IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 1.1 11:25 Ml 1.4 |50 ■^" ■■! y* 1^ 12.2 - - ||2£ IllJil 1.6 Photogrephic Sciences Corporalion a? WIST MAIN STRUT WnSTIR.N.Y. MSSO (716) 97i?!.^,«03 r<\^ V S\ ^. ^\ Wk\ CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques Tachnical and Bibliographie Notaa/Notaa taehniquaa at bibliographiquaa Tha Inatituta haa anantptad to obtain tha baat original copy availabia for filming. Faaturaa of thia copy which may ba bibliographically uniqua, which may altar any of tha imagaa in tha raproduction. or which may aigniflcantly changa tha uaual mathod of filming, ara chaclcad balow. □ Colourad covara/ Couvartura da coulaur rn Covara damagad/ D D D Couvartura andommag^a n Covara raatorad and/or laminatad/ Couvartura raataurte at/ou pailiculia Covar titla miaaing/ La titra da couvartura manqua r~~| Colourad mapa/ Cartaa g4ographiquaa ^n coulaur □ Colourad inic (i.a. othar than blua or blacic)/ Encra da coulaur (i.a. autra qua blaua ou noira) □ Colourad plataa and/or iliuatrationa/ Planehaa at/ou iliuatrationa it coulaur □ Bound with othar matarial/ Rail* avac d'autraa documants D Tight binding may cauaa ahadowa or diatortion along intarior margin/ Laraliura aarria paut eauaar da i'ombra ou da la diatoraion la long da la marga intiriaura Blanit laavaa addad during raatoration may appaar within tha taxt. Whanavar poaaibia. thaaa hava baan omittad from filming/ II aa paut qua cartainaa pagaa blanchaa ajoutica lora d'una raatauration apparaiaaant dana la taxta, mala, loraqua eala Atait poaaibia, caa pagaa n'ont paa «t* film^aa. Additional commanta:/ Commantairaa tupplimantairaa; L'Inatitut a microfilm^ la maillaur axamplaira qu'il lui a At* poaaibia da sa procurar. Laa ditails da cat axamplaira qui aont paut-4tra uniquaa du point da vua bibliographiqua. qui pauvant modifier una imaga raproduita. ou qui pauvant axigar una modification dana la mithoda normala da filmaga aont indiquAa ci-deaaoua. Tl* to rn Colourad pagaa/ D Thia itam la filmad at tha raduction ratio chaclcad balow/ Ca documant aat film* au taux da reduction indiquA ci-daaaoua. 10X 14X 18X 22X Pagaa da coulaur Pagaa damagad/ »^gaa andommagiaa Pagaa raatorad and/oi Pagaa raataurtea at/ou pallicuMaa Pagaa diacolourad, stainad or loum Pagaa dAcoloriaa. tachatias ou piquiaa Pagaa datachad/ Pagaa dAtachtea Showthrough/ Tranaparanca Quality of prir Qualiti inigaia da I'impraaaion Includaa tuppiamantary matarii Comprand du matiriai aupplimantaira Only acyition availabia/ Sauia Mitlon diaponibia r~*1 Pagaa damagad/ [~n Pagaa raatorad and/or laminatad/ Pagaa diacolourad, stainad or foxad/ Pagaa r~~| Pagaa datachad/ Pyl Showthrough/ r~| Quality of print variaa/ pn Includaa tuppiamantary matarial/ r~l Only acyition availabia/ Th po of fill! Or the aio oti fin aio or Th( ahi Tl^ wh Ma diH am ba( rigl raq ma Pagaa wholly or partially obscurad by errata alipa, tiaauaa, etc.. hava been refilmed to anaura tha baat possibia image/ Laa pagaa totalamant ou partiellament obacurciaa par un feuillat d'errata. una pelure, ate ont iti filmiaa i nouveau da faqon A obtanir la maillaura imaga poaaibia. MX 30X y 12X ItX aox MX 28X 32X Is I fi«r i« 9* Th« copy film«d h«r« hM b««n r«produc«d thanks to tho gonorotity of: DouglM Library Quaon't Univarsity Tha imagas appaaring har»,- ara tha baat quality posaibia conaidaring tha condition and lagibility of tiM original copy and in kaaping with tha filming contract spacif icatlona. Original copiaa in printad papar covars ara fllmad baginning with tha front covar and anding on tha last paga with a printad or illuatratad Impraa- sion, or tha back covar whan appropriata. All othar original copiaa ara fllmad baginning on tho first paga with a printad or illuatratad impraa- sion, and anding on tha laat paga with a printad or illuatratad impraaaion. Tha last racordad frama on aach mieroficha shall contain tha symbol ^»- (moaning "CON- TINUED"), or tha symbol y (moaning "END"), whichavar applias. L'axamplaira film* fut raproduit grica i la g4n4roalt« da: Douglas Library Quaan's Univarsity Laa imagaa suiva-rtAS ont Ati raproduitaa avac la plus grand soln, compta tanu da la condition at da la nattatA da I'axampialra flimi. at an conformit* avac laa conditiona du cohtrat da filmaga. Laa axamplairaa orlglnaux dont la couvartura an papiar aat ixnprlmte sont filmis wn commandant par la pr^tmiar plat at an tarmlnant soit par la damMra paga