Untitled

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 305, 24 December 1891, Page 6 (Supplement)

CHAPTER VII

' whebe's the good V By the time the Brinston Circie had completed its second month of reading:, the town had unanimously agreed that the individual who, above all others, got the full worth of his time and money out *of the course was Postmaster Brown. There had been no difficulty in coming to this conclusion, because Mr Brown himseli made no end of statements to that effect. ' People come in here for their letters, or to buy something,' said the postmaster - storekeeper. ' After that's done, they hang around here and want to talk ; it always was so ; I've always encouraged people to bang around, bec&use a good many people buy some things bhab they mightn't have thought to get if they d gone right out. Sometimes, though, the talk has been mighty slow in this store; there's some people who can't open words with you in any other way but by talking about the weather, or the change of the moon, or about the rain we've been having or haven'b had. If they can't help io I don't mind it.: I'm willing to take my share of other people's burdens ; but I think I've carried' all the rain on my shouldere that they'll stand ; I don b believe anybody, except Noah, ever knew as much or heard as much about rain as a country storekeeper and postmaster. After the weather, folks generally get to talking about somebody's farm, or somebody s business—none of them are any of the business of the talker at all. People seem to think I get a mighty good living, being as I'm postmaster and storekeeper, too, bub I tell you I think I pay for it all by what Ihavo to stand. I like good commny as much as anybody, but folks that talk withoub saying anything are more di°appoiatiuc: than an empty teacup. Well, powatfftve* when each people come

i"g-'.

in, before they can get out a word about the weather, I get in one about the read- I

' You must have more gift of the gab than I have, , said Mr Broad, to whom the remarks were addressed. ' for I can't for the life of me ask people questions about what they've been reading in books. It doesn't seem to come natural to me somehow ; I want to, but I can't put the svords together.'

' Well, I can't say that I know how to do it, either ; but, on the other hand, I' don'o have fco ; I generally say : " Well, how are you getting along with the reading?" and they generally answer : " Oh, slowly !" Then about three-quarters of them say : " 1 don't see what's goin'' to be the good of it, anyhow." Then I let out on them.'

"You do, eh ? Then suppose you let out on me, for I'm beginning to think thatto give away about three-quarters of an hour a day of my time, all of which is worth a great deal of money, and I haven't enough, as it is, to look after my own aflairs correctly, is doing more than I ought to feel called upon to do for the public benefit. 1 don't see vv-had use it's going to be to me, except as I'm acting as an example to other people.'

' I did not think that of you, Mr Broad, said the storekeeper.

' I'm glad I told you about it then ; you are a pretty smart fellow, I know, but you can't expect to know about everything without being told. What good ia this thing going to be to me, personally, for my own sake ?' :

' Well, if you want to know I'll tell you. but I'll have to talk pretty plain, and 1 don't want you to get mad and take your trade away from my store. Every little is a help ; yours is a good deal, 1 don't mind admitting.'

' Oh, fire away ! Say your worst; you can't frighten me.'

' Here goes, then : For one thing, it's going to broaden your mind. You sbrong, determined, earnest, successful business men are the narrowost-headed set of fellows on tho face of God's earth. There !'

The manufacturer frowned and flushed ; hiß glance turned to a glare, but the storekeeper met his eyes steadily, and Broad finally said : ' You do know how to take a man at his word. Go right along, though.'

'I mean exactly what I said,' the postmaster continued. ' Men who succeed seem to think that success in their own particular line is all that they need ; they're so outrageously self-satistied that they don't know how ignorant they are ; for thab reason they often rnako themselves very disagreeable —don't get mad now— I don'b apply that particular portion of my remarks to you personally ; you know you and I have always gob along well enough, and I'm as quick-tempered as anybody else, and being in a position where I'm expected to please everyone doesn'b make me any more patient than is natural.'

The manufacturer faced the door of the store, and seemed to be deep in thought.

