I told you he would pay it if you pressed him," she said triumphantly.
Her husband smiled. He thought it best not to relate the circumstances under which it had been paid. He had called at the minister's study the day after the conversation above detailed, and after a few remarks on indifferent topics said:
"By the way, Mr. Wilson, in regard to the rent — — "
"I regret being so much in arrears, Squire Hadley," said the minister uncomfortably; "but really it is a very perplexing problem to make my salary cover the necessary expenses of my family. I hope in a few weeks to be able to pay something."
Don't trouble yourself, my dear sir," said the Squire genially. "You must find it difficult, I am sure. I find, by my books, that you are owing me six months' rent."
"I am afraid it is as much as that," said Mr. Wilson, sighing.
"And I am going to help you to pay it."
The minister looked at his guest in surprise. Squire Hadley took out his pocket book, and drew there-from four ten dollar bills.
"Mr. Wilson," said he, "I make you a present of this, and now, perhaps, you will be able to pay me the rent due — thirty seven dollars and a, half, I think the exact amount is."
"My good friend," said the minister, almost overcome, "how can I thank you for this generosity?"
"By paying me my rent," said the Squire smiling. "I am very particular
"Only mention it, my friend."
"Let this little transaction be a secret between us."
It is hard to promise that; I should like to speak to others of your goodness. If I say nothing about it, it will seem ungrateful."
"If you do mention it, you will get me into hot water."
"How is that?" inquired the minister, in some perplexity.
"The fact is my wife is very frugal, and just a leetle stingy. She can't help it, you understand. Her father was pretty close fisted. She wouldn't approve of my giving away so much money, and might remonstrate."
"Yes, I understand," said the minister, who knew, as all the village did, that Mrs. Hadley was quite as close fisted as her lamented father.
"So we had better say nothing about it."
"I can tell my wife?"
"Yes, you may tell her, for it may relieve her from anxiety. Of course she won't mention it."
"You are a firm friend, Squire Hadley," said Mr. Wilson, grasping the hand of his parishioner cordially. "You are one of those who do good by stealth, and blush to find it fame."
"No, I ain't," said Squire Hadley bluntly; "I should be perfectly willing to have all my good deeds known if it was not for Mrs. Hadley. And that reminds me, I would willingly paint the house for you if she did not object."
"That is not of so much consequence; but the roof does leak badly, and troubles my wife a good deal."
That ought to be fixed," said the Squire. "How shall I manage it?"
He reflected a moment, and his face brightened with a new idea.
"I'll tell you what, Mr. Wilson, we must use a little strategy. You shall see a carpenter, and have the roof repaired at your own expense."
"Mr. Wilson's countenance fell. "I fear — — " he commenced.
"But I will repay you whatever it costs. How will that do?"
"How kind you are, Squire Hadley!"
"It is only what I ought to do, and would have done before if I had thought how to manage it. As Mrs. Hadley will wonder how you raised the money, I will say you had a gift from a friend, and that I told you to repair the house at your own expense."
A few days later Mrs. Hadley came home in some excitement.
"Mr. Hadley," said she, severely, "I find that the minister's house is being new shingled."
"Is it?" asked her husband indifferently.
"This is the way you waste your money, is it?"
"What have I to do with it? If Mr. Wilson chooses to shingle the house at his own expense, I am perfectly willing."
"Didn't you order it done?" inquired his wife, in amazement.
"Certainly not. The minister spoke of it when he paid the rent, and I told him he could do it at his own expense if he chose to."
"That's just what you ought to have said. But I don't understand where the minister finds the money, if he is so poor as you say he is."
"I understand that he has received a gift of money from a friend," said the diplomatic Squire.
"I didn't know he had any friend likely to give him money. Do you know who it is?"
"He didn't tell me, and I didn't inquire," answered the Squire, pluming himself on his strategy.
"Was it a large sum?"
"I don't think it was."
"I wish his friend had given him enough to pay for painting the house, too."
"Why? The house wouldn't be any warmer for painting," said the Squire slyly.
"It would look better."
"And so minister to his vanity."
"You seem to be very stupid this
"I am only repeating your own observations, my dear."
"If Mr. Wilson can afford to paint the house, I am in favor of his doing it; but I don't think you have any call to pay for it. The house will be better property if it is newly painted."
"Then don't you think I ought to do it, Lucretia?"
"No, I don't," said Mrs. Hadley sharply.
"I think myself," said the wily Squire, "considering the low rate at which the minister gets the house, he could afford to put on one coat of paint at his own expense. I have a great mind to hint it to him."
"You'd better do it, Mr. Hadley," said his wife approvingly.
"I will; but perhaps he won't look at it in the same light."
Within a week the painters were at work on the parsonage. The coat of paint improved its appearance very much. I suspect the bill was paid in the same way as the shingling; but this is a secret between the minister and Squire Hadley, whose strategy quite baffled his wife's penetration.
| Chapter 5 A Fancy of Hers | |