Connecticut western news., 1885-01-07

things that they make themselves, and we men folks will drop around to SUD- per-"
 "Eleazer told me about the donation when he came home," said Mrs. Craw- ford, one day not long before she died, land said it was just as they did in Bible times, when they set apart DOT tion of the fruit of their toil as thank offering, only couldn't see how so many people were going to get into our little house."
 There was capital sleighing the week before Christmas, but the minister and his wife staid indoors setting their house in order for the donation. They were a little nervous when the day came and wished it was over. It was nearly 3 o'clock when big sleigh drew up in front of the parsonage and Widow Selina Archibald climbed out. Her hired man dropped the reins and fol. lowed her up to the door, staggering un- der the weight of a great jar.
 The minister opened the door ard welcomed Mrs. Archibald, while the hired man stepped inside and put the big jar on the floor.
 "Ive brought you some auince pre- serves" said Mrs. Archibald to Mrs. Crawford. "They've just begun to turn, but if you heat them over they'll be all right again.
 "Thank you" said the minister's wife with as much warmth as she could mus ter under the reflection that neither she nor any member of her family could tolerate quinces.
 The two ladies went through into the parlor and the minister tugged and pulled the great jar through into the pantry and down the cellar stairs. Just iben Trustee Jackson drove up with his wife and six great pumpkins. "Them's awful good pumpkins" said the Trus- tee, as he set the golden globes on the steps and drove away, saying he had got to go down to the mill and would be back by and by. The minister carried the pumpkins down into the cellar and got back in time to meet Mir. Higgins, the blacksmith, who brought Lis wife and set of very heavy tongs, shovel and poker, which he assured the minister he had hammered out himself Mrs. Hig- gins had tin pan full of caraway-seed cookies, paper bag full of pickles and frosted cake. She also had her two children. one of whom she told Mrs. Crawford was probably coming down with the measles. The other child nar- rowly escaped falling down the cellar steps, disaster which Mrs. Crawford judged from Mrs. Higginsis manner she would have been held responsible for.
 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 unusu- ally great. She had also worked tidy for Mrs. Crawford's rocking chair and was quite surprised to find out that Mrs. Crawford had some tidies already. Mir. Winter, the hardware merchant, walked over with his wife who had brought | frosted cake. MT. Winter himself had 8 large package of tenpenny nails and 8 jackknife with gimlet and button hook attached. Trustee Higbee unloaded five more pumpkins which the minister car ried down to the cellar. One of them rolled against a dry goods box upon
 which the jar of quince preserves were standing. The jar slid of and rolled
 over the stones, and most of the pre-
 serves ran out on the ground. Deacon
 Wiley came in next with some celery,
 which he told the minister he had un-
 derstood was excellent for building up the nervous system. Mrs. Wiley had 8 brace of chickens already cooked, which she said would do for the supper. Dea. con Hiram Blodgett brought bushel oi Spitzenberg apples, and his eldest son lad of Is, had bushel of black wal
 nuts. Mrs. Blodgett had some raised biscuits and pan of seed cakes. Mrs Martha Richards brought Q couple of fla irons which were too heavy, she said, fo her use, and her daughter had made
 handsome holder for taking the irons of , the stove when they were hot. Mrs
 Richards said her brother-in-law Michae
 would bring some pumpkins and anothe ] ards arrived. When Mir. Crawford car , ried the squash down to the cellar h. slipped upon the spilled preserves, ant
 in falling slightly sprained his wrist
 MT. Richards's wife had embroidered ] pair of slippers for the minister, whicl were found to be too small. Her daugh } ter had made a chintz-covered chai l cushion, stuffed with corn husks, an l this was too large for any chair in tn : house.
 The druggists wife had an electri } belt for the minister, which her bus band warranted to cure any liver trou l ble known. Other ladies brought va
 rious good things for the supper, an 7 the gentlemen, when they arrived, ha
 also a great variety of gifts. Anon them was a horsewhip, sawbuck, cord Of wood, which was dumped out l B the street for the minister to carry to th
 woodshed; lot of seed corn tied t t gether by the husks, peck of dried al n ples, fail which was recommended g being unequaled for thrashing out beam Q two home made bootiacks, curry com 3 and brush, a pounding barrel" ft r washing clothes and pounder, a gallo @ of soft soap, and some more pumpkin r Some of the ladies brought strips of rs f carpet, some of which were more or leI @ worn, and one of them had dozen bal d of carpet rags and some five pounds y warp. There were also some newsp o pers with scolloped edges, which we s suitable for pantry shelves.
 But the most striking gift of all wi