The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1876-12-28

new painted bedstead and a kitchen Ia
BILE, and so told Ralph I'd give 'em a
couple of kitchen chairs and our cradle,
the one we was both rocked in. So
did, and pieced real handsome little
quilt for the cradle, a sunfower pat
tern, all out of spick and span new cali
co, too.
"Well, it's most too bad to tell, but
Mandy Jones, who went to help Miss
Ormsby git to rights, told me that she
did act dreadful, and not bit becomin'
a minister's wife. She went all round
the house lookin' as if she was ready to
cry, and at last she sot down in the par
lor on the trunk, and began to laugh at
the vases and the inkstand, and then
wound up by findin' fault with the
stove, which she said looked as if it
came out of the ark. I've always thought
she made her husband discontinued, for
Mr.. Ormsby was such meek, quiet,un-
selfish man that he never would have
made any trouble if she hadn't been al
ways complaint and putting him up to
grumble.
ssBut I'm wanderin' off from my
story-I started to tell you about the
donation party. You see, the first year,
we got along splendid with it, and
must say I never saw better tea-table
spread than we set, that night, for Miss
Ormsby. But that woman never could
be satisfied, and she said afterward that
it wouldn't take more than two such
parties to ruin any family! 1t seems
she found fault because we all staid to
tea with 'em, jest as if we hadn't right
to our tea after sendin' in all the
victuals for it. But I 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 s'pose that put her out
some.
"Well, as was sayin', the second
year come round, and it was read out
in meetin' that the donation party
would be given, 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 had some
thin pertickler to say, but after wait
in a minute he changed his mind and
sat down. thought he acted kinder
queer, but was quite taken up with
noticin' Miss Ormsby. She got as red
as could be, and when meetin' was dis
missed she jest hurried cut as if she
didn't want any one to speak to her.
"Well, Friday came, and by O'Clock
we was mostly all at the parsonage.
Mr.. Ormsby looked dreadful sober,
more as if it was a funeral than
merry-makin', l must say; but his wife
was awful. She was jest as huffy and
short as she could be with every one,
and she went 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's papers or
books. Bimeby we began to think about
settin' the table; Sc Aunt Betsy, Mandy
Jones and me went out in the kitchen
tounpack the contributions. There was
some pertaters AID turnips (them we
put in the 'suller), q piece of corned
beef, two Or three biIed hams, pot of
butter, some apple-sass, big cheese,
| and such a lot Of biscuits it would have
taken all night to count 'em. began
| to scarf when we took out painful after
painful of biscuit, and no cake to speak
of. AT last we come to Miss Jones's
basket, ard there we found lection
cake, as well as a great batch of mo-
lasses cookies. was glad enough I'd
sent pound-cake and crullers; but some
how, when the table was ready, there
was more biscuits on it than any 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 q bag of
nuts and apples for the young folks af-
ter supper, he said. There was SO many
there that we had to divide 'em into
three lots, the dinin' room bein' small;
and if was most o'clock when they
got through eatin'. Aunt Betsy staid
with me to clear up some; and I thought
should never get all the biscuits put
away, for they most filed the pantry.
For all there had been SO MANY eaten,
yet there was piles and piles left, and,
as Aunt Betsy said, they wouldn't need
to bake for month to come.
!" 1t happened SO that l didn't 90 out
much the week after the donation
party, but the second Sunday after
started off good and early for church,
and as turned the corner by the par
sonage l saw something that most took
my breath away. Every one of them
sharp pointed pickets round the house
and garden had a good biscuit stuck
right atop of it! Yes, Miss HARDWOOD,
jest as sure as you live, there was
Aunt Betsey's nice raised biscuits-I
could tell hern by the shape-and Miss
Hull's rusks, and Miss Stiles's soda
biscuit, and every one of 'em wasted in
that shameful way. Well, I stood and
looked hadn't the strength to move
and pretty soon some of the ladies
came along and lined me-. and thare