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What Profit?

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 7, 1872

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 39, No. 21.

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What Profit?

By Sel.

I WAS stopping at the hotel in the town of X—, “a stranger in a strange land.” Having some necessary leisure on my hands, I was employing it in reading the county newspaper, that had just been placed in the reading room. The first item that met my eye was something like this:
“Fair of the — Church. Last Tuesday evening the ladies of the — church of X—, gave a most brilliant entertainment. The fair was the most decided success of the season. Many of the most costly articles were disposed of by taking shares, &c., and there was evident interest taken in all the chances. The proceeds netted — dollars, and will be appropriated toward refitting the house of worship.”
Just then a couple of men, whose calling I could not mistake, seated themselves near me.
“Smith,” said the younger of the two, “what did you make Tuesday evening at the religious lottery? I saw you take chances in almost everything. The ladies seemed to regard you of great assistance to them for once.”
“Yes, that was just in my line. ’Tisn’t often a fellow can gamble with the approval of the ladies, and get thanked for it. I didn’t make much; don’t know as I came out even. But then it did a fellow good all over. Preacher and me had our names down in the same spec. time and again. Bye the bye, I think it is the best thing that’s happened for our business for a long time.”
“Why, how do you make that out?”
“You see, it shows that there’s nothing wrong in the thing itself. If there was, those sanctimonious old fellows wouldn’t have been in it. You see their principle is just ours—exactly the same. Pay your money and take your chances.”
“Only they had the most of the bargain. But then there’s this difference. Didn’t old Mrs. A. say the end sanctifies the means, or something to that effect? You don’t mean to say that we are on the same footing?”
“Why not? They want to reseat the church. It’ll take just so many dollars to do the job. Instead of taking out their pocket books and paying for it out of money they have earned, they make a lottery and win the stamps. It is easier, you know, than the old-fashioned way. Well, I don’t like to work and pay for my clothes and hotel bills; so I win money and pay the tailor and the landlord. Don’t I need coat and dinner just as much as their church needs reseating? Certainly. That’s why I say they have made us respectable—they’ve proved that the end does justify the means.”
“Well, that’s true, and I guess we’ll hear none of these people making light of our business any more.”
“The only danger is, they’ll monopolize the business. I rather guess, though, that they will help us considerably, for we will hunt down the game that has been started.”
Sick at heart by overhearing these fellows, I tried to put such bitter thoughts out of sight and out of mind. But the passers by had here and there a word of comment on the fair. I saw it was the latest sensation and the theme of themes.
I soon came to a very quiet street, all bordered with the foliage of trees—just the place for calming my aroused spirits. A lady and her son, a lad some sixteen years old, walked on before me, in silence for some time. At last the mother broke out abruptly.
“Why Charley, how can you think of such a thing? Don’t you know, my son, that that is the sure road to ruin. To buy a lottery ticket—my child, to become a gambler?”
“Mother, I don’t see how you can look at it in that way. I bought a chance in your cake, Tuesday night, and saw you going around to lots of people, insisting on their investing with you.”
“Why, my child, that was for the church!”
“I know it, and this is for me. If I make a good thing of it I don’t mind letting you have some of it to help out your cake money.”
“Charley, you don’t speak respectfully of your mother. You don’t think my helping to raise money for the church was anything like this conduct of yours in buying a lottery ticket.”
“Whether it was or not, mother, we boys can’t see the difference. We had a jolly time of it for the benefit of the church, and we propose to have a jolly time of it for ourselves, from this out. I know you can’t object now, so I keep in respectable company.”
“My boy, you don’t talk like the good child you have been before. Do you learn such lessons as that in your Sunday School?”
“No, I learned them of my mother, at the church fair, and I know she will not lead me astray. If it is right for you, it is right for me, isn’t it?”
The mother had no reply. I know not what the result was of the authoritative teaching of the fair upon Charley. I know what it was in many a boy’s future. I have no doubt that Smith and his comrade, and the brilliant saloon keeper, and the tiger, all reaped bountifully from the sowing of Mrs. A. and well-meaning associates.
The next winter I was stopping in the same place. A revival was now in progress at the now refitted church. There was great wonder expressed that the boys of fifteen or twenty seemed to be unmoved. There were the sons of good men and woman—noble boys, but irreligious, unconverted still. Great anxiety was felt for them, and much blame imputed to them for their neglect. All the efforts put forth seemed unavailing in their cases. There was no lack of feeling, but there was no decision to be religious. It was a poor excuse, but it was a withering rebuke, nevertheless, when a young man, at last exclaimed, “I want no gambling Christians to pray for me.” Mistaking an error of good men and women for a justification of his own conduct, he lost the great gift proffered him. Still, I could not help wondering if the profit of church chances and all the kindred doubtful methods of replenishing the church’s treasury were calculated aught by Christians.—Sel.