The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1876-12-13
THE DONATION PARTY.

ter much Of salary, you know, Miss
Harwood but we've always calkilated
to get man whose heart wasn't set en-
filthy lucre, as the 'postle says.
~ must own we hain't had much
success, for, would you believe it out
of five candidates that moved here the
year we built the church, not one was
willing to stay andi do the Lords
work.
"Why, there's only about sixty fam
lilies in our church and it was settled
that fret winter that six dollars fam
lily would be fair tax, maxim Digh
onto four hundred n year, you see s.yet.
it's wonderful whaFtroubleeWe've had
to git pastor.
"Brother Ralph thought that mebbe
if we had parsonage it liRG1A help
us; SO he and other trGs bought
that nice little cottage where Miss
Gray used to live, with whole rod of
land belongin' to il; but. law 'twa'n't
of no use none of them staid the year
out; aud I was clean discouraged.
"When Mr.. Ormsby came nigh on
to three years ago, he seemed more
reasonable than the rest, though he
asked five couldn't furnish part Of
! the parsonage, for him, as they were
OILY new beginners and hadn't much
housekeepin' stuff.
"Well, the ladies was SO pleased
with him that they took right hold Of
| the work Che was to come back in n
fortnight) and got lots Of things to-
gether.
"There was handsome pin-cushion
madeA for, eeah ofEbe bed d-xpoms-
5tss tlIsbs s.i 'enl B ttgDas land
half dozen tides fofrtile parlor, and
a case for his Shawn paper, and all
sent in the FIRST week.
you've heard him preach, Miss
Harwood, and You kn wv how intercs-
in he was, and what 9 beautiful rea
der and singer, too. Why, / declare
l took real comfort goin' to church
and sittin' under such preacher; and
so we all did, Pm sure,
"But / was tellin' you about what
we gave him. Well, Deacon Stiles
daughter Sally made drawin' of the
church, and framed it iR pine cones,
to hang in Mr.. Ormsby's study, and
the deacon he sent Us a cookin' stove
out of his own kitchin. He'd just
bought new one for Miss Stiles, and
he come over and put it up himself
which | thought uncommon kind.
"Then we took up contribution to
bny some furniture, but ready money
was skurse jast then, so we only raised
enough to get pair of chiny vases
and an inkstand.cSS- .'- 81
"But Silas Hart, that sold en- TO
US. was one of our members, SO he
threw in china dog for the baby and
a match box for the parsons wife.
miss Jones land Uncle INDIAN sent
in new painted bedstead and a kitch,
en- table, and SO / told Ralph I'd give
em couple of kitchen chairs aud our
cradle, the one we was both rocked in.
So / did, and / pieced real handsome
ittl6quile for the cradle, sunfower
pattern, all out of spick and span new
calico, too.
"Well, it's most to bad to tell, but
Mandy Jones, who went to help Miss
Ormsby git to rights, told me she did
act dreadful, and not a bit becomin' 9
minister's wife.
"She went all around the house
lookin' as if she was ready to cry, and
at last she sot down in the parlor OF
her trunk, and begun to laugh at the
vases and the inkstand, and ther
wound up by finding fault with the
stove which she said looked as if i
came out ofthe ark.
"I've always thought she made he
husband discontented, for Mr.. Ormsby
was such a meek, quiet unsel6sh mai
that he never would have made an,
trouble, if she hadn't been Away
complainin' and putin him up t.
grumble.
"But I'rn wanderin' off FROM IN,
story-I started to tell you about tn
donation party. You see, the frs
year we got along splendidly with il
and l must say that never saw bel
ter tea table spread than we set tha
night for Miss Ormsby.
"But that woman never could b
satisfied, and she said afterward tina
it wouldn't take more than two sue
parties to ruin any family.
4, "It seems that she found fault be
cause we all staid to tea with 'em, jus
as if we hadn't right to our tea afte
sendin' in all the Yictuals for it.
"But don't know as Aunt Betse
did do exactly right, for she took Mi
Ormshy's preserves to put on th
table, and they was eat that night, an