Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-01-23
?stlistellaneo11s geadiug.
Written for the Yorkvllle Enquirer.
A ssSURPRISE"i

a'';, A ssSURPRISE'' ag.r.- ~. ...
THE HOUSE OF THE PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER,
YORKyILLE, SATURDAY, JAN. lTH, 1879.
1t was winters evening,
The day was dark and drear;
And shadows fast were falling,
While Sabbath it drew near. "
I sat within my study,
All busy with my work
When all at once the door-bell rang -
With quick and sudden jerk.
Then followed soon another pull,
~ A perfect clangor bringing;
Until bewitched the door-bell seemed,
IT. And kept on ringing, ringing.
=. could not think what all this meant,
SO novel was the sound;
Thinks I, it surely must be that
The to,0,s is coming round.
To add to my amazement sore
heard such voices loud
And such clatter, clatter still,
OF some assembling crowd.
What couldit mean, this gathering crowd,
This gay and merry chatter?
:. This bustling noise, this joyous nirth,
What now ca,, be the matter
So down the stairs quickly few
To see and learn the reason;
And ascertain what's going on d's
J So joyful and pleasing.
When 10, (how can I tell it ally
- What scene there met my eyes!
Twas what I'd call in strictest truth,
A genuine surprise"
There grouped I saw goodly crowd ~.
OF ladies gathered In; 60
Not zeaconesses all-but still
Think they should have been.
Ranged closely round and round they sat-
The room it was well packed;
While in their midst table groaned
With many good thing stacked.
What needful gifts! how well-timed too,
II wonderingly suryeyed), .=.gts,.,,l
All round and round the table large
In tasteful order laid.
! And still the door-bell pealed away atts-
And still the fair ones came; .;5..y.
Each, with her doubly welcome gift
Would, I could give their names!
But that cannot, cannot now,
! cTwould mako my song too long;)
For nearly all the households came,
q That to my flock belong.
Nor need here, (for 'twould be vain)
Recount what all they brought;
Suffice it-that each gin bestowed,
Displayed much kindly thought.
Things such as every fair one knows
The Pastors household needs;
Substantial, serviceable, good
Acceptable indeed.
Surprises many, I have seen
In North, East, South and West;
And yet methinks, Of all I've known
This surely is the best.
A happy, happy greeting twas,
Atfording much delight;
And happy, happy too it made
The Pastors home that night. ,
The tho't that prompted, love that shone,
In such glad surprise
The hearts that blessed, and hands that bro't.
All made it doubly priced.
And as the shades of evening fell,
And rose the evening prayer
The kind and loving hearts who sent,
Were not forgotten there.
Twas thus upon wintry day,
A day so dark and drear,
That loving hearts and footsteps came
Their Pastors home to cheer.
he writer takes this mode Of returning his sin
and hearty thanks to the ladies Of his congre-
on who 80 kindly visited him last Saturday
rnoon. and gave him that "pounding' which
both q surprise and q pleasure. And he
es that they may, each and every one, receive
liable recompense from Him who rewardeth
! the cup of cold water, given In the name OF
of the least of these my brethren, ye have
,e it unto Me-" L. II. w.
orkville, Jasuasy 18th, 1879.