A BIT OF LOGIC.
Reading edition
RUFUS lay at full length on the sofa, and puffed a cigar, back parlor though it was; when Mr. Parker reminded him of it, he said there were no ladies present, and puffed away. Between the puffs he talked:
"There is one argument against foreign mission work which is unanswerable; the country cannot afford it. Two millions and a half of money taken out this year, and sent to the cannibals, or somewhere else. No country can stand such a drain as that upon it, with everything else it has to do. Foreign missions are ruinously expensive."
The two young sisters of Rufus, Kate and Nannie, stood on the piazza and laughed.
"O Rufus!" said Kate. "You won't take a prize in college for logic, I'm sure."
"What do you mean, little monkey? And 'what do you know about logic?"
"More than you do I should think. Just imagine the country not being able to afford two millions and a half for missions, when just a few years ago it paid over four millions for Havana cigars. Have you thought of that, Rufus?"
"And I wonder how much champagne is a bottle?" chimed in Nannie. "How much is it, Rufus? You know about ten million bottles are used every year. And oh! why, Rufus, don't you know that we spend about six millions for dogs! Something besides foreign missions might be given up to save money, I should think."
"Where did you two grow so wise? Where did you get all those absurd items?"
"We got them at the Mission Band; Kate is secretary, and I'm treasurer, and these figures were all in the dialogue that Dr. Stephens wrote for us to recite. If you choose to call what he says absurd, I suppose you can; but he is a graduate from a college, and a theological seminary, beside. I mean to tell him that you think two millions and a half for foreign missions, will ruin the country; I want to hear him laugh." And then the two girls laughed merrily.
"You needn't tell him anything about it," said Rufus sharply. After the girls ran away, he added thoughtfully:
"How fast girls grow up! I thought those two were children; and here they are with the Mission Bands, and their large words about 'secretaries and treasurers.'"
"And their embarrassing facts about money," interrupted Mr. Parker. "Those girls had the best of the argument, Rufus;" and then he too laughed.