The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-12-20
The Donation Party.

There is nothing that occurs in the
life of preacher III country place
that is greater outrage on him than
the donation party and happily such
parties are very rare in these days, but
twenty-five years ago they were an an
nual affair with every minister. Who
does not remember the old-fashioned
donation parties, where the whole town
turned out, regardless of race, color or
religion? The donation was free to all,
and the study was TO see how little one
could carry tothe house, and how much
could be carried away under vest.
The grocer would take pound of
four-shilling tea, and his family, and
the tea would all be used to fill the
guests, and the family OF the grocer
would eat everything in sight. The
merchant world send n remnant OF cal
leo, too M = for an apron and not
enough for 4 dress, and the calico
would not wash The church members
who we're farmers would bring in coun-
try produce, n quarter OF beef, or some
thing solid, and take their pay in cake
that the village sisters had brought.
The house would be turned into bed
lam, and the poor minister would shake
hands with everybody, try TO smile and
be thankful, when in his inuermost
heart lie wished he could never see
another donation party. He wife and
family would try to look resigned, but
they would look sick. The sisters
would take possession of the kitchen
and serve the refreshments, the breth-
-, ,tnrll - nd n,.,rr,,l aud foil. a lAn,tt
everything, and wonder if it wasn't
time to have refreshments and go nome,
and the young people would find n room
up stairs that had no furniture or car.
pet and organize Il kissing bee where
the young fellow with n stand
up-collar and oil on his hair. and
whose father kept store, could get all
the kissing, and the bashful young
fellows WHO hadn't any gall would get
lett And yet the room would be red
hot without any stove and there would
be more fun than barrel of monkeys,
while the plaster on the ceiling below
would be kicked off into the scalloped
oysters 1t would take minister's
family month to clear away the wreck
of the donation party, and the Sl4 in
cash that was donated would about
pay for plasterinS the ceiling, and a
new bottom TO the boiler, which would
be burned off in making the coffee.
The people would go away feeling that
they had done big thing for the
minister, and many would wonder
why his family did not dress better.
The man of God would eat cake that
was left for month after, and try to
preach bccfsteak sermons on II stomach
that was banked up with sponge cake,
and the dyspeptic look on his face
would be mistaken for true inwar,lness,
and he would get credit for being good
when he was only sick. As long as the
minister had black coat and hat and u
white tie the congregation did not in
quire how he was fixed for undcrshirts
and drawers, In which to walk four
miles to preach on u winters Sunday.
1t is to the credit of congregations that
the donation parties of years ago have
given place Ia business basis for 4
preacher to work on, and now n salary
and no donation is generally insisted on.
If the SALARY Is small the minister re-
fleets that there is no donation party to-
help eat il up, and if il Is large I've is eX-
pected to give largely to charity. Any
way, he has money for his work, and
where church is conducted as bust
ness. and the minister does not have TO
wear himself ont collecting his salary,
his lot is not the unhappy one that it
was when Won and | were YOU &. To n
minister who gets $1,000 in cash for a
years services it must be a narrowing
thing TO look back to the time when he
got a donation party once year. He
must feel that the world moves
Pech'S san.