Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-01-23
Gales aud Sketehes.
Life OF a Country ParsOn.
THE REV. Mr.. CRAwFORD's DONATION
PARTY.

PEPPERTON, Dec. ~ Inc near aP-
proach of Christmas calls to mind the
curious experience in this village on Christ
mas eve one year ago. OF the late Kew
Eleazer Crawford. Many of the facts
concerning this experience are public
property, while others, which were told to
the writer by the Rev. Mr.. Crawford's
widow, Just previous to her death, Oct
25th last. are now made known for the
first time The single church in this vii
lage was the first and only charge Mr..
Crawford ever had. He entered the min
is:ry when nearly 40 years old, after an
unsuccessful business career. His mex
perience was impressed upon him when
Trustees Lemuel Carter, johnson Higbee
and Amos Jackson called upon him in his
dingy home in West Twentieth Street,
New York, and engaged him. 1--WE will
give you $3.50 year and donation, -
said Trustee Higbee. land if you make a
60 OF preaching and we like you, why,
maybe we will give you more next year. :"
The Rev. MIR. 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 CHEEKY
English wife could live with their three
children on that salary. They knew moth
ing of country life, and Mr.. Crawford's
idea of donation extended so far only that
he knew what the word meant in the alb
stract.
They came here in June, 1888. and
gradually grew into the favor and good
will of the 1920 people who make this
village their home. They lived, of course,
in the pars, mage, which is considered u
very comfortable house. There is no
we'll and no cstern. Drinking water has
to be carried from we'll in the yard of
10 Long the saloon keeper. who lives next
door, and rain water is caught in tubs and
barrels sci under the ends of the wooden
caves troughs. The woodshed is in the
rear of the parsonage some 10 feet, and
there is no barn. MI. 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 murmur-
ing.
1t was at the November meeting of the
trustees that the question came up, and
Christmas eve was selected as the time.
After the evening service the next Sunday
Trustee Carter took the pastor one side
and told him about the donation.
: you've done pretty well. considering, :"
, said Trustee Carter, as he worked his arms
, into his heavy overcoat and drew 1t up
) over his shoulders, land we are going to
give you a first-class donation party"
Yes" said the pastor. tentatively. Mr..
Crawford liked his trustees, but they were
different from the men he had been accus-
toned to- and there was never the good
fellowship between them and the minister,
that existed between the trustees them
selves and their fellow members in the
: church.
81 don't suppose continued Trustee
Carter. "that you ever saw donation ?"
Il never did," said Mr. Crawford, with
a little laugh.
And don't know anything about how
they're run ?''
mo, not much" answered the minis
ter, flushing little, and looking as if he
thought he ought to know just what a 90
nation party was.
"Oh, we'll, you'll know all about those
things when you've been longer in the
business SAID Trustee Carter good
naturally. "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 usually raise all sorts of stuff. you
know, and once year we give to our
minister a lot of vegetables and things of
that sort, that ned 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.
''Whv,I should think that was an excel
lent plan" said Mr.. Crawford, with a
good deal of interest. 1T must
Yes. its tip-top plan" said the trus-
tee. You see, we'll all come to your
house in the evening-it will be Christ
mas eve. this year-and we'll bring this
stuff and leave it, and also some cooked
victuals. and have asupper and first rate
time. The women folks will drop in in
the afternoon and bring things that they
make themselves, and we men folks will
get around to supper"
"Eleazer told me about the donation
when he came home" said Mrs Crawford
one day not long before she died, land
said it was Just as they did in Bible times.
when they set apart portion of the fruit
of their toll as thank offering. only |
couldn't see how so many people were
gong 10 get lnlO our llttle mouse"
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 over. 1t was nearly 8 O'Clock
when a big sleigh drew up in front of the
parsonage and Widow Selma Archibald
climbed out. Her hired man dropped the
reins and followed her up to the door
staggering under the weight of a grea,
earthen jar.
The minister opened the door and well
coined Mrs. Archibald. while the hired
man stepped