Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-01-12
VOL 80.

"Then we TOOK up a contribution to buy
some furniture, but ready money Vas
skarse just then, so we only raised enough
to get a pair of chlny vases and an ink
stand.
sBut Silas Hart, that sold 'em to us
was one of our members, so he threw in a
chiny dog for the baby and a match box
for the parsons wife.
"Miss Jones and Uncle indian sent in
a new painted bedstead and a kitchen table,
and so | told Ralph I'd give 'em a couple
Of kitchen chairs and our cradle, the one
we was both rocked in. So l did, and I
pieced a real handsome little quilt for tt g
cradle, a sunfloWer pattern, all out OF
spick and span new calico. too.
s.Well, it's most too bad to tell, but
Mandy Jones, ho went to help Mrs.
Ormsby git to rights, told me she did act
dreadful, and not a bit becomin' a minis
ter'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 be-
gun 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 hus-
band disconnected for Mr. Ormsby was such
a meek, quiet, unseIish man that he would
never nave made any trouble If she hadn't
been always complainin' and putin him
! up to grumble.
"But I'm wanderin' off from my story
[ started to tell you about the donation
party. You see, the first year we got along
spendidly with it. and l must say that
new + saw a better tea table spread than
we set that night for Miss Ormsby.
"But that woman never could be salts
fled, and she said afterward that it
wouldn't take more than two such parties
to ruin any family.
HIt seems that she found fault because
we all staid to tea with 'em. just as il we
hadn't a right to our tea after sendin' in
all the victuals for it.
"But I don't know, as Aunt Betsey did
do exactly right, for she took Miss Orms'
by's preserves to put on the table, and they
was eat that night, aaand I 'spose that put
her out some.
"Well as I was saYin', the second veal
come round, andi waaTead out in meetin'
that the donation party would be given the
next 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'
particular to say, but after waitin' a min
ute he changed his mind and sat down
81 thought he acted kinder queer, but
was quite taken up with noticin' Miss
Ormsby. She got as red as could be, ant
when meeting was dismissed she jest hur-
ried out as if she didn't want anyone tt
speak to her.
"WelI, Friday came, and by three o'clocl
we. was mostly all at the parsonage
Mr.. Ormsby looked dreadful sober, more
as if it was a funeral than a merry making
[ must say but his wife was awful. She
was Jest as huffy and short as she could be
with every one, and she went and locked thu
study door and put the key in hel
pocket right before us all. as il she Wa
afraid ve'd touch some Of Mr.. Ormsby pa
pers or books.
"Bimeby we begun to think about set
ten the table; so Aunt Betsey, Mand.
Jones and me went out into the kitchen
to unpack the contributions. There Werr
some pertaters and turnipsst 4lea4aeapd
in the c%ellar) a piece e&ADfedbeef, tw'
or three billed hams, a-pot Of butter, SONS
apple sass, and such a lot of biscuits i
it would have taken all night to count ZEN
81 begun to be scarf when we took on
painful. after}pnAnful of biscuit, and no cak
to- speek of. At last We came to Mis-
Jones' basket and there we found 'lectio
cake, as well as a great batch of molasse
cookies.
81 was glad enough I'd sent pound cak
and crullers but somehow when the ia
BILE was ready, there was more biscuits Q
it than any thing else, though we did th
best we could.
"Mr. johnson sent tea and coffee frol
his store, besides sugar and crackers, an
Amos Hull he brought a bag of nuts an
some apples for the young folke after SUI
= per, he said.
"There were so many there we had t
= divide 'em into three lots, the dinin' roo
J being small !; and it was most seven o'cloc
when they got through eatin'.
) Aunt Betsry stayed with me to Gle;
q up some; and l thought I never should G
~ all the biscuits put away for they mo
~ filled the pantry.
"For all there had been so many cate
!" vet there was piles and piles left, and,
81 Aunt Betsey said, they would not need
10 bake Tor months to come.
IL ut happened SO that [ didn't go O
VI much the week after the donation part
but the second Sunday after, [ STARTED
Il good and early for church. and as | tu,n
10 the corner by the parsonage, | saw som
II thing that most took my breath ava
~ Every one of them sharp pointed pickle
- around the house had q good biscuit stu(
III right atop of it! Yes, Miss Harwood, je
d as sure as you live, there Vas Aunt Be
. sey's nice raised biscuit could tell he
W by tie shape-and Miss Hull's rusks, al
l. Miss Stiles soda biscuit, and every one
We 'em wasted in that shameful way.
"Well, | stood and looked hadn't t
III strength to moye-and soon some of t
ladirs came along and jined me ; and tn
we all stood till the last bell began to rir
* talking the matter over and feelin' pref
I'd mad, L can tell YOU.
"Mr. Ormsby had a good sermon th
day, but | could hardly hear a word, I
is mind was so full of the biscuits.
llf Miss Ormsby warn't there, and as so
or as the last hymn was sung, he got up a
st said that he had a call from a church
the far west, and that ne had made up
~:-l 49, L 4z-oc liz dI,txz "a oaannt