Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1871-02-15
THE DONATION PARTY.

home ?" said the merry Mrs. Bellies, as she
entered her cheerful parlor at ten clock on
Thanksgiving night, and found her husband
sitting moodily alone, having Just returned
from a trip to New York, and she hook him
heartily by the hand, and left her kiss of
true wifely affection upon his lip; he still
keeping his seat and looking as if he had
run off the track or had his consignment Of
merchandise sunk to the bottom of Lake
Erie.
How long have you been here?" she
again asked, not needing his silence.
AN hour or two"
Come down on the Chpper2'
The gentlemen nodded.
Been well ?' she continued, drawing off
her gloves unpinning her shawl, and laying
off her hat
"Middng"
OH" she exclaimed, shaking back her
curls, how | wish you had got home before
night, that you might have gone with me to
the donation party; We had the incest time
l would have given anything if you had
this many day. Oh, | wish you had come
sooner
Perhaps you had better save Your re-
grets, for | am very sure ! should not have
gone had | been at home, and peradveuture
you might have staid at home with me 50
if you have been so highly delighted with
your party, make the best Of ii. You know
| am no friend to such doings.
But Edward, you could not have helped
being pleased to night. Why my very heart
Is f1uttered with joy just to think of it, Re
turning thanks to the Heavenly Father, by
giving OF our good gifts to the poor and
needy.
The poor and needy" he repeated with
a sneer; is it Parson Allen you call poor
aud needy, whose wife wears better bonnet
and eats better dinners than nine out of ev-
cry ten of his flock !"
No not Parson Alleu-pshaw, Edward,
do you think ] would talk about Parson Al
len as poor and needy?'
Well the Rev. G. Minor, with ten thou
sand at iuterest2'
No, no"
Well, I shan't gtiess again, for this whole
system Of donation parties is a kind Of fraud
upon the public, and [ am very sorry, in
deed, that you have been induced because
was absent to give your aid and counte-
nance to such things"
All this was said with surly tone. Mary,
the light hearted, loving, true and gentle
Mary, who had been at home four weeks as
merry as a bird over her summer nest, neg
Letting no duty, and firing of no care. chOk-
ed up little but though the tears sweIied
up her eyelids. the smile could not leave her
brow, and love whispered in her ear, "he Is
weary and sleepy, and was disappointed that
You were not at home TO welcome him when
he came" So she looked straight into the
little door of the parlor stove, upon the
glowing Goals there turned into dead ashes
and thought how much like the warm earn
est love of her own heart they were Just
that minute; love that had been waImiug
whole room full all evening; love that
had been sparkling and radiating till all
about her was warmth and likely to be turn
el suddenly into ashes because the husband
choose to put 1t out instead of adding fresh
ile TO warm aud cheer his cold soul.
But Mary was sensible little woman, so
She io0ked straight into the stove door, pat
ted the toe of her pretty galter on the soft
rug, turned her marriage ring round and
round on her finger but never said a word.
Edward Bellies looked straight into the
Stove door too, wishing in his heart that he
had not been such petulant fool as to bluff
On h's beautiful, loving wife Tor no earthly
reason, only that he had got home one day
sooner than he had promised and found her
out at donation party But hang 1t all,
thought be to himself, ''how shall get out
oi the scrape?' Thus thinking, thus feel
lnS, they both looked into the stove door for
'-'N tl-hlItS.
This won't do, though he. Il must
come round some how - and he drew his
A9gaT ends through his whiskers, and look
el whole minute longer then clearing his
voice began in sOftened tone:
1 don know but [ avn most too savage
On Your donation parties, Mary but it has
SEay' seemed to me, that if people must
nave minister they ought to pay him and
pay we'll, without grudging or grumbiing,
ana not levy a tax upon the whole COM
muo!ty to relieve them of their burdens,
ana Il they can't pay cheerfully owing to
Their poverty let him go. May be | am
wrong IN my estimate; but | have guessed
lhree times, suppose you tell me now where
you have given your donation to night that
mas set my heart to futter so ioyfully:
And Edward, who after all was a very
iIoha husband, drew her hand in his and
iooked up with clear brow for his answer.
1ou know, Edward, how many times We
nave talked about the good Mrs Brown.
after raising great family of her own, and
struggling through all sorts of sorrow, sick
ness and trial, to be left a wiGo9 dependent
upon her own hands would have seemed a
sac destiny but in her old age, to be com
PviIod TO raise a second family, to take the