The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1855-09-08
The Minister'S Dinner Party,

! llngs and well cultivated mind, but he wa
eccentric even to oddity. At the age Of 8
he became convinced that it was not ZOO
| for man to be alone, and for the purpos
OF bettering his condition, he made propo
sails to Mary B., beautiful, light-hear
ted girl of seventeen, daughter of one O
the wealthiest parshioners, and who ina
gined that to refuse the hand of the ministe
would be a sin bordering hard upon the un
pardonable. In due time the marriage wa
consummated, the brides snug portion
paid, and the happy husband, as husbands
IN their first love are apt to do, gave up tC
the humor of his wife, and accompanied hel
to several festival parties, given by hi
wealthy ncighbors, in honor Of his mar
riage.
One evening toward spring, the happy
couple were sitting together in their comfor
table parlor, the reverend gentleman deeply
buried in the study Of the venerable Bede
and his wife equally intent upon plate O
fashions, when she suddenly looked up with
mingled expression both Of hope and fear
and thus addressed her companion:
"My dear husband have one request tC
make"
"Well, Mary, anything consistent
'Do you imagine would make an incon.
sistcnt requcstt'
"No, not a request that you would call in.
consistent. But, come, what is IT," he AS
ked.
"Why, my dear" and her voice trcrnbed
little, I'VE have been to several parties
among the neighborng gentry this winter
and now think, that in order to maintain
our position in society, We should give 0
party also
The minister looked blank.
Nv ha, sort Of party, Mary" he at
length said.
"Why," she replied, "such party a.
those We have attended. We must have an
excellent dinner, and dancing after 1t" she
replied.
Dancing in minister's house," exclai
med he, IN surprise.
why, yes, certainly" replied his wife
coaNingly. "You will not dance, the party
will be mine; and then you have been to 81
mllar parties all winter"
"rrue, true" lac muttered, with a per
picked air, and sat silent for some time. Al
length he said, Eyes, Mary, you may make
party, give dinner, and, if the guest,
desire it, you may dance"
Thank you, love, thank you" cried his
delighted wife, throwing her arms around
his neck, and imprcssng kiss upon his
cheek.
"But have some stipulations to max,
about it said Mr.. W; 81 must sccc,
me to place some Of my fayoritc dishes on
the table
"As you please, love" she answered de
lightedly, but when shall it bct'
"Next Wednesday, if you please
"BGt cur furniture and window draperies
are very oldiashioned. lis now time We
had new
81 should think it hardly necessary TO re.
furnish our rooms, Mary. All our furniture
is excellent of its kind"
"But our smooth carpets, white fa*2erics
and cane chars have such cold look. Dc
consent to have the room newly fitted; We
can move these things to tho unfinished
chambers"
"And Of what use would they be in those
rooms which we never occupy? Besides, il
is nearly spring, and to fit up for winter
seems superfinous."
"Well, ! would not care" she persisted
"were it not that people will call us parsi
monouS and ungcnteel."
"Oh, if that is all" he said, gaily, 81
will promise to spend one thousand dollars
on the evening Of the party, not in furni
ture, however, but in a manner far more
gratifying to our guests, and profitable tc
ourselves, and which shall eXonerate us from
all imputation of parsimony and you may
expend in dress, catablcs and dessert, Just
what sum you please, and don't forget th'
wines"
And so the colloguy ended. The minister
resumed his studies, and his wife gave hei
mind to the consideration OF the new dres.
which would be most becoming, and the vi
ands which were the most expensive.
The next day she went busily about hei
business, wondering all the time how hel
husband would cxpend the thousand dollars
but as she had learned something of the &C
centricity Of his character, she doubted no
that he meant to give an agreeable surprise
and her curiosity grew so great that sh'
could hardly sleep during the interval.
At length the momcntous day arrived
The arrangements were all complete, ant
Mrc. W retired to perform the all i'm
portant business of arraying her fine person
in fine attire. She fingered long at the toll
ct, relying on the fashionable unrunctualit,
of fashionable people; and at length, whel
everything was complete, she left the room
arrayed, like Judith of cid, glofiously, tc
allure the eyes Of all who should look OF
her, and full Of sweet smiles and graccs
notwithstanding the uncomfortable pinchinl
of her shoes and corsets. Her husband me
her in the hall.
"Well, my dear, our guests have all arri
ved,' he said, and opened the door Of th'
receiving room.
Wonderful wonderful! What an assem-
bly,! There were congregated the crippled
the MANNED, the blind, the palsied, and thu
extreme aged. A group Of children from
the Aims House were also there, who rccci
we'd the lady, some with mouths wide open
others with hands thrust into their hair
while others pecped out from behind tn
furniture, to the covert Of which they ha'
retired from her dazzling presence. At frs
she was petriiied with astonishment, then
look of displeasure crossed her face, until
having run her eyes over the grotesque as
sembly, she met the comical, grave expires
sion of her husbands countenance, whei
she burst into violent fit of laughter, du
ring the paroxysms Of which the bursting Q
the corset laces were distinctly heard by tn
company.
"Mary!" said her husband, sternly.
She suppressed her mirth, stammercd al
excuse, and added,
"You will forgive me, and believe your
selves quite welcome"
"That is well DONE" whispered Mr.. w.
and turning to the company, said:
"My friends, as my wife is not acquainted
with you, will make few presentations.
Then leading her towards an emaciato'
creature, whose distorted limbs were unabl
to support his body, he said "rhis gentle
man, Mary, is the Rev. Mr.. Brown, who il
his youth endured much in the cause of on
Common Master. A violent rheumatism
induced by colds contracted among the ne'
settlements in the West, where he was en-
gagged in preaching the gospel to the poor
has reduced him to his present positon.-
This lady, his wife, has piously sustaine
him, and by her own labor procured maiI
tenance for herself and him. But she is oil
and feeble, as you now see."
Turning to the group Of silver locks an