' Ain't I right V the storekeeper went on, 'or haven't you thought it oubyet? You know perfectly well that after you're dono thinking about your business and your home affairs, politics is about the only outaide thing you ever give any attention to ; you don't attend half as much to that as you ought to—at least, not in the right way. Neither do I, I admit; I'm judging you by myself a good deal; I think fora man that has brains in his head, I'm about as narrow-minded a man as there is in this town, present company excepted.' The manufacturer grinned grimly. ' So long as there's two of a kind,' said he," : I guess I can stand what else you have to say. Go ahead, I'm curious for you to explain how reading the probable condition of rocks and water and plants on the earth a few thousand years ago is going to broaden my mind any.' • It is going to compel you to think, with some purposcTbesides money-making ; any such thought will improve your mind and broaden it Real thought—l don't mean selfish scheming—strengthens a man's mind in every direction, just as that idiotic game of tennis strengthens the girls' bodies in every way. Learning to think of what you're reading about in geology will make you better able to think about politics, and you can'b lenrn too much of that sort of thing. Some day this district may nominate you for Congress, and you know you're dying to be sent to Washington, bub you ought to know that you've gob to put more knowledge of politics into your head than is there now, if you ever expect to do anything in Congress or to get your name into the papers. Folks who haven't always been your neighbours can't be expected to know whether you're sensible or nob, except by what you say or do. What do you know, anyhow, but iron-casting and trading real-estate ?' 'I'll show you, confound you, if ever 1 reach Washington. , ' Your girls,' continued the postmaster, • have been through a female seminary, and I suppose they've learned everything thab money could beach them, haven't they ?' 'If they haven't, they ought to be ashamed of themselves. The bills were big enough while they were there.' ' I suppose you can chat with them about anything they learned?' ' I never had an opportunity ; they never mention any such subjects to me—didn't even while they were at school.' ' Oh, I suppose it never occurred to you to wonder what the reason was, did it ?' Again the manufacturer frowned and flushed. The postmaster went on : ' They probably think that their daddy is a good enough man in a business way ; but he doesn'b know anything except how to manage business, and isn't interested in anything else. That's the way my boys have been thinking aboub me a good deal of the time; but I've opened their eyes lately. I don't intend that they shall think of me, after I'm gone, as simply somebody that made a home for them, supplied them with clothes, sent them to school and scolded them when they did wrong. I want to be company for them and to make them regard me a3 a friend as well as a parent. I know I've been pretty late in beginning ; but now that I've got my mind on it, I'm going to stick to it, and have those two young men think thab I'm one of the nicest fellows bhere is in bhis town, even if I am a good deal older than they. It's none of my business to tackle you about your family affairs; bub don't you really think, as those two young ladies haven't any mobher, that their father might see to ib that they have first-rate company when there's no one in the house except the family ? I wish I had a couple of daughters to talk to—l'm sure that ib would have a broadening effect upon my mind.' • I think the world of those two daughters of mine, Mr Brown,' said bhe manufacturer ; ' but, really, women aren't like men ; they don't talk on the same subjects nor seem to be interested in them.' • According to what you said a few moments ago, you don't know anything aboub it. You haven't given them a chance ; you haven't been able to rneeb them on their own ground—such ground as they brought away from college with them. Of course, that isn't the only thing in the world to talk aboub.' • Well, Brown, I don t know but you re a great deal more than half right. You neednttell me any more to-day, though ; I guess I've got about a3 much as I can stand" Here comes Wbitton, the minister. I suppose, now, if he were to a&k you the same question as I—though, of course, he won't do ib—you would answer him in as plain talk as you have been giving me ?' 'Why not? He's an honest man, isn b he ? He ought to be, as he's a minister.' 'Yes I suppose so ; but—sh-h-h-h-h ! Here he is now. I'm froing to got in ahead of you.' Then, as ho shook hfends with his pastor, he said :

