West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1877-10-20
WHICH HAD IT!
BY SARAH WINTER KELLOGG.
lSt. Nicholas.l

lst Nicholas.l
I'm going To tell you of little Incl
dent which occurred in the village where
Chad and Seth lived, and then you may
answer the question with which this
story starts: Which had it?
1t was the last night of the year, and
there was a watch meeting i'm the little
Methodist church of the little village.
Many country people had come in their
sleighs To help the village folks watch
the old year out and the new year in.
Chad and Seth were ut the meeting. and
II was foregone conclusion with some
folks that they were bent on mischief.
The congregation had been, for some
moments, sitting in profound silence, re-
viewing, doubtless, the failures of the
year so soon to end and making resolu-
tlons for the year so soon to begin. The
silence was very solemnizing, as we sat
there in the dimIy lighted church, with
not IL sound to be heard except the loud
ticking of the clock under the gallery.
marking off the few last moments of the
fleeting year. But five minutes of the
old year remained, when the minister. n
venerable, white-haired man, rose, and
spoke few solemn words, which made
the people feel yet more solemn.
"a few more vibrations of that pen
dulum," he said, pointing 10 the clock.
which put in a solemn tick-tack, as he
paused for breath, "and we shall all be
swung into new year. Then it will be
my privilege and pleasure TO wish YOU
all happy new-year; so, | shall have
the best of the congregation. 1t seems
fitting, dear friends, that We should
spend the last few moments Of the old
year in prayer"
The people all knelt. Then came an
earnest petition, that the dear Lord
would meet his people on the threshold
OF the new year, and abide with them to
the end. When the prayer was ended,
while the clock was buzzing with prepa-
ration Tor its last announcement for the
year, while the amen was lowering about
the pastors lips, ready TO alight before
the people had fairly risen from their
knees, somebody, determined to get the
better OF the minister, shouted out, so
that every ear heard:
! wish YOU happy new-year ~
Who in the world was it? The minis
ter was so surprised at this stealing of
his thunder, that he sat down i'm bis
chair, and gazed i'm bewildered wav at
the congregation. EVERYDAY turned
ana stared at everybody else. Seth gig
gled aloud. Chad, sitting next now
from him, looked scared. seth tucked
his head between his knees and snickered
painfully. lie wanted TO stop. hut to
save his life, he couldn't. He messed
his hadd over his mouth. but the Iauob
would burst out. He tried to smother
itinh his woolen comforter. but itwouldn't
bc smothered. lie knew the people ALI
around were looking at him and tbink-
ing he was very rude and very bad hut
no matter; he had to laugh he could
not help it, Suddenly. i'm the midst Of
his snickering, he heard somebOdv speak-
ing cxcitedly and Indignantly. He raised
his head, and saw that the speaker was
Squire Woodruff
." I've got ten dollars here" he said
opening his purse and displaying fhe
bill 10 belongs to the man. woman or
child that will give the name Of the per-
son who interrupted our meeting" He
reached forward and handed the money
to the minister, who laid il on the biz
Bible on the desk
And here another ton atom of that -
said Mr.. Alexander making his deposit
Then everybody looked around to 500
somebody start up, tell who the offender
was, and claim the twenty dollars
DOUBTLESS nobody knew who Il was. for
nobody spoke
Then Mr.. Lcmuel Dyer said:
III make that twenty dollars thirty -
" 60 you five better" added Mr.. ar
thur Matthews Mr.. Mathews was a
class-leader, and would have been prom
crly shocked if he had known that he
was usiug an expression of the card
player, aud that in church.
still, nobody claimed the money. BY
this time the people were excited and
curious. Somebody added another five