Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-01-24
(Continuec from yesterday. }

lIOh yCStSiooy'J
Mrs. Simmons, the grocer's wife, ar
rived next, carrying 10-pound package
of brown sugar, the sweetening power OF
which her husband had said was unusual
ly great. She had also worked tidy for
Mrs. Crawford's rocking-chair and was
quite surprised to find out that Mrs. Craw-
ford had some tides already. Mr.. Win
ter. the hardware merchant, walked over
with his wife who had brought some
loayes Of fresh bread and another frosted
cake. Mr.. Winter himself had large
package of tenpenny nails and jack
knife with a gimlet and button hook at
tached, Trustee Higbee unloaded five
more pumpkins which the minister car
ried down to the cellar. One OF them
rolled against dry goods box upon which
the jar of quice preserves was standing.
The jar slid off and rolled over the stones
and most OF she preserves ran out on me
ground. Deacon Wiley came in next with
some celery, which he had told the minis
ter he had understood was excellent for
building up the nervous system. Mrs.
Wiley had brace of chickens already
cooked. which she said would do for the
supper. Deacon Hiram Blodgett brought
a bushel of Spitzenberg apples. and his
eldest son, a lad of Is. had bushel OF
black walnuts Mrs. Blodgett had some
raised biscuits and pan OF seed cakes.
Mrs. Martha Richards brought couple
of f1at-irons which were too heavy she
said, for her use, and her daughter had
made handsome holder tor taking the
irons off the stove when they were hot.
Mrs. Richards said her brother-in-law
Michael would bring some pumpkins and
another squash or two, and just then Mr..
Richards arrived. When Mr.. Crawford
carried the squash down to the cellar he
slipped upon the spilled preserves, and IN
falling slightly sprained his wrist. Mr..
Richards wife had embroidered pair OF
slippers for the minister, which were
found to be too small. Her daughter had
made chintz- coAered chair cushion, stuffed
with corn husks, and this was too large
tor any chair in the house.
The druggists wife had an electric belt
for the minister, which her husband war
ranted to cure any liver trouble known.
Other ladies brought various good things
for the supper, and the gentlemen when
they arrived later, had also "a great variety
Of gifts. Among them was a horsewhlp,
a sawpuck, IA cord Of 4 foot wood, which
was dumped out in the street for the min
lister to carry to the woodshed; a lot OF
seed corn tied together by the husks,
peck of dried apples, a fail which was rec
as beng unequalled for thrash
Ing out beans, two nome made bootjacks,
curry comb and brush, "a pounding barrel"
for washing clothes and FOUNDER, gallon
of soft soap and more pumpkins. Some
of the ladies brought strips of rag carpet,
some of which were more or less worn,
and one of them had dozen balls of
carpet rags and five pounds of warp.
There were also some newspapers with
scalloped edges. which were suitable for
pantry shelves.
But the most striking gift of all was
that OF Deacon Thomas Jeffers. 1t was
after dark when the Deacon arrived and
the house was crowded. Mr.. Crawford
heard him shouting out in the street and
went out bareheaded. The Deacon was
holding the reins to his team with one
hand and rope attached to a COW with
the other.
There Elder said the Deason, ''theres
a cow brought YOU. She's an awful
SOOu COW pCCu Jul lttiullN lIltu
20 years. My father gave her to me when
l was married. She's farrow and don't
give any milk, but she's an awful good
cow
Pm very much obliged, I'm sure, Dea-
CON- said Mr.. Crawford. Then he took
the rope and, wading through the snow,
led the cow around to the woodshed and
tied her up there. The Pastor hardly
knew what to do with the COW, which had
but one horn and seemed uncommonly
vicious for one OF her age and good bring
ing up.
The supper was great success. There
were several little sarticles such as eggs
and spices wanting among the gifts, but
these Mrs. Crawford supplied from her
own store. After supper the spitzenberg
apples were eaten and so were the black
walnuts The Pastor and his wife were
very tired when their party was over, and
went directly to bed. When they arose
in the morning they found their dry wood
had all been burned up the night before
in an effort to keep the house warm.
Snow had fallen and after the wood wi ich
lay in the street had been cut up by
the minister, it was found difficult to make
it burn. The COW manifested desire for
something to eat by frequent appalling
sounds, and the minister after trying her
with the dried apples which she rejected,
meanwhile endeavoring to hook him with
her one horn, gave her couple of the
twentyodd pumpkins in the cellar Every
article of cooked food in the house, was
gone, and the stores were closed. The
brown sugar still remained, and there
were the winter squashes, and all the ar
ticles which could not be eaten. Mrs.
Crawford cooked some of the squash, and
with few of the raised biscuits which had
been overlooked, they made breakfast.
The pastor preached very good Christ
mas sermon, although somewhat hoarse
After the sermon he was told by number
of persons that the donation was consid-
cred the most successful held in wears.
Three months later there was another
gathering at the parsonage. The Rev.
Eleazer Crawford was dead
Caught cold sometime during the
winter, and never got over it," said
Trustee Higbee. Consumption, guess. !"
Il don't thinkl was ever strong enough
for country minister's wife," said Mrs.
Crawford, day or two before she died.
"Whv, do you know, that donation party
last Christmas tired Eleazer and me COM
pletely out. ''-Erchange.
1t is sad to think that Nebuchadnezzar after