The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1876-12-16
SELECTED MATTER.


Let me. then, introduce my informant, Miss Me-
lissa Mix, spinster, owning to forty, moderately
well endowed with this worlds goods, housekeeper
and eare-taker for her only brother, Ralph, some
years her senior, both of them prominent mem
bers of the WillOwbroOk-and thus heralded, she
shall tell you the story she told me.
"0f course we can't give minister much of
a salary, you know, Miss HarwOOd; but we've al
ways ealkiated to get a man whose heart wasn't
set on filthy lucre as the 'Postle says.
81 must own that we haven'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.
ssWhy, there's only about sixty families in our
church. and it was settled that first winter that six
dollars family would be fair tax, maxim nigh
unto four hundred dollars year, you see; yetits
wonderful what trouble we've had to get pastor.
'Brother Ralph thought that maybe if we had
parsonage it would help us so he and the other
trustees bought that nice little cottage where Miss
Gray used to live, with whole rod of land be-
lOngin' to it i: but, law! 'twant Of no use; none
of them stayed the year out; and was clean dis
cOuraged.
"When Mr.. 0msby came, nigh ON three years
ago, he seemed more reasonable than the rest,
though he asked if couldn't furnish part OF the
parsonage for him, as they were only new begin
ners, and hadn't much housekeepin' stuff.
eWeIl, the ladies was so well pleased with him
that they took right hold of the work Che was to
come back in fort night and got lots of things
together.
"There was a handsome pincushiOn made for
each of the bedrOoms-theres three on 'em in the
house-and half a dozen tides for the parlOr, and
a 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 a beau
tiful reader and singer too. Why, declare
took real comfort goin' to church and sittn under
such preachin and we all did, I'm sure.
"But l was tellin' you about what we gave him.
Well, Deacon Stiles daughter Sally made a draw
in of the church, and framed it in pine cones, to
hang in Mr.. 0rmsby's study, and the deacon, he
sent us a cookin' stove out Of his own kitchen
He'd just bought one for Miss Stiles, and
he come and put it up himself, which thought
was uncommon kind.
ssThen we took mp n contribution to bny some
furniture, but ready money was skarse just then,
so we only raised enough to get pair of china
vaees and an inkstand.
But Silas Hart, that sold 'em to US, was one of
our members, so he threw in a china dog for the
baby and match box for the pastors wife,
"Miss Jones and Uncle Maiden sent in a new
painted bedstead anda kitchen table, and so told
Ralph I'd give them 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, sunfiower pattern, all out of spick
and span new calico too.
Jones' who went to help Miss 0rmsby get to rights,
told me that she did act dreadfully, and not a bit
becomin' a ministers wife.
@She went all around the house lOokin' as if she
was ready to cry, and at last she sOt down in the
parlos on her trunk and began to laugh at the va
ees and the inkstand, and then wound up by find
ing fault with the stove, which she said looked as
if it had came out of the ark.
sI'ye always thought she made her husband dis
-contented, for Mr.. 0rInsby was such meek, quiet
unselish man that he never would have made any
trouble if she hadn't been always eomplainin' and
putin him up to grumble.
"But I'm wanderin' of my stOry-I started to
tell you about the donation party. You see, the
6rssseAr got along rPicndid ~ith ~. and
must say never a better tea-table spread than
we set that night for Miss 0rmsby.
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 if We hadn't a right to our
tea after sending in all the vietuas for il.
But don't know as Aunt Betsy did do exact
ly right for she took Miss Ormsby's preserves to
put ON the table, and they all eat that night,
and s'pose that put her out some.
well, a. / was sayin', the second year come
round, and il read cut IN meetin' that the do
nation party would be given the next Friday.
MIR. 0unsby read the notice. and then he look
el al around and cleared his throat two or three
times, If he had somethin' pertekler to say, but
after waitin' minute he changed his mind and
sat down.
Il thonght he acted kinder queer, but l was
quite taken up with nOtiein' Miss Ormsby. She
got a. red a. could be, and when meetin' was dis
missed she Jet hurried out as ii she didn't want
any one q sPeak 70 her.
@weh Friday came, and by three o'clock we
wAs mostly all al the parsonage Mr.. Ormsby
looked drea1fu sober, more 81 II il was funeral
in L lint Wifi
80 aEfaL she Vas jest a. huffy and short as
she csuld be Nith every one, and she went and
sarked the study door and put the key in her pOek-
q right before us all, as II she afraid we'd
teach some of Mr.. Omsby's papers or books.
-Bimeby We began thinking about settin' the
table; 80 Aunt Betsy, Mandy Jones and me went
out into the kitchen TO unpaek the contributions.
There was some peFtaters and turnips them we
pat IN the suiier,l piece Of cOTned beef, two OF
three billed hams, pot Of butter some apple sass,
a big cheese, and such lot Of biscuits it would
have taken all night To count EN-.
Il begun to be scarf when we took out painful
after painful Of biscuit and no cake to speak Of
At last We come 10 Miss Jones basket, and there
we're found lection cake, : well "A great mum
Der Of moasses cookies.
Il was glad enough that I'd sent pound cake
and erullers: but somehow when the table wa
ready there was more biscuits on II than enythIns
else though we did the best we could.
"Mr. Johnston sent tea and coffee from his store
besides sugar and crackers; and Amos Hall h
brought a bag of nuts and some apples for th'
young folks after supper, he said.
sThere was so many there that we had to divide
'em into three lots, the dinin room being small
and II was most seven o'clock when they go
through eatin'.
MAnnt Betsy stayed with me to clear up some
and | thought l never should get all the biscuit
put away for they most filled the pantry
..For all there had been so many eaten, yet Their
was niles and piles left, and as Aunt Betsy said
they wouldn't need to bake for a month to come
1T happened that l didn't go out much for
week after the donation party, but the second Sun
day after, started off good and early for church
and as | turned the corner by the parsonage, saV
something that most took my breath away Ever.
one of them sharp pointed pickets round the nous
and garden had good biscuit stuck right atop 0
YES, Miss HarwoOd, just as sure as you live