Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-11-06


agreed to meet at the vestry the next
Thursday evening and give the minister
and his wife a rousing donation and sur
prise party. They took pains TO invite
everybody, old and young, and when
Thursday evening came there was big
crowd 1 can tell you. Squire Lyman gave
the word to start, and just as we got to-
the door we all commenced to sing, Praise
God from whom all blessings flow.'
1.-THE minister and his wife both came
to the door, and they did look surprised
enough, but somehow they didn't look so
cheerful as you would expect. But they
was dreadfully surprised; they didn't
even think to ask us in; but we didn't
wait for an invitation, but kept crowdin'
in, and the minister and his wife kept
backin' back It'll the house was full up
stairs and down. Squire Lyman's wife
and me and some others went out into the
kitchen to look after the yictuals and
other things that was donated; and such
a sight as twas.
E'Deacon Bates brought a bushel of po-
tatoes, and Squire Lyman peck of on
4
pork: to be sure ParsOn Noble or his wife
never eat any, but then it showed Mr..
NOrse's good will. Then Mrs. Prentis
brought them a chrome of a bare-headed
girl picIlin' flowers. You see Mr.. Noble
preached a sermon one Sunday about folks
making home attractive for the children
said they ought to have books and pic
lures and all such things. 1 s'pose Mrs.
Prentis thought 'twould please him, and
think she was very thOughtful-don't It
you? Somebody brought a nice Bible.
Bibles, you know, are always appropriate
to give minister
81 should think a minister was the last
person who would need Bible,'' inter
| rupted Miss Prudy. Miss Betsey did not
notice the interruption, but continued;
FEThen there was peck of apples and
some soft soap, four 1oaves of bread, pan
of doughnuts, two loaves of cake, a couple
of mince-pies, and loaf of gingerbread
THAT made myself. The victuals, of
course, was for refreshments, for every
body expects something to eat at dona-
tion party. But there was one thing-it
did seem as if everybody had agreed upon, ,
for I should think that everybody that
came must have brought few links Of
sausages-such pile of 'em--we just sat
down and laughed; we couldn't help it
when we saw 'em.
''Of course we helped ourselves to tea
and sugar and such little things-we
knew Mrs. Noble would be glad to furn-
ish 'em; then nobody thought to bring
any preserves. So we called Mrs. Noble
out and asked her what we should dc
about it. She said she had a jar of quinct
sauce we might have. Mrs. Pierce dishet
it out, and she said it wouldn't go hal
round; she asked me if she'd better ge
} two or three cans open; but l told he
'twollld make more trouble, and 'twasn'
no matter if the children didn't have any
So we made it go as far as 'twould; but i
did look kinder stingy.''
E'Well, never hearn of anything equa
to that!'' cried Miss Purdy, slashin!
away at the cloth before her as if=she hat
a grudge against it.
''Bless my soul! what are you doing q
exclaimed Miss Betsey. 'FYou've spoile
that sleeve, and 1 didn't get but nil.
: yards; 'twon't do to waste any. Well
as 1 was saying, we s'posed everybod
: had had something when Mrs. Lyma
came out and said there hadn't been
thing passed in the library. So we hunte
round and found loaf of bread, coupl
, of loaves of cocoanut cake, and some pie
that Mrs. Noble had baked up for con
pany. You see she was expecting mir
-, lister to stay over Sunday. Twas RET
fortunate, foF1 she might not have ha
y anything in the house but for that; an
u she had all the next day to bake in, so W
= thought it wouldn't do no hurt to take
Mrs. Jones said that she found a pan
seed-cakes afterwards that Mrs. Noble hs
= hid away. We felt real worked up abo
" it, children think so much of seed-cake
. you know; and Mrs. Jones said that 81
10 thought it looked pretty small when v
was giyin' 'em such a donation. B
I" maybe twas just as we'll, for some of Il
boys threw cake at each other, and it G
~ trod into the carpet at times, and L don
:, ~ believe in having things wasted. Use
- the pieces if can, Miss Purdy, and lea
- the hull piece for new sleeves.
;s E'There was one thing 1 was surpris
is to hear; the children got to foOling u
H. stairs and knocked over a pitcher of W
70 ter, and broke it: twas a pity, for it
- longed to a chamber set Mrs. Noble b
given her when she was married, and W
II painted by hand. And Mrs. Adams sa
- when Mrs. Noble heard of it she look
real mad. Such an example to set befo
- children-and a minister's wife to
= Children will be children, you kno
~, Miss Purdy.'
aa -, ssThe place for children is at hol
~ evenings, 1 think" said the dressmak
m sharply.
s'Well, Idunno as twas any worse th
he what Mr. Lum did; he was leaning on
fernery and the glass broke in minu
mt But then, accidents will happen, &
TO twas different being donation part.
ire "Of course,'' acquiesced the Iii
she dressmaker.
ce. ''Then it was real funny" continl
MT Miss Betsey, 'the way they worked
he You see the minister's folks go home I
ell? early--being certain, 1 reckon Il
the thought we would follow their oxaml
IRE but law salles alive no; why before
got through with eating things and
do ''Then you had all the dishes to wa
put in Mrs. Purdy.
ou; ''Bless you! no; if we had attemE
but to wash the dishes l know Mrs. NJ
said would have stopped us, and beside
ite; would have taken us half the night,
ary of course she didn't expect it. But
lin was saying, they kept staying, and it
but past midnight before they all got av
hen "Well, the next Sunday we all thou
nan the pastor would have an extra sern
n md m nl.n snInnn anL.n n,.rl cd mrnant nE