CHICAGO, MAY 26, 1892. by Eugene Field: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
This letter is a funny piece by Eugene Field, who pretends to be a devout churchwoman writing to another member of the congregation about arranging a Christmas gift of knit slippers for their pastor.
The poem
He became acquainted with the leading ladies of the Aid Society of the Plymouth Church, and was thoroughly interested in their work. Partly in order to say "Goodbye" before his leaving for California in 1893, and partly, no doubt, that he might continue this humorous correspondence, as he did, he hunted up an old number of Peterson's Magazine, containing a very highly colored and elaborate pattern for knit slippers, such as clergymen received at Christmas thirty years ago, and, inclosing it with utmost care, he forwarded it to the aforesaid "Brother ----" with this note: DEAR BROTHER ----: It has occurred to me that maybe the sisters of our congregation will want to make our dear pastor a handsome present this Christmas; so I inclose a lovely pattern for slippers, and I shall be glad to ante up my share of the expense, if the sisters decide to give our dear pastor this beautiful gift. I should like the pattern better if it had more red in it, but it will do very nicely. As I intend to go to California very soon, you'll have to let me know at once what the assessment _per cap._ is, or the rest of the sisters will be compelled to bear the full burthen of the expense. Brother, I salute you with an holy kiss, and I rejoice with you, humbly and meekly and without insolent vaunting, that some of us are not as other men are. Your fellow-lamb,
This letter is a funny piece by Eugene Field, who pretends to be a devout churchwoman writing to another member of the congregation about arranging a Christmas gift of knit slippers for their pastor. The humor lies in the fact that Field, a man known for his sharp wit, adopts the persona of a gossipy, self-satisfied church sister, all while maintaining a serious tone. It serves as a light-hearted critique of religious self-importance, cleverly wrapped in the language of scripture and charity.
Line-by-line
DEAR BROTHER ----: It has occurred to me that maybe the sisters of our congregation will want to make our dear pastor a handsome present this Christmas;
so I inclose a lovely pattern for slippers, and I shall be glad to ante up my share of the expense,
I should like the pattern better if it had more red in it, but it will do very nicely.
As I intend to go to California very soon, you'll have to let me know at once what the assessment _per cap._ is, or the rest of the sisters will be compelled to bear the full burthen of the expense.
Brother, I salute you with an holy kiss, and I rejoice with you, humbly and meekly and without insolent vaunting, that some of us are not as other men are.
Tone & mood
Warmly satirical and playful, Field maintains a perfectly deadpan tone. The letter feels genuinely pious until it takes a turn. The humor grows through a series of observations rather than relying on one-liners. It’s not cruel; he’s poking fun at a type, not targeting an individual. There's a genuine affection for the church-community life, even as he playfully mocks its pretensions.
Symbols & metaphors
- The knit slipper pattern — The slippers are a traditional Christmas gift from a congregation to its pastor—warm, homey, and a bit patronizing. They represent the broader culture of performative church charity: well-meaning, meticulous, and often more about the giver's social status than the actual needs of the recipient.
- The holy kiss — The 'holy kiss,' taken straight from Paul's letters, symbolizes Christian fellowship. Field uses it at the end of a letter discussing avoiding expenses and judging fellow parishioners, which makes the biblical gesture feel out of place and absurd in this context.
- California — The upcoming trip to California acts as a comic escape route — a handy excuse for the writer to hurry through the financial accounting and sidestep fully committing to the charitable project she suggested herself.
- The color red — The casual request for 'more red' in the slipper pattern reflects a hint of personal vanity that interrupts communal generosity. It shows that the writer's tastes and preferences are always present, even in gestures of giving.
Historical context
Eugene Field was a journalist and poet in Chicago, renowned for his children's poems like "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod." During his lifetime, he was also known as a prankster and satirist. He wrote for the Chicago Daily News and gained fame for his elaborate practical jokes and witty letters. This piece is dated May 26, 1892, and reflects Field's genuine engagement with the Aid Society of Plymouth Church, where he discovered rich material in the social customs of Victorian church life. The accompanying note reveals that he specifically sought out an old slipper pattern from Peterson's Magazine—a well-liked women's magazine—so the joke would resonate with period-accurate detail. The letter itself parodies the self-satisfied piety often found in church correspondence from the 1880s and 1890s, using the language of the King James Bible and Pauline epistles for comedic effect. Field passed away in 1895, just three years after writing this.
FAQ
It's a letter — a humorous piece of writing, not a poem. Field was just as famous for his comic journalism and letters as he was for his poetry, and works like this were shared as literary humor. In 19th-century publishing, the distinction between 'poem' and 'literary piece' was much more flexible than it is today.
The name has been intentionally omitted to safeguard the individual's identity and to enhance the joke's universality. The accompanying note informs us that he was part of Plymouth Church's congregation and had been sharing funny letters with Field.
He's poking fun at a particular type of Victorian character: the church-circle busybody who sets up charitable events but cares more about social status, personal preferences, and keeping costs down than about being genuinely generous. The humor is light yet sharp.
'Ante up' is poker slang for putting your stake into the pot before a hand is dealt. Using a gambling term in a letter filled with scripture and holy kisses creates a striking contrast—it's Field the journalist playfully acknowledging the reader behind the pious facade.
The closing line mirrors the Pharisee's prayer in Luke 18:11, where a self-righteous man expresses gratitude to God for not being like those he considers inferior. This passage is one of the most well-known instances of hypocrisy in the New Testament, making Field's choice to use it as a sign-off a clever jab at the writer's total lack of self-awareness.
It's another layer of the joke. 'Lamb' often symbolizes a humble, innocent believer in Christianity. By signing off like that, after a letter full of self-interest and subtle superiority, the persona gives a final wink—acting humble while showing none at all.
According to the framing note, yes — the letter was partly crafted as a farewell prior to his departure. Field drew on the actual biographical detail of the trip to drive the comic plot of the letter: the writer must know her financial share right away, or she'll be out of there.
Peterson's Magazine was a well-known American women's magazine that ran from 1842 to 1898. It included fashion plates, stories, and home sewing patterns — the perfect spot for an intricate knit slipper design. Field selecting an 'old number' of it adds to the humor: the pattern feels outdated and overly complicated.