qui comporta una amprainta d'Impraaaion ou d'lllustration, soit par la aacond plat, salon la caa. Tous laa autraa axamplairas orlglnaux aont filmto an commanpant par la pramlAra paga qui comporta una amprainta d'Impraaaion ou d'lllustration at an tarmlnant par la darnlAra paga qui comporta una talla amprainta. Un das symbolaa auhranta apparattra sur la darnlAra imaga da chaqua mieroficha, salon la cas: la symbols -^ signif la "A 8UIVRE", la symbola ▼ signifia "FIN". Maps, plataa, charta, ate, may ba fllmad at diffarant raduction ratios. Thosa too larga to ba antiraly included in ona axposura ara fllmad baginning in tha uppar laft hand cornar, laft to right and top to bottom, aa many framas as raquirad. Tha following diagrams illuatrata tha mathod: Las cartaa, planchas, tablaaux, ate, pauvant Atra filmto i das taux da rMuction diffirants. Lorsqua la document aat trap grand pour itra raproduit an un aaul clich4, ii aat film* A partir da I'angia supAriaur gaucha, da gaucha A droita, at da haut an baa, an pranant la nombra d'imagaa nAcassaira. Laa diagrammas suivants iliustrant la mAthoda. :a ire. ] 12 3 1 2 3 4 6 6 " J have called you friends " — Jesus The Jarring of Jacob Shapleigh A Sequel to *• Mary Christopher" By Harvev Reeves Calkins in C 16G THE METHODIST CHURCH Department of Finance Rev. S. W. Dean, General Secretary 299 Queen Street West, Toronto (4 W h3 I THE Jarring of Jacob Shapleigh ACOB SHAPLEIGH was angry. There was not the least doubt about it. When Mary Christo- pher greeted him at the post office and wished him a pleasant "Good-morning/* he impatiently thrust a letter back into its envelope and brushed past her without a word. Mrs. Christopher was an observant woman, and when she saw that Jacob Shapleigh's lips were pressed tight to- gether, and that a spot of ominous red was in the hollow of each cheek, she wisely looked in another direction and let him pass. Now, if Cyril McDermott had not been walk- ing on clouds, he would have observed these danger signals also. But Cyril and his bride were starting for Bombay the very next Wednesday; the cards were already out, and Elsie Christoph- er's girl friends were talking of the big Trinity wedding to which "everybody" was invited. So, when Jacob Shapleigh walked straight from the post office and pushed open the door of Harrison Crossley's law office, Cyril stood up and beamed upon him with the utmost benevolence. The young man still occupied the desk in his uncle^s office, although, for the past month, he had been wholly absorbed ifi preparation for his new work as an Indian missionary. .1 4 The Jarring of Jacob Shapleigh The danger signals vere flying, but Cyrii was far awa}' in the clouds that morning and did not observe them. *'You are just the man I want to see, Mr. Shapleigh," .lie began. "I want one more patron for village schools in India, at fifty dollars a year each. I have nine already prom- ised and must have one more. Will you be the tenth?" The tenth! It was an exceedingly awk- ward beginning, for everybody in the church knew of Jacob Shapleigh's prejudice against that particular ordinal. But the unfortunate word was out, and Cyril tried to recover himself with a merry laugh, ''You might do this, you know, as a wedding present for Elsie and me." The thin lips snapped open. ''You tithers make me tired!" Jacob Shapleigh's words rasped like a rusty file on a frosty morning. "That girl has no business to waste her talent out in India, She could earn three thousand a year singing in concert; and, as for you, you are a plain fool to give up your prospects here in your uncle's of- fice!" The file rasped louder, as Harrison Crossley opened the door of his private room. **No, I haven't fifty dollars to give to Hottentots and Hindus! I've lost three times that much this very morning, trying to deal honestly with heathens here in America!" The last sentence was for the benefit of the gray-haired lawyer, who smiled grimly and asked his irate client to enter the inner office. Jacob Shapleigh was angry. There was not the least doubt about it. When the office boy grinned, and said, *1 guess the old man is pretty m The Janiftg of Jacob SItapleigh madT' Cyril was still feeling his discomfiture, and forgot to rebuke him. "No, I won't give him another week." The file was still rasping, and it had the cut of steel in it now. "But he says here that his wife is still sick, aiid everybody