The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-01-28
OVERWHELMING A PARSON-

exclaimed Miss Betsey Marvin opening the
door of the village dressmaker. I've been
expecting YOU fur thl three weeks. Ny al
Alpaca is gettin' so rusty Pm most ashamed
TO wear it. When'd you get homer
Last night" swered the little woman;
shaking out the folds of the large figured de-
laine before her.
"Then you haven't heard the news, maybe
about Parson Mobiles leavin' us, hev your"
asked Betsey with an air of mysterious i'm
portance.
Not a word except what L saw in the
newspapers You see I've been overt to Flor
ence, sewing, for three months; Cousin Msria's
youngest daughter was married last Tuesday.
How will you have your dress cut, Miss Mar
VIM"
"You don't sayl Well, 1 neverl What
luck she does hev marrying off her girlsl
Cut it poinase, Miss Purdy, and don't get it
ter long behind-its a dreadful sin to waste
cloth so / think. Well, Pm glad you didn't
hear it from Sophia Jackman she has such a
habit of c~oloring things so. Now l aPays
tell a straightforward story, andlet folks touch
it up to suit themselves. How did you like
Parson Noble, what you've heard of him,
Miss Purdy2"
"He always put me in mind of those men
that st. Paul tells about 'of whom the world
is not worthy " answered the d~ressmaker,
measuring Miss Marvin's plump waist with
her tape-measure.
"Oh, welll L 'spose most people was pleased
with him at first; maybe you'll change your
mind when you hear about the donation. l
cant say but what he has a pleasing way with
him, but / always though he was a little
loose in his doctrine. | mistrusted from the
first that like as not he wouldn't stay long.
Somehow his preaching want strong enough
there want theology enough about it"
Possibly not" remarked Miss Purdy.
b~asting up the lining, "but it seemed to me
he preached the gospel and that was good
enough for me-"
DO you think he was very spiritual?"
asked Miss Betsey, waving the contested
point. "He's been seen more n a dozen
times sliding down dragon hill will the boys
on their double rippers-as they call EN-.
What do you think of that?'
Il think most likely he enjoyed it, and
Pm sure the boys did. l never saw d man
have such a faculty for making everybody
happy around hint was really wonder
full"
Miss Marvin laughed a low laugh which
had in it neither mirth nor music.
its a real pity to spoil your good
to do il, but l s'pose somebody else will tell
NOA II Il " I. VI . AC AAAAC = ~
know, they promised him 500 salary, but
the times is hard and everything is cheap,
and they thought, mebbe, this year he'd be
satisfied with six. Nobody but him and mis-
wife, you see. Seems to me 500 and the
parsonage is a monstrous price-what do you
Think"
II suppose they have to have food and
clothes, Miss Marvin; in fact, 1 had an idea
hat ministers were human"
II begin to think so myself, Miss Purdy.
~dreadfully human" sighed Miss Betsey.
"Well, as / was saying, they went to him
the committee did-and kindly asked him if
he'd take six hundred this, year, as money
was so scarce, and what do you think he
said?"
II haven't the slightest idea, unless he said
he would preach for nothing"
mo, indeed; ne said he couldn't but Just
live on 500, and thought he ought to be
making some provision for the future now, if
ever. Mrs. Chaplin said she thought that was
distrustin' providence, and that's the way !
look at it. Hasn't the Lord promised TO pro-
wider Didn't he feed Elijah and the children
of Israeli And l calculate if ministers is
faithful the Lord will take care of 'em when
they're too old to preach?"
"Well, what did the committee do them"
inquired the dressmaker.
at made a sight of talk, l can tell YOU;
some was fur lettin' the parson 90, but Dea-
con Simons got real riled up; he
said he didn't blame the minister one mite:
he thought they ought to raise his salary in
stead of lowerin' it, and he'd be willin' to
give $50 The deacon meant well, but he's
a dreadful unreasonable man when he gets
his dander Hp; but Squire Layman he put
him down at once; he said 1T was a poor plan
to let ministers hev their way, and if they
should give Parson Noble 500 this year, he'd
be askin' for $500 next, maybe Then the
deacon got up and says he, I'D like to ask
Squire Lyman if he could live on SG00p
That was a real tender pint, and the deacon
knew it, for Sue Lyman told round that her
father gave her $500 a year for her clothes
and to travel with, and they kept two girls
and a man to take care of the horses, but the
squire only paid SO minister's tax last year
but then 'twon't do to Git Squire Lyman
mad, fur he's worth more'n half dozen like
Deacon Simons. So Justin Marvin made a
motion TO raise 5000 and give the minister a
donation to make up the other hundred.
THAT kinder pacifed all round, and they
agreed to meet at the vestry the next Thurs
day evening and give the minister and his
wife a rousing donation and surprise party.
They took pains to invite every
body, old and young and when
Thursday evening came there was
a big crowd l 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 blessing Aow.'
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
fn. Inf rua 1f1rff rrasf Co. an spuffo4son I..s
kept crowdin' in, and the minister and his
wife kept backin' back til 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 ~victuals and other
things that was donated; and such a sight as
twas.
Deacon Bates brought a busheI of pota-
tees, and Squire Lyman a peck Of onions.
Levi Morse brought a hull keg of pork; to
be sure parson Noble or his wife never eat
any, but then it showed Mr.. Norse's good
uri1l Than Mrs. pranfic hrouOhf than a cbroroo