Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1881-12-29
"W hit is It P"

tnat question last week on Wednesday
evening, at Fredericville, and we had
to wait some time for an answer. 1t
was not Barnum's "What is itY' nor
any other kind of animal in particular,
but for some length of time it really
puzzled us considerably, though we
were not exactly ''scart" about it, for
we had seen unexpected things before, in
our years of experience. How we have
wished great many times that it fell
to the lot of editors to publish only all
the good and pleasant things that oc-
cur, and more of the bad and unpleas-
ant ones. We used to think of it when
an editor but what happened was on
this wise: Returning from our Wednes-
day evening meeting in the school
house, at which we noticed a very fine
attendance of well dressed people in
spite OF the rain, on approaching and
entering our always pleasant compli-
mentary home, the house of Fred l..
Barker, which also includes the post
office, we were surprised to see the
parlor lighted, and, though it was the
time of evening for people to come for
their mail, we saw more than the usual
number, standing and sitting around,
and not knowing what was going on.
were making our apologies and about
TO retire when we were invited to
walk in, and so after some hesita-
ton we concluded to walk in" from
the office to the parlor. We discovered
at once that the house was like tlit
land of Egypt when the frogs visiteo
it, and were found everywhere. Their,
were no frogs, but men, and women
and children, and babies, in all tn,
rooms, filling them all, above and be
low. Being asked to step into tn,
Kitchen behold tables were filled.
loaded, piled, covered, almost crushed
under biscuit, cold meats, fried cakes
frosted cakes, mottled cakes, plums
candy cakes, pickles, fragrant coffee.
cream, sugar bowls, dishes, and, well
everything. We asked, What is il
And no one told us. Then we asked.
timidly, Who is going 10 be married
thinking possibly we had a lob.
Then they laughed at us; so we CAV,
it up, and let it run, concluding it wa.
a matter some way connected Will
preparations for the Christmas tree t.
be had Saturday night.
By-and-by we saw n man around
with dish in his hand taking a con
tribution, and then supposed of course
it was for the Sunday School and
Christmas tree, and so put our hand
into our pocket to he ready when he
reached us. But he put it down on
center table near by, and went away
something about taxes"
asked again, What is it? What for:
Taxes. Yes; l knew it was tax"
time; and when they spread the exten-
sion table, and filled it with those
'things," and had two or three other
tables filled, and then scattered plates
and cups in grand confusion without
discrimination among all the people
we saw plainly that they had taxed
their pantries, and cellars, and flour
barrels, and lard tubs, and sugar boxes,
and spice boxes, and pickle jars, and
hen coops, and milk pans, and coffee
cans, and culinary skill, and time, and
strength, and kind generous hearts.
And no complaining. All smiled, and
seemed pleased. What a lesson for
our old gone forefathers who grumbled
at the stamp tax on paper, and the
tax on tea, and made such an unpleas-
ant fuss about it in Boston harbor
One beautiful and very impressive
incident of the evening, was the un-
expected repeating in fine concert, inn
mediately after the blessing was asked
at the table, of that sweet 23d Psalm,
by Mrs. Barker's Sunday School class
of 13 small girls and boys, arranged in
line very quietly near the head of the
table. l think nearly all must have
been taken by surprise and very pleas
antly impressed by the appropriate in
cident.
Well, as it finally turned out, the
real upshot of the whole enigma, over
which so much happy ado was made,
and so much taxing done on so many
kind hearts, and willing hands, and
pleasant homes, depicting them of
their inmates for the time, even until
the big hours were just gone, and the
wee small hours" had nearly come, -
was this: To not only repay the tax on
a little of the Ministers time, and
brains, and lungs, but also on his land
i'm this goodly town. And such a gath
sring of this kind people, including
almost every family, and such an event,
being the first of the kind ever known
here, will have its untold influence in
the future, not only as an Introductory
example, but in making them feel
more interested in each other, better
acquainted, more united i'm their sym
pathies and feelings and every good
n =. IL