Excerpt from How a Dollar Grew, or a Way to Wipe Out Church Debt

Our Church was in debt: Eighteen Thousand doll�rcs and this after all that had been done by direct giving. We had built, not for ourselves alone but for posterity also, which was a laudable thing and afforded to many a satisfactory explanation of the debt. Still though'the interest, Nine Hundred dollars per annum, was regularly paid, the debt was felt by almost all to be a heavy burden and more. We did not speak of it as a wholesome debt; we thought it hurtful; we were sorry for it; we were rather ashamed of it; we longed to wipe it out. We could not do it by one effort, but we would demolish it bit by bit, and as big a bit as possible at a time; and by different methods. The plan adopted for the past year was this: We had two hundred and thirty dollars at our disposal in January. Instead of leaving it in the bank at three per cent. And allowing it to slowly accumulate, we gave one dollar, calling it the Talent, to two hundred and thirty women. Each was to do what she could with it throughout the year, and at the end of it, after having deducted all expenses in working it, to return the Talent with the gains. The aim of each was Five Dollars considered by all very high, and by some quite beyond their reach. Making allowance for thirty who might drop out by the way, we expected with much misgiving that the total sum realiz ed would be One Thousand Dollars. That would have been handsome and to the lasting credit of the workers. The return, however, showed a sum considerably over Two Thousand Dol lars clear gain.

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