The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1885-08-21

SUPPOSE | said it a little sharp,
says /, "but I'd rather be sharp
than fiat amy day, and If we don't
begin to stir ourselves we shall be
fiat enough before long, and shall
deserve to be. 1t grows on me. 1t
has jest been Board, Board, Board,
for torteen years, and Pm tiied of
it. | never did like bOartliu'," says
+; "and even if we were poor, |
believe we might do something to.
ward settin' up housekeepin' for
ourselves.
"Well, there's not many of US
about hundred, believe, and
some of these is women folks, and
some is jest girls and boys; and
we all have to work hard and live
close, But" says /, "let's show a
disposition, if nOthin' more. Hez-
ekiah, if there is any spirit lett in
us let us show some sort of il dis
position"
And Hezekiah has his tOotllpick
in his teeth, and looked down at
his boots aud rubbed his chin, as
he always does when he's goin' to
say sOmethim'. ii think there's
some of us shows a disposition"
OF course | understood that hit,
but ] KEEP still. | KEEP right on
with my argument, and | said !:
sYes, and a pretty bad disposition
it is. It's a disposition to let our
selves he helped when we ought to
be helping ourselves. It's disposi
tlOn to lie still and let somebody
carry us. And We are growing up
cripples, only we don't grow"
"kiah," says /, edo you hear
me- 7" Sometimes when | want to
talk Il little he jest shets his eyes,
and begins to rock himself back
and forth in the old arm chair, and
he was doin' that now. So | said,
sSOme 70 and then / went on. 'sI've
got propositions" says |. And
he sort O looked up, aud sail /:
"Hev yOuf Well, between Il dis
position aud a proposition, | guess
the proposition might he better"
He's awful sarcrOstic sometimes.
But / wasn't GOin' to get Tiled, nor
thrown off the track so | Jest said:
eyes; do you and get two shil-
Inns worth apiece week out of
that blessed little church of Ourn,
TO YOU think !" says |. Cos, it we
do. want TO give two shillln's
week to keep it going, and thought
may l5T-you cOnld do as much.c SO
be said ho guessed we could stand
thai, and ] said "Thats my pro
position; aud mean to see if we
can't tind somebody else that'll do
the same. It'll show disposition,
anyway"
"Well, suppose you'll hev your
own way" says he; "yOu most al.
ways do.1 Aud l said: "ISu't it
most alters good way |" Then |
brought Out my subscription paper.
| had it all ready. | didn't Jest
know how 10 shape it, but knew
it was something about "sums set
opposite our ndmes,I and so |
drawed it up and took NY chances.
"YOu must head it,' says /, ''be-
cause you ale the oldest deacon,
and must 60 on next, because |
am the deacOn'S wife, aud then I'll
see some of the rest of the folks"
So Kiah sOt down, and put on his
specs, and took his pen, but did
not write. "Nhats the matter ~
says l. Aud he said: "I'm sort OF
'shamed to subscribe two shillin's.
/ never signed so little as that for
anything. l used to give that to
the circus when l was nOthin' but
boy, and l ought to do more than
that to support the gospel. Two
shilln's week! Why, it's only a
shillin' sermon, and all the pray
or meetin's thrown in. | can't go
less than fifty cents l am sure. So
down he went tor fifty cents, and
then | signed for quarter, and
then my sunbonnet went on to my |
head pretty lively aud says Il:
''Hezekiah, there's some cold potato
in the pantry, and you know where
to iind the salt; SO, If pm not back
by dinner time, don't be bashtul,
help yonrself.D Aud | started.
| called on the Smith family first,
felt sure OF them. Aud they
we're just happy. MIR. Smith Sign
ed, aud so did Mrs. Smith aud
Ong John, be came in while we
we're talkin', aud put his name
lown; and then old Grandma
Smith, she didn't want to be lett
)ut f: and so there was four Of 'em.
L've allns found it II great thing in
luy good enterprise to enlist the
smith family. There's u good
many of 'em. Next / called on the ,
Ioslyus, aud next on the Chapins, I
md then on the Wldtler Chadwick, ]
md 30 l ket on.
l met u little trouble once or i
vice, but not much. There was !
fuss Furber, aud bein' trustee he ,
bought was outside OF my spear, I
e said; aud he wanted il under
TODD that snch work belonged to
be trustees. ssTO bo surc,7 saysI,
l'm glad I've found il out. IWish [
be trustees had discovered that q Q
tile sooner.H Then there was sis. !
sr Putty, that's gnt the asthma. !
be thought we ought to be io0kin' 3
tier s-tise enerritO0alilies.1 She =