The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-05-11

| am quite apt in such cases to side
with Mrs. Gray, who does always have
common sense to rest on, and who said
very forcibly, | thought, at our stOrmi-
est committee meeting, that "when
people were devoting themselves to a
great patriotic or benevolent work they
must waive some of their personal
scruples if they wished success
You see the great question was:
Should we have raffies, and guess
prizes, and all that sort of thing? Mrs.
Lesley said no, in her most emphatic
manner. She claimed that such things
were gambling, and we should never
be able to urge young men to be hon
orable in their dealings if we encour-
aged the gaming spirit in the commu-
nifty
Mrs. Gray thought g her dear sister,
she always calls her sister-in-law that
when she feels hateful toward her
every much exaggerated the moral i'm
pOrtance of the question. This was a
practical matter of methods, and the
Legitimate inquiry was how could we
raise the largest sum in aid of so and
so, in the quickest and easiest manner.
If we had fair at all, and wished it to
be successful, we must manage it as
other great fairs had been managed.
She herself had already begged hand
some sleigh, and set of furniture, and
other costly gifts which could not be
disposed of except by rattle. Of course,
if our President" always did think
Mrs. Gray thought she ought to have
been made President, and was sure of
it now by the emphasis she put ON
preSident)-" vetoed rafting, she should
be under the painful necessity of re-
turning to the donors these valuable
gifts.
Mrs. Lesley looked over at me and
asked what | thought about it. | felt
miserably undecided when she appealed
to me. really believed Just as she did,
that we ought to set a good example in
this business if we were going into it.
But, on the other hand, | had set my
heart on making money at this fair,
and knew it would cripple us fearful
ly if Mrs. Gray should get offended.
Besides, she did seem right about the
practical part, if not the moral. So l
did what always makes me feel like
fool: just stood on the fence, mumbled
over something about honoring our
Presidents scruples, and sharing them,
to some extent, but still feeling that
our cause demanded money and we
must sacrifice everything for it.
Mrs. Lesley looked over at me in the
most piercing way and said: $50 l I'M
derstand Mrs. Busybody to mean that
our cause demands of us the sacrifice
of principles?'
OF course said no; but still 1 rather
threw my influence on Mrs. Grey's
side.
Well, the committee were at first
about evenly divided. But Mrs. Gray
talked them all pretty well over to her
view, and we decided to have raffies.
And we did have them, on scale be-
yond anything l ever heard of!
Our fair lasted whole week. Poor
John didn't have one of his favorite lit
tie buildings for month. l always do
my nice cooking myself. Of course
the girl had all she could attend to
with Johnny to look after, and every
thing to see to while | was away so
much on this fair business.
But John is the best man in the
world. He never said one complain
ing word till the very last day, as l
slipped my coffee at the breakfast table
I was too tired to eat morsel-he
says: g Kitty, is this the last day of the
fair?''
YES" said l, ''thank Heaven. l
believe another day would kill men
"Well,n he returned, 81 am not
quite clear about Johnnie's mother hav-
ing right to kill herself over fair.
And shall not be sorry to have wife
once more, of an evening, myself"
was so tired and nervous burst
right out crying at that. And John
tried to comfort me, bless his heart!
He said he didn't mean to blame me,
and was just as good as he always is
when l have been doing and doing I'M
til I'm all worn out.
was not the only tired woman in
Blanktown | can tell you! You never
saw such a jaded-looking set of table
tenders as we were that last evening, in
your life; and cross-my patience!
Even Mrs. Lesley, who is generally too
sweet-tempered, and Mrs. Gray, who
is generally too lady-like, to be out
wardly ruffied, spoke to each other in
what | should call rather a snappish
manner, if they were not of the aris-
tocracy.
Mrs. Lesley looked sick, and l was
real anxious about her. You see we
were going to close with little public
meeting. The gentlemen who were to
receive our money were to make
speeches, and our President was to
make statement of our work. Of
course she must not give out till that
was over, and l insisted on her going
home to rest in the afternoon. thought
then that the worst of her WEAKNESS
came from her feeling so badly over
what seemed to her violation of princi-
pie in our fair.
Well, she came back with her eyes as
bright as could be, and two little red
spots in her cheeks, and the curious set
look about her mouth she always has
when she is going to do something that
is hard to do, and going to do it well.
She looked just exactly as she did that
night SO many years ago, when we girls
gave the First Regiment of Blanktown
volunteers who left for the war silk
flag, and she made the presentation
speech. She was Mary Noble then, and,
although we younger girls didn't know
it, was engaged to Col. Lesley.