knows what Dakota drought has been for the past two years." Harrison Crossley was a keen lawyer, but he had an instinctive love for justice. He laid an open letter on the table, and looked into hijj visitors eyes. "Stuff and nonsense ! I've been a fanner all my life, and I know that any honest farmer can raise money whenever he pleases. Don't talk to me of poor crops; I want my rent!" It was the lawyer's turn to use stcfel, but Har- rison Crossley wielded a sword and not a file. He turned on hir client sharply. "Do you mean that you would compel him to sell his work horses?" **I don't care what he sells, I want my rent!" "Very weH, Jacob Shapleigh, then go to Da- kota and collect your rent? Attach Hill's horses, and sell his machinery; do anything you please, but don't expect honorable lawyers to under- take your business!" It was a swift stroke and Jacob Shapleigh winced. "You know me, Crossley, and you know I'm not a hard man. But I think I understand my obligations. I ask you straight, as a plain matter of law, don't you think I ought to have my rent?" The rasp was very weak indeed, and the lawyer put away his sword at once. The Jarring of Jacob Shapleigh "What is troubling you, Jacob? 1 know your affairs pretty well, and I fail to understand why Hill's back rent should worry you. Hill is honest enough and he is sure to pay in time. Meanwhile, your two farms in Cherry Valley, your bank stock here in the City National, and your regular dividends from the Interurban Traction ought to provide you a second egg for breakfast! Your Dakota investment is new land, and the rent is only three hundred. I don't see anything in Hill's letter to set you on edge. What is troubling you?" The lawyer peered quizzicaHy at Jacob Shapleigh. "Why, Crossley, you know I'm not caring particularly for the rent; my income is fairly decent. But the Upper Missouri is already a great wheat country, and my quarter section will be mighty valuable some day. I don't want to risk losing it, and I'm lawyer enough to know- that rent is the acknowledgment of title." The lawyer opened his lips to speak, but Jacob Shapleigh moved right on. "That is the main reason — in fact, it is the only reason why I can't let Hill's rent go any longer. Don't yoit remember that case in the Des Moines River bot- toms? The old Cedar Rapids and Missouri Valley Railway tried for thirty years to get back its land, and then failed. Blair told me himself that the 'squatters' had never paid a penny of rent, and, therefore, that the railway could not establish title. Fm willing to donate the money )ack again if Hill is hard up, but he has not paid anything for three years, and it can't go on any longer. I've got to safeguard my title." The rasp The Jarring of Jacob Shapleigh was gone completely now; the shrewd eyes were clear and even kind. "I didn't know you were so well versed in the old common law," said Crossley, much pleased. "But you need not worry, t-.e Dakota statutes will protect you; indeed, statute laws in all the states now protect property owners." *'I don't care for your new statutes," returned Shapleigh, briskly. "Dakota is a long way from here. The state legislatures can frame new statutes over night. Old Blackstone and the common law are good enough for me. I'm a plain man, but I try to be an honest one. I don't know about your statute law, whether in Dakota or anywhere else. Common sense is the basis of common law, and common sense tells me that ownership must be acknowledged." Harrison Crossley regarded his client silently for a moment. "James Hill offers to send you thirty dollars," he said, picking up the letter; "why not take the money and let it go at that?" But Jacob Shapleigh smiled knowingly. **You mean, let Hill pay me what he pleases? There is no acknowledgment in that, and you know it. The owner fixes the rate, not the tenant." "Well, if you won't trust the Dakota statutes, but insist on the old common law of property, there is only one thing for you to do." A smile was lurking in the lawyer's eyes.. "You must instruct me to draw a new lease at a lower rate. Suppose I make it for five years, at thirty dollars a year. That will give Hill a chance to get on his feet, and, as you say, his regular payment of 8 The Jarring of Jacob Sltafleigli the rate which you fix will be a perfect acknowl- edgment of your ownership. You certainly under- stand the old common law which is, I