News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-01-29
LIFE OLA COUNTRY PARSON
TBE REV. MIR. CRAWFORD's DONA-
lion PARTY.

The Most Successful Held in Years, but /
Ended Him md his Wife-Some Yer,
CEriORs Presents.
PEPPERTowN, Dec. 20.-The near ap
proach of Christmas calls to mind th,
curious experience in this village OF
Christmas Eve one year ago of the lat,
Rev. Eleazer Crawford. Many of tht
facts concerning this experience are pub
lie property, while others, which were
told to the writer by the Rev. Mr.. Craw
ford's widow, just previous to her death
Oct. 25 last, are now made known fol
the first time. The single church in
this village was the first and only charg.
Mr.. Crawford ever had. He entered
the ministry when nearly 40 years old
after an unsuccessful business career
. His inexperience was impressed upon
him when Trustees Lemuel Carter
johnson Higbee and Amos Jackson
called upon him in his dingy home ir
West Twentieth street, New York, anc
engaged him. "We will give you S55(
year and Donation" said Trustee
Higbee, ''and if you make a go o.
preaching and we like you, why maybe
we will give you more next year."
The Rev. Mr.. Crawford was anxious
to enter upon the work he had chosen
and accepted the offer. He was kindly
and good, and thought that he and his
cheery English wife could live with their
three children on that salary. They
knew nothing of country life, and Mr..
Crawford's idea of donation extended
so far only that he knew what the word
meant in the abstract.
They came here in June, 1888, and
gradually grew into the favor and good
will of the 1900 people who make the
village their home. They lived, of
course, in the parsonage, which is con-
sidered a very comfortable house,
There is no well and no cistern. Drink
ing water has to be carried from well
in the yald of Joe Long, the saloon
keeper, who lives next door, and rain
water is caught in tubs and barrels set
under the ends of the wooden caves
tros CHS. The woodshed is in the rear
of the parsonage some ten feet. and
there is no barn. Mr. Crawford kept
neither horse nor COW and needed no
barn. Accustomed as they had been to
city conveniences, they found the work
inseparable from housekeeping very
hard, but they bore that, as they did
most troubles, patiently and without
murmuring.
1t was at the November meeting of the
Trustees that the question of the dona-
ton came up, and Christmas Eve was Sc
Iected as the time. After the evening
service the next Sunday, Trustee Garter
took the Pastor one side and told him
about the donation.
you've done pretty we'll, consider
ing" said Trustee Garter, as he worked
his arms into his heavy overcost and
drew it up over his shoulders, land we
are going to give you first class dona-
ton party"
eyes" said the Pastor, tentatively.
Mr.. Crawford liked his Trustees, but
they were different from the men he had
been accustomed to, and there was
never the good-feHowship between them
and the minister that existed between
the Trustees themselves and their fellow
members in the church.
ST don't suppose, con tinued Trustee
Garter, "thst you ever saw donation ?"
'1 never did, said Mr.. Crawford, with
little laugh.
'And don't know anything about how
they're run p
"No, not much," answered the minis
ter, flushing little and looking as if he
thought he ought to know just what a
donation party was.
ooh, well, you'll know all about
those things when you've been longer in
the business" said Trustee Carter, good
naturedly. "You see, ministers have to
live like everybody else, though the
Bible does say Take no thought for
your meat. If minister doesn't have
things he has got to buy them like other
folks. Now, we mostly raise all sorts of
stuff, you know, and once year we give
to our minister lot of vegetables and
things of that sort that he'd have to buy
otherwise. It's Just the same as SO
much more salary, only it's easier for us
and just as good for him."
"Why, shouId think that was an ex-
cellent plan," said Mr.. Crawford, with q
good deal of interest. sit must"
"Yes, it's a tip-top plan," said the
Trustee. "You see, we'll all come to
your house in the evening-it will be
Christmas Eve this year-and We'll
bring this stuff and leave it and also
some cooked victuals, and have supper
and frst-rate time. The woman folks
will drop in in the afternoon and brin ?
things that they make themselves, and
we men folks will drop around to sup.
per-"
''EIeazer told me about the donation
when he came home," said Mrs. Craw.
ford, one day not long before she died
''and / said it was just as they did il
Bible times, when they set apart por
ton of the fruit of their toll as thank
offering, only couldn't see how Sc
many people were going to get into oul
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 O
little nervous when the day came and
wished it was over. 1t was nearly Z
o'clock when big sleigh drew MP il
front of the parsonage and Widow
Selma Archibald climbed out. He,
hired man dropped the reins and fol
lowed her up to the door, staggering un
der the weight of great jar.
The minister opened the door ant
welcomed Mrs. Archibald, while th,
hired man stepped inside and put tn,
big Jar on the floor.
"I've brought you some ounce pre-
serves" said Mrs. Archibald to Mrs