The news and herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1876-1881, 1876-11-16
&elected gtorp,
A Camp Meeting Story

chickens
Just let mo knit to tho middle of
my needle, Draxy."
Draxy waited, her busy hands
finding something to do in the little
pause. Tho things Oh the table were
strengthened, the daguerreotyes lit
was the best room) tilted moro acc,l-
rately on their open covers, mi
mute speck Of dust dislodged from
the mantlepiece-all before the gen
tic "click, click" of tho needles ceased
and Mrs Wilder laid down her
stocking.
The chickcns-lct me see. It was
those six little broils of the specklcd
hens l was a-thinkmg OF, and tho
peppcr-and-salt roosters" Mrs
Wilder viewed chickens from n pure
ly practical standpoint "rnatll be
enough, won't it g
u don't know" ,"-doubtfully--
folks eat a heap ut camp-mceting."
$50 they do. We'll, then, kill
three Of the black Polands and bake
apie. Thatll bea plenty
~ guess SO" Business thus DIS
posed of, Draxy assumed Il chair
and waxed confidential.
"How many of our folks is t-5oin,
Mrs. Wilder
"You and mo, and Nathan and
e len-that's five and Lucy's six "
"Lucy!"
eyes. Mr.. Wilder said he guess
cd she'd better, and brother Parker
plead hard about it. He thinks she
is old enough to get religion, and
ought to have it and her pa says
there's no harm tryin, only he
won't have her Hustered. I don't
know what to say bout it myself,
but I guess pas right" And Mrs
Wilder ended with Il little sigh.
MIR. Parker ]" There was IL con-
centrated and conspicuous sniff in
Drnxy's voice. She said no more,
and in another minute got up and
left the room, her errand accomplish
ed. There were few waste pla:
in Draxys life Satan might have
lodged around her for months,
without finding one idle chincl1 in
which TO Practise his ncfarious arts
Pretty soon the door opened and
Lucy came in-a girl of seventeen,
with tho shy beauty of a wild doe IN
her hazel eyes. The delicate, cameo
like outline of her face was OF an ex-
preston Of appeal. Not that there
was anything to appeal against in
her hfe-the petteL only dinghter of
this ,nest h)m,. S)mt women
possess that look naturally, and be
fore it, when combined VITA youth
and loneliness. tho hearts of men 20
down like ninepins. Lucy ns yet
knew not the value Of her uowcr. bu,
such knowledge never fingers long.
"Where have you been, dear 2"
"OYer to Esther's mother. They're
beginning the camp-mucting cake
I stayed to help beat the eggs"
"Do tell ! L suppose they're
making great fuss, like nlk the rest
Of the folks"
"Oh yes Mrs. Robbins ha.
killed a turkey and eight pairs OF
Chickens, had two pieces of bee
boiled and Esther and Hcpsey
were making gingerbread, and riseJ i
cake, and all sorts of pies tnat you
can think of-mince and apple and
,custnrd and C'mada;plum.-I cant
remember half
Lands sake And who's going
Lucy p
Mrs. Robbins and the squire anG
the girls, and james and his wife
and aunt Airey, and" here the
happy girlish voice sank little, just
II little only close observer would
hive noticed the intfection--"ant
Kane"
"Elkanah I want to know Woll
it's time ho got hold of something
good. You'll have to help Draxy
make our pies tomorrow, dear IN,
weather's splendid. 1 guess we're
going to have good week
This calnp-mceting about which
oil AmmonoOsuc was ina stir, was &
yearly affair, anticipated and planned
for with eager and invariablc
pleasure. After the heat of tho
.summer, and the toll of the harvest,
when tho hay was in, and the pota-
toes stored, the corn and tho corr
.shucks safely housed-when the ryt
and the wheat had gone to mill, and
the "boarders" to their city home
came, in the beautiful Septcmbe,
weather, this holiday which, half Il
picnic, half religious exercise
brous 1t neighbors tosether, bright
ened tho links Of church brother
hood and old friendships, md gave
to soul and body alike, refreshments
But, oh what different thing il
was to the different people who
were looking forward to it.
Mrs Wilder, and other good ma
irons Of her stamp viewed it rs Il
species of sober jollitication, com
bining much good cheer with some
comfortable preaching and praying
A time, too, for the exhibition of no
table house-koeping-of pic crusts
and fatted fowls, which, duly par
taken of, might impnrt to the occa
sion certain toothsome solemnity