With that I showed them the following memorandum: 

Rent
$1,800
Household expenses (a low estimate)
1,800
Dress for Mrs. Work and the two children
600
Dress and personal expenses of Mr. Work
500
Summer vacation
150
Incidentals
500

$5,350

Mr. and Mrs. Work thanked me for my advice, and took my memorandum home with them.  But it was quite evident that Mrs. Work was not satisfied that $4,000 was not a great advance on $1,200.  And I was not at all surprised when Mr. Work read his resignation from the pulpit last Sabbath.  Next Sabbath he preaches his farewell sermon.

I hope I may prove a false prophet.  But I think Mrs. Work will find her arithmetical powers taxed in New York as they never were in Wheathedge, and I shall be more pleased than I can tell if in five years Mr. Work does not retire from his post a disappointed man, or find that he has purchased success at the price of his health, if not his life.

Meanwhile we are beginning already to look about for his successor.

CHAPTER XII.

The Committee on Supply hold an informal Meeting.

Mr. Work has preached his last sermon.  A committee has been appointed to supply the pulpit, and secure a candidate for the pastorate.  I believe this sort of business is generally left to the session; but on Deacon Goodsole’s motion a special committee was appointed partly out of respect to the congregational element which is considerable in this church, and partly, I suspect, as a compliment to Mr. Wheaton.  It consists of Mr. Wheaton and Mr. Gear, on behalf of the society, and Deacon Goodsole, Mr. Hardcap and myself on behalf of the church.  I forgot to mention that since our Bible-class was commenced, Mr. Gear has begun to attend church, though not very regularly.  Mr. Goodsole nominated Mr. Gear on the committee, and of course he was elected.  I was rather sorry for I would have preferred that he did not know about the internal workings of this church.  I do not think it will enhance his respect for religious institutions.  Still I could make no objection.  I did make objections to taking a place on the committee myself, but Jennie persuaded me to relinquish them.  She has often heard me arguing that politics is a duty, that citizens are bound to take and administer public office for the benefit of the State.  By a neat little turn she set all these arguments against me, and as I could not answer them I was obliged to yield.  Our wives’ memories are sometimes dreadfully inconvenient.

Our committee held a sort of informal meeting last night, at the Post-Office, where we all met by chance, the usual way.  In the Post-Office is the news exchange of Wheathedge, where we are very apt to meet about the time of the arrival of the evening mail.  Deacon Goodsole had been delegated to get a supply for the next two Sabbaths till we could discuss the merits of candidates.  He reported that he had engaged the Rev. Mr. Elder, of Wheatensville.  “He has the merest pittance of a salary,” said the Deacon, “and I knew the twenty dollars would be acceptable to him.  Besides which he is not only an excellent man but a sound preacher.”