The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-11-04

mon kind.
"Thep we took up contribution to by
some furniture, bat ready money was skurse
| lust them so we only raised enough 10 gu q
pair of chiny vases and an inkstand.
But Silas Hart, that sold 'cm to us, was
one of our members, so he threw in emmy
| dog for the baby and matchbox for 'he
parsons wife.
Miss Jones and Uncle MidIan sent in Il
new painted bedstead and kitchen table
aud 50 told Ralph I'd give 'cm couple OF
kitchen chairs and our cradle, the one We
was both rocked in. So did, and pieced
sunfower pattern, all out Of spick and span
new calico too.
"Well, it's most too bad TO tell but Mandy
Jones, who went to help Miss Ormsby gil 70
rights, told me that she did act dreadful, and
not n bit becoming minister's wife.
"She went all round the house lookln' as II
she was ready to cry, and at last she sot down
IN the parlCr on her trunk, and began to
laugh at the vases and the inkstand, and then
wound up by fndin' fault with the stove
which she said looked as If 1t came out OF
the ark.
"I've always thought she made her hus
band discontinued, for Mr.. Ormsby was such
meek, quiet, unselfsh man that he never
would have made any trouble if she hadn't
been always comp!alnn' and putin him up
to grumbe.
"But I'm wandcrin' off from my story-l
started TO tell you about the donation party.
You see the first year we got along splendid
with it, and | must say never saw a better
teatable spread than we set that night iOf
Miss Ormsby.
"But that woman never cOW6 be satlSlleG,
~. Al. [, 1I.,'f toll n
more than two such parties to ruin any lanil-
ly! ,, ., ,oo,,.o ,ro a.,
staid to tea with 'em, jest as if we hadn't a
right TO our tea after sending in all the vituals
for it.
"But don't know as Aunt Betsy did do
exactly right, for she took Miss Ormsby' S
preserves to put on the table, and they was
all eat that night, and 1 s'pose that put her
out some.
"Well, as | was sayln the second year
come round and it was read out in meetin
that the donation party would be the next
Friday.
"Mr Ormsby read the notice, and then he
looked all around and cleared his throat two
or three times as If he haG something petit.
cular to say, but after waitin' minute he
changed his mind and sat down.
81 thought he acted kinder queer, but
was quite taken up with notcin' Miss Orms.
by. She got as red as could be, and when
the meetin' was dismissed she jest hurried
out as if she didn't want any one to speak to-
her.
"Well, Friday came, and by three clock
we was mostly all at the parsonage. Mr..
Ormsby looked dreadful sober, more as if III
was funeral than merry-makin, / must
say; but his wife was awful. She was jestas
huffy and short as she could be with every
one, and she went out and locked the study
door and put the key in her pocket right be
fore us ALL as if she was afraid we'd touch
some of Mr. Ormsby' papers or books.
"Bimeby we began TO think about settln'
the table; so Aunt Betsy, Mandy Jones, and
me went out in the kitchen to unpack the
There was some pertaters
md turnips Them we put in the suller), a.
piece of corned beef, two or three billed hams,
a pot of butter, some apple sass, big cheese,
and such lot of biscuits it would have tax.
en- all night to count 'em.
~ began to be scarf when we took out pan.
|ul after painful of biscuit and no cake toI
speak of. At last we come to Miss Jones
basket, and there we found lection cake, as
we'll as great batch Of molasses cookies.
81 was glad enough I'd sent pound cake
md crullers; but somehow when the table
was ready there was more biscuits on it than
my thing else, though we did the best we
could.
"Mr. Johnson sent tea and coffee from his
store, besides sugar and crackers; and Amos
Hull he brought a bag of nuts and some APP
pies for the young folks after supper, he
said.
"There was so many there that we had to
livide 'em into three lots, the dinin'.room
being small and ii was most seven o'clock
when they got through eatin'.
Aunt Betsy stald with me to clear up
some and | thought ! never should get all
he biscuits put away, for they most filled
he pantry.
For all there had been SO many eaten, yet
here was piles and piles left, and, as Aunt
Betsy said, they wouldn't need TO bake for
month 10 come.
at happened so that didn't go out much
he week after the donation party, but, the
second Sunday after, | started off good and
Early for church, and as | turned the corner
by the parsonage, saw something that most
ook my breath away. Every one Of them
sharp pointed pickets round the house and
garden had good biscuit stuck right atop OF
t! Yes, Miss Harwood, jest as sure as you
i've, there was Aunt Betsy's nice raised bis
,uits-I could tell hern by the shape-andI
Miss IIull's rusks, and Miss Stiles's soda bis
cults, and every one of EN- wasted IN that
way.
well, | stood and looked hadn't the
strength to movc-and pretty soon some of
the ladies came along and jned me; and
there we all stood TIL the last bell began toI
ring, talkin' the matter over, and feelin' pref
ty mad, can tell you.
MIR. Ormsby had good sermon that day,
but | could hardly hear word, my mind
was so full of The biscuits.
Miss Orasby warn't there, and as soon as
the last hymn was sung, he got up and said
that he had had call from a church in the
far West, and that he had made up his mind
that il was his duty to accept 1t. He went
on TO say that he would like To go that same
week, and then, without so much as telIin'
us that he was sorry to leave us, or otlerin' to
wait until we could get some one else, he gave
the benediction and dismissed us.
81 can tell you there was talk enough when