Festival and Donation by R. F. Cottrell

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 19, 1864

“Festival and Donation.”

By R. F. Cottrell

“You are respectfully invited to attend a Festival and Donation at the — house in —, on Tuesday evening, Feb. 9, 1864, for the benefit of Rev. — and family. Committee of Arrangements, —. Receivers. —. Barron’s Band will be in Attendance. Tickets one dollar and fifty cents for a Gentleman and Lady.”

Such was the invitation; and the circumstances being favorable, it was a splendid affair. The Pastor of the Universalist Church, for whose benefit the festival was got up, had felt it his duty, nearly a year since, to accept of a captain’s commission in the army and go to the defense of his country, and leave his charge as lambs among wolves; but, according to their theory, there is no danger of their being devoured; but, on the contrary, all the wolves are finally to be converted into sheep.

This union of the military with the sacerdotal, in the character of the person, conspired, in two ways, to make the festival and donation a splendid one.

1. Because his liberal pay as captain in the army places him and his family above want; and the people are always more free to give to those who are not in want. Had it been for the benefit of some widowed mother and her fatherless children who were in real need, perhaps a few widow’s mites would have been bestowed.

2. Because it united patriotic enthusiasm with religious zeal, and made it full as much a military, as a religious affair.

Besides these considerations, the band and the assembly-room held out the strongest inducements to the lovers of pleasure. Thus not only religion and patriotism were appealed to, but the love of worldly pleasure was bribed to the support of the minister, and made to pay some respect, at least, to what are called holy things.

The largest hotel in the village was crowded. And under the influence of such an exciting occasion, not only the one dollar fifties, but the V’s and X’s rolled into the treasury.

One incident connected with this affair is worthy of note. It illustrates the tendency of the present age to lay aside sectarianism and party considerations, and to unite in their “labors of love” upon all popular occasions. I relate this incident, and then I am done. A good Methodist lady, who had labored all the livelong night at this festival, in preparing the sumptuous feast and in “clearing up” and “putting things to rights,” on being questioned concerning it, said she did it all cheerfully and freely, seeing it was for the support of the gospel! and she felt as much in the way of her duty, as she ever did in going to a prayer-meeting. Surely we are living in 2 Tim. iii, 1–5.

R. F. COTTRELL.