The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-11-06
[Harper's Magazine for November.l
The Donation Party a
WillOWbrOOk.
BY MRS. E. T. CoRBETT.

So many confused and contradictory ru-
mors have been circulated about that last do
nation party that / (who have heard the
whole story from my friend and neighbor,
Miss Mix would like to give the world plain,
unvarnished account OF the whole festivity.
Let me, then, introduce my informant,
Miss Melissa Mix, spinster, owning to forty,
moderately well endowed with this worlds
goods, housekeeper and care-taker of 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 minister
much of salary. you know, Miss HARDWOOD !;
but we've always calkilated to get man
whose heart wasn't set on filthy lucre, as the
'Postle says.
81 must own we hain't had much success,
for would you believe it? out of five candi-
dates that preached here the year we built
the church, not one was willing to stay and
do the Lords work.
''Why, there's only about sixty families in
our church, and it was settled that first win
ter that SIX dollars family would be fair
tax, maxim nigh onto four hundred year,
yyu see; yet it's wonderful what trouble
we've had to git pastor.
"Brother Ralph thought that mebbe if we
had 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 7!
twan't of no use; none of 'em staid the year
out and was clean discouraged.
"When Mr.. Ormsby came, nigh on three
year ago, he seemed more reasonable than
the rest, though he asked if we couldn't fur
nish 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 The
was to come back in fortnight) and got lots
Of things together.
There was a handsome pincushion made
for each of the bedrooms-there's three on
'em in the house-and half dozen tides for
the parlor, and case for his Shawn paper,
and all sent in the first week.
You've heard him preach, Miss Harwood,
and you know how interestin' he was, and
what beautiful reader and singer too. Why,
declare took real comfort goin' to church
and sittin' under such preachin'; and so we
all did, Pm sure.
But l was tein' you about what we gave
him. Well, Deacon Stiles's daughter Sally
made drawin' of the church, and framed it
in pine cones, to hang in Mr.. Ormsby's study,
and the deacon he sent us cookin' stove out
of his own kitchen. He'd just bought new
one for Miss Stiles, and he come over and
put it up himself, which I thought was un-
common kind.
Then we took up contribution to buy
some furniture, but ready money was skurse
just then, so we only raised enough to git a
pair of chiny 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 matchbox for the
parsons wife.
Miss Jones and Uncle indian sent in a new
painted bedstead and 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, sun
flower 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 Ormesby git to
rights, told me she did act dreadful, and not
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 then
wound up by finding 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 a
would have made any trouble it she hadn't
been always conplainin' and putin him up
to grumble.
But Pm wanderin' off from my story L
agreed to tell you about the donation party.
lou see the first year we got along splendid
with il, and l must say never saw better
tea-table spread than we set that night for
Miss Ormsbv.
But that woman never could be satisfied.
and she said afterward 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 sending in all the victuals tor it.
But don't know as aunt Betsey did do
exactly right, for she took Miss Omsbys
preserves to put on the table, and they we're
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 meetn' that
the donation party would be given the uext
Friday.
Mr.. Ormsby read the notice, and then he
looked all around and cleared his throat two
or three times, as if he had somethin per-
ticker TO say, but after watin a minute be
changed his mihd and sat down.
thought be acted kinder queer but was
quite taken up with nolcin' Miss Ormsby
She got as red as could be, and when meet
in was dismissed she just hurried out as il
she didn't want any one TO speak to her.
Well, Friday came, and by three O'Clock
we was mostly all at the parsonage. Mr..
Ormsby looked dreadfully sober, more as if it
was funeral than a merry.makin', / must
say; but his wife was awful. She was jest as
hutfy 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 before us
al, as if she was afraid we'd touch some of |
Mr.. Ormsby's papers or books.
Blmeby we began to think about settin' the |
table; so Aunt Betsy, Mandy Jones and me |
went out in the kitchen to unpack the con- |
tributions. There twas some pertaters and |
turnlps them we put in the suler), piece of /
corned beef. two or three billed hams. not |
OF butter, some apple sass, a big cheese, and |
such lot OF biscuits it would have taken all /
night to count 'em.
began to be scarf when we took out pan |
full after painful of biscuit and no cake to |
speak of. At last we came to Miss Jones's |
basket, and there we found Election cake as /
well as great batch Of molasses cookies.
was glad enough I'd sent pound cake and |
crullers; but somehow when the table was |
ready there was more biscuit 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. ne brought a bag of nuts and some
apples tor the young folks after supper, he
said.
=, ""S ~ many tuere InaC we nau TO |
divide 'em into three lots, the dnin'-room
bein' small; and it was most seven O'Clock
when they got through catin.'
Aunt Betsy staid with me TO clear I'D some:
and thought never should get all the bis
cults put away, for they most filled 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