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The Annotated Edition

CHICAGO, MAY 26, 1892. by Eugene Field

Summary, meaning, line-by-line analysis & FAQ.

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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.

Poet
Eugene Field
Themes
art, faith, friendship
The PoemFull text

CHICAGO, MAY 26, 1892.

Eugene Field

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,

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

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.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. 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;

    Editor's note

    Field begins with the tone of a caring church sister, fully committed to her beliefs. The uncertainty in phrases like 'maybe' and 'will want' adds a touch of humor—it's clear she's already made up her mind and is merely pretending to seek input from others. The term 'our dear pastor' is laden with the kind of exaggerated warmth that's typical in church communications from that time.

  2. so I inclose a lovely pattern for slippers, and I shall be glad to ante up my share of the expense,

    Editor's note

    The clash between 'lovely pattern for slippers' and the gambling phrase 'ante up' is the first noticeable crack in the pious facade. 'Ante up' originates from poker, and its use in a letter filled with sacred language creates a playful, intentional incongruity — it's Field the humorist peeking through the disguise.

  3. I should like the pattern better if it had more red in it, but it will do very nicely.

    Editor's note

    This throwaway aesthetic opinion is sharp satire. It highlights how people in committee meetings express trivial personal preferences as if they matter to the group, only to graciously back down. The silliness of the request — more red, please — undermines any notion of noble generosity.

  4. 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.

    Editor's note

    Here the mask slips further. The writer is basically saying: I'm leaving town, so please let me know how little I owe before I vanish. The Latin 'per cap.' (per capita) adds a slightly pretentious, bureaucratic touch to what is actually a courteous way of avoiding financial responsibility. 'Burthen' is an old-fashioned spelling of 'burden,' used here to add a humorous seriousness.

  5. 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.

    Editor's note

    This is the punchline. The phrase 'an holy kiss' references St. Paul's letters in the New Testament. 'Without insolent vaunting' is a brilliant contradiction — claiming humility is itself a boast. The final clause, 'some of us are not as other men are,' directly mirrors the Pharisee's prayer in Luke 18:11, where a self-righteous man thanks God for being superior to sinners. Field uses it to critique the smug piety he has been parodying all along.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

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.

§05Symbols & metaphors

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.

§06Historical context

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.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

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.

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