' Dominie, everybody that comee into | this post-office has to be asked how they | are getting along with the reading. I know, i though, that Brown is bashful in the presence of the clergy, so I'll ask you in his place. , 'Those readings,' said the minister, • are really a greater tax on my time and mind than I had any idea they possibly could be when we began them. Between writing sermons, visiting; the sick, receiving visitors and attending to necessary correspondence, I've very little time for any: thing. If it weren't for withdrawing from others the force of my example, such as it may be, I'd be very glad indeed to give up the work ; for between ourselves, I really don't see what especial use it is to me personally.' Tho manufacturer grinned gleefully and almost shouted as ha said, 'Now, Brown, go in! Flay him alive, as you did me !' Tho minister looked inquiringly; the manufacturer went on : ' I came here and made almost the same remark. Brown's been turning my soul inside out for me, a>nd giving me a look at it.' •''l'm always glad to learn,' said the minister, 'and I cheerfully admit that MiBrown's had far more experience in this world than I; so if he can tell me what I am to gum by going on v/ith this course, I shall feel indebted to him.' The storekeeper delicately poised his yard-stick and looked through the window toward tho clear sky beyond ; he seemed to meditate for a moment or two, and then said : ' Most ministers that I have known have thought) and talked so much about the other world that they put people under tho impression that thoy didn't know anything in particular about this one. That always has a bad effect upon human nature.' ' You must admit, Brother Brawn,' said the minister, with extreme precision in his tone, 'that I havo always endeavoured to take an interest in whatsver seemed for the welfare of the people of my place of residence. , ' You certainly have, Mr Whitton.' • You'll probably admit, also, that 1 am a hard student ?' 'So I should judge from tho great quantity of books and other printed matter that reaches you through this office ; you get far more vhan anyone else in the village, I assure you. But, if it's a fair question, how much of all you get and read is about anything except theology, religion and the work of the church ?—all subjects, I know, that you are obliged to keep yourself informed about. It doos seem to me. though, that human nature is about the biggest subject and tho most important one that any minister can read about, and naost ministers that I know havo got almost all they know about it out of religions books that only interest themselves in a very, very small part of human nature.' ' The most important part, however. , ' I agree with you as to anything you can say about the importance or greatness of tho human soul and the necessity of studying it; but that's just where the point comes in. These books look at it from only one single standpoint, and it isn't enough. You must go a great deal farther if you want to understand peopleto m.-inaire them—to do them good. For instance, you're a very sympathetic man ; your sympathy goes a very great, way; but there comes a placo where it is of no uee, unless it is backed up by a good deal of special knowledge. Right there is the place whero moat ministers fail. Please don't imagine there's anything personal in my remarks.' "'Thank you.' Again the minister's accent was extremely dignified. 'Don't get angry. Mr Whitton, but I want to ask you a fair question about your own business, as I may call it. You needn't answer it if you don't want to. A great many people come to you with their troubles, of course—they do to all ministers. Now, if it's a fair question, as I aaid, how many of these people, how large a proportion of them, young and old, are what" you would really call intelligent people, if 3'ou met them in any other capacity ?' The minister mused, and finally answered : ' I'm sorry to say a very small proportion. , 'Exactly. Here is Bioad, now. Did he ever come to you in affliction of any kind to ask your advice and counsel ?' The pastor and his richest) parishioner looked at each other rather uncomfortably, as the minister replied : ' I really can't remember that ho ever did. , 'I supposed not ; yet he's come in here frequently for a word of advice about matters that didn't exactly concern his business. Why did he come to me ? He didn't think any more of me than of a lot of other men in town here. I suppose he came in because he thought that from my experience in thinking of everyday affairs I must have learned something that would make me fit to advise him. Ministers can't afford to let any "layman get ahead of them in that way.' ' Certainly not: but—' • But what is the reading of these books for four long years going to do to make you any more useful to—' 'That's exactly the question I should have asked.' ' It's going to give you an entiroly new Fe b o f—of touching points with all the people in this community ; give you ono more way, or a dozen more ways, of making people acquainted with you. You know how people regard ministers; theygenerelly expect to be met with a long face, or ab least with some solemn words ; they always act differently in the presence of the minister from what; they do if they meet anyone else ; they act more stupidly, too, and they're less nt ease ; they've a general idea that the minister thinks that all the soul's fit for is to be paved from trouble in the next world. People's notion, as a rule, is that it is a great deal harder to live well than to die well ; _ they're always running up against stumbling-blocks when they talk to the minister. Of course, there are exceptions—very pleasant ones —one in this room—bub no man la so good thab he can't be better : no man shows off so well before other folks, has so good an opinion formed of him, as the fellow who can talk about something besides his own business.' ' Your criticism of men of my profession, as a rule, is just. , said the minister ; ' but I have flattered myself—perhaps I have been over-confident — that I succeeded fairly in avoiding that fault, or all the faults you mention, and nave tried to be thoroughly in sympathy with my people.' ' Jus& so ; you have. All of us see it ; go why should you begin to stop?' 4 Stop ? I don't quite understand you.' ' Why, here is something new in which thirty or forty of us are very much interested, and —' • I see,' said the minister, slowly. ' Yes, | I see clearly.' 4 Then lot's leave," said the manufacturer. ' I think for two men of our standing to be lectured within the same halfhour is an outrage and a humiliation. I wish I had the pluck to talk to some of my working-people asstraightforward as Brown has talked to us.' ' I really think, Mr Brown,' said the pastor, ' that you ought to study for the ministry. If you could talk to the general public as pointedly as you have to us, you might do a great deal of good.' The two men left the store. The proprietor looked after them, and said to himself : ' No wonder a lot of the younger folks— folks that haven't gob much force or go to them—koep asking : ' What's the good ?' if two men like those, with strong head.3 and good sense, and habits of sticking to whatever they begin, are ready to stop.

Human nature is pretty weak stuff, after all. Well, all the more reason why it should be strengthened.'

(To be Continued.)