MR. STRINGENT AND THE TEMPTER.
A COLLECTION was to be made—not in the chapel where every man could dodge or conceal his parsimony, but by an open subscription, black and white. The collector was to come around at once. Then it was that the following dialogue, which is said to have taken place between Mr. Stringent and the devil, occurred. “How much must I give?” said Stringent. “As little as you can and be respectable,” said the devil. “I am far from being rich,” said Stringent. “You are the richest man in the church,” said conscience. “Suppose I give five pounds?” “Fully enough,” said the tempter. “Freely ye have received, freely give,” said conscience. “Remember your great family, their schooling, and clothing, and the new furniture and the new carriage which you need,” said the tempter. “I shall put down ten pounds,” said Stringent. “You are beside yourself! Why, they will expect you to do in like proportion for everything, hereafter. There’s no end to these calls,” said the tempter. “I shall put down twenty pounds,” said Stringent. “Yes, but do consider,” said the tempter, “you know your taxes are awful this year; and you know your oats are very light, and they sell by weight and not by the bushel, as they once did, and the drought has injured your grass and your fruit will be next to nothing.” “Yes,” said conscience, “but your corn is magnificent, and so are the potatoes; and if hay is light, the price is certainly heavy; and your workmen never earned so much as they do this year, and the ship-timber, which had been growing long before you were born, has brought an enormous price.” “I shall put down fifty pounds!” “O Mr. Stringent! Mr. Stringent! you are nearly crazy—to throw away money so! Why sir, with that sum you could buy two young cows, or ten first-rate—” “Get out—get out, you tempter of my soul! I shall put down one hundred pounds this time, and if you don’t let me alone, I will double it!” And Mr. Stringent did put it down; and he felt so much better, and grew so strong under it, that it was well understood between him and the devil, ever after, that if he was tempted he would double his charity. And so well did he abide by it, that he became one of the most liberal men in the community. And when he went around to collect for charities, as he often did, the most liberal man always being the best collector, and his brethren would make excuses, he would shake his head and say, “I only wish you could have such dialogues with the devil as I have had!”—Selected.