suppose, as old as the world; certainly it goes back to the earliest property records of the race. Shall I draw a new lease?" The smile broke out of the lawyer's eyes, and covered his face. "Thirty dollars a year for that quarter sec- tion? Why, Crossley, it's sheer robbery! I would be a fool to offer such a lease, and Hill would show himself a rascal if he offered to ac- cept it!" The file was beginning to rasp again, but Har- rison Crossley did not hear it. He was gazing at a bust of Blackstone just above the door, and seemed to be addressing that sage old jurist. "Will a man do it?" he muttered. "Hey?" rasped the file. But the lawyer was still gazing at the dusty bronze. 'Will a man really do it?' he asked aloud. "Do what?" asked Shapleigh, greatly con- fused. "Oh! Excuse men, Jacob, I was thinking of something else. Do you remember that sermon of Mr. Randolph's?" "What sermon?" "I reckon none of us will ever forget it!" said Crossley. "I mean that sermon two years ago that started the new financial programme at Trinity Church." "Well, what of it?" with a vicious rasp. "Young McDermott poked it at me when I came into your office, and now you thrust it down my 9, 1) The Jarring of Jacob Shapleigh at 1' throat. Can't you people get through an hour of ordinary business without lugging in your tithe?" **No!" and the lawyer's right hand struck the table. "No, I say ; not when a man like you conies into a lawyer's office and preaches the very fourt dation of it all ! Jacob Shapleigh, will a man rob God?" Jacob Shapleigh was jarred. When John Ran- dolph, his pastor, had preached that well-re- membered sermon, he had resented it; for no preacher had the right to tell a layman what his financial obligations ought to Jje. Bvj.. Hmrison Crossley was his lawyer, who managed his in- vestmeais for him, and knew every turn of his business. The sudden flush of anger faded from his cheeks and he sat pale and silent, jarred lit- erally speechless. When the lawyer spoke again it was with the gentleness of a woman. "Jacob," he said, "I have waited for this op- portunity for many months. You are a shrewd man, I have always known that. And you are an honest man ; if I doubted it I would not handle your business. I was chagrined when you refused to join us in the Tithe Covenant at Trinity Church, but I believed then, and believe now, that you wholly misunderstood the basis of it. Somehow you got on a wrong track ; you seemed to think we were forcing on the church one of the old Jewish statutes, and you opposed the whole plan. People say you a:e stingy, but they do not know you as I do. Of course you dislike extravagance; everyone knows that; in fact, Sprague says you are 'strenuously economical. > »» 10 The Jarring of Jacob Shapleigh A gleam of humor appeared behind Jacob Shapleigh's spectacles, but the thin lips were pressed tight together. The lawyer continued : " I have no right to speak to you of * giving' ; every man must be allowed to think for himself when it comes to that. But the support of the Church is not ' giving.' It violates the business judgment of any practical man to say that churches and missions and Christian schools shall depend for their regular income upon the benevolent impulses of the people. My father was a minister, and it was his ambition that I also should become a minister; but, as a boy, the feeling that our family was in some sense de- pendent upon the 'gifts' of the people was to me such a humiliation, that I deliberately re- fused to follow the calling of a minister. I con- fess my own sin, but I solemnly declare that the laymen who brought shame and humiliation to my boyish heart are guilty of the greater sin ! And yet, why should I say 'the laymen'? I am now a layman myself, and I have done my own share of this so-called 'giving.' We have all been in the wrong together. We have been fol- lowing the teaching — or, rather, the lack of teaching — which has made of the Church a mendicant, and has compelled her ministers and her institutions to take the place of dependents. That is why my whole soul responded to the brave words of our pastor, two years ago, when he demanded financial independence for the Church of God. I saw the Tithe that day as our open way to escape from an intolerable situation, and your own words have brought it home to The Jarring of Jacob Shapleigh II me this morning with even greater force than Mr. Randolph's