Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1876-11-02
THE DONATION PARTY AT
WILLOWBROOK.

So many confused and contradic-
tory rumors have been circulated
about that last donation party that !
(who have heard the whole story
from nv friend and neighbor Miss
Mixl would like to give the world a
plain, unvarnished account of the
whole festivity.
Let me then introduce my inform
ant Miss Melissa Mix, spinster, own
ing to forty, moderately we'll endow-
ed with this worlds goods, house
keeper and -taker for her only
brother Ralph, some years her senior,
both of them prominent members of
the Willowbrook church-and thus
heralded, she shall tell you the story
she told me.
'sOf course we can't give our min
lister much of salary, you know,
Miss Harwood; but we've always
calkilated to get man whose heart
wasn't set on filthy lucre, as the Pos
tie says.
81 must own we hain't had much
success, for, would you believe it?
out of five candidates that preached
here the year we built the church,
not one was willin' to stay and do the
Lords work.
"Why, there's only about sixty
families in our church, and it was set
tied that first winter that six dollars
a family would be a fair tax, maxim
nigh onto four hundred year, you
see; yet it's wonderful what trouble
we've had to git pastor.
"Brother Ralph thought that
mebbe if we had a parsonage it
would help US; so he and the other
trustees bought that nice little cot
tage where Miss Gray used to live,
with a whole rod of land belongin'
to it; but, law! 'twan't of no use;
none of 'em staid the year out; and
I was clean discouraged.
"When Mr.. Ormsby came, nigh on
three year ago, he seemed more rea-
sonable than the rest, though he ask
ed if we couldn't furnish part of the
parsonage for him, as they was only
new beginners, and hadn't much
housekeepin' stuff.
"Well, the ladies was SO well
pleased with him that they took right
hold of the work he was to come
back in fortnight) and got lots Of
things together.
'There was handsome pincush
ion made for each of the bedrooms
there's three on 'em in the house
and half a dozen tides for the parlor,
and case for his shaving paper, and
all sent in the first week.
"You've heard him preach, Miss
Harwood, and you know how inter-
estin' he was, and what beautiful
reader and singer too. Why, L de-
clare 1 took real comfort goin' to
church and sittin' under such preach
in; and so we all did, I'm sure.
"But l was tellin' you about what
we gave him. Well, Deacon Stiles
daughter Sally made drawin' of the
church, and framed it in pine cones,
to hang in Mr.. Ormsby's study, and
the deacon sent us a cookin' stove
out of his own kitchen. He'd just
bought q new one for Miss Stiles,
and he come over and put it up him
self, which l thought was uncommon
kind.
"Then we took up a contribution
to buy some furniture, but ready
money was skurse just then, so we
only raised enough to git pair of
china vases and an inkstand.
"But Silas Hart, that sold 'em to
us, was one of our members, SO he
threw in .chiny dog for the baby
and a match box for the parsons
wife.
ssMiss Jones and Uncle Midian
sent in new painted bedstead and a
kitchen table, and so told Ralph I'd
give 'em couple of kitchen chairs
and our cradle, the one we was both
rocked in. So did, and pieced a
real handsome little quilt for the
cradle, sun6ower pattern, all out OF
spick and span new calico too.
ssWell, its most to bad to tell, but
Mandy Jones, who went to help Miss
0rmsby git to rights, told me that
she did act dreadful, and not BIZ
becomin' 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 parlor on
her trunk, and began to laugh at the
vases and the inkstand, and ther
wound up by findin' fault with tht
stove, which she said looked as if il
came out of the ar
aTve always thought she made he
husband discnntented, for Mr.. Orms
by was such a meek, quiet, unselfisi
man that he never would have mad
any trouble if she hadn't been al
ways complainin' and putin him vi
to grumble.
"But Pm wanderin' off from m.
story-I started to tell you about tn
donation party. You see the frs
year we got along splendid with il
and must say never saw a bette
tea-table spread than we set tina
night for Miss Ormsby.
aBut that woman never could b
satisfied, and she said afterward tina
it wouldn't take more than two sucl
parties to ruin any. family!
ut seems she found fault beoaus
we all staid to tea with 'em, jest as
we hadn't right to our tea afte
sendin' in all the vituals for it.
aBut don't know as Aunt Bets
did do exactly right, for she too
Miss Ormsby's preserves to put o
the table. and they was all eat tina
night, and ] s'pose that put her OF
some.
swell, as / was sayin', the secon
year come round, and it was read ou
in meetin' that the donation part
would be given the next Friday.