sermon, for no man ever knew you to repudiate an obligation." Jacob Shapleigh's eyes opened in wide as- tonishment, but tlie lawyer's words crowded swift to the end. " To-day you have stated the case for the Tithe with greater clearness than I have ever heard it stated before; you will be indebted to James Hill for the rest of your life. You are abso- lutely right; ownership must be acknowledged, for acknowledgment is not a technical and legal adjustment, it rests on fundamental ethics. Of course the owner always fixes the rate of ac- knowledgment. But who is the owner? You and I, Jacob, are Christian men. We know that God is the given and is the absolute owner of all that we possess, 'for it is He that giveth us power to get wealth.' The aid common law of property is right, but the pity of it is that men who recognize the justice of it among themselves fail wholly to recognize the ownership of God. They think of the Church, and say, T will give so much.' They think they are 'giving,' and, therefore, they can 'give' what they please! But they are not giving at all, they are acknoivledg- ing God's ownership. Not they, but God. the Owner, shall say How Much. "Now, Jacob, just one question — and, remem- ))er, we are not considering what we, as Chris- tian men, ought to give. We have both been prospered, and one-tenth can hardly be the meas- ure of our stewardship. But that is ancther mat- ter and we will not talk about it now. We have 12 The Jarring of Jacob Shapleigh been speaking of just one thing, ownership and acknowledgment y and you have been reminding me of the old common law of pFoperty. You demand of Hill that he shall acknowledge your ownership, which, at best, is only a derived title, and not absolute ownership at all; you demand acknowledgment of that title and insist that you, and not Hill, shall fix the rate; and you rightly base your demand on the old common law, the law that came from God in the beginning. Jacob Shapleigh, you are an honest man; answer me — Will a man rob God?" Cyril McDermott was putting on his overcoat a half hour later, when a hand touched him on the shoulder. "I guess I would like to take thit tenth school, Cyril. Fifty? all right; and I wish you would tell Ferguson that I've got another fifty for our city mission on Fourth Street. I'm rather glad you waited to give me that — that 'tenth,' Cyril, I — I've been making a mistake." When the young man locked up in amazement, there was a blur on Jacob Shapleigh's glasses. The Jarring of Jacob ShapUigh X3 >» The Round Table 1. Is it true that many Christian people, like 'Jacob Shapleigh," become annoyed when reference is made to "the tenth"? 2. Why is this? 3. Are "tithers" themselves sometimes annoy- ing? 4. How can this be avoided? 5. Why are "property owners" careful to col- lect rent — is it merely for purposes of profit? 6. How can a "title" become obscured? 7. Did you ever hear of a '"tenant," who, a.ter a long time, claimed that he was 'practi- cally the owner"? 8. Is it true that "Possession is nine points in the law"? 9. If not, how did this proverb originate? 10. Why has it become necessary for statue law to protect "property owners"? 11. Has the original "common law" been abused by dishonest people? 12. If so, does this destroy the foundation on which common law rests? 13. Who "owns" the earth and its fullness? 14. What is the difference between "ownership" and "possession"? 15. Must Ownership be acknowledged? Why? M The Jarring of Jacob Shapleigli i6. Does the "Owner" or the ''occupier" fix the rate of acknowledgment? 17. Did God ever name a certain ratio or pro- portion of income, and say, *lt is holy"? 18. What ratio or proportion did He name? 19. Has this proportion ever been changed? 20. Did Christ come to destroy the law, or to fulfill it? 21. Would it "fulfill" the law, or "destroy" it, to abrogate the fundamental principles of ownership and possession? 22. When men acknowledge God's ownership of that which they possess, is this "giving"? 2.3. Is a Christian responsible to God for the right use of his entire income? 24. If so, is paying "the tenth" the fulfillment or the acknowledgment of that responsi- bility? 25. Does the average Christian purpose to "rob God," or is he uninstructed? (Reprinted by permission of the Author.) Stewardship Literature 1. For Free Diitrtbation Enrolment cards. '*A Christian's Financial Franklin Ball. Creed." Harris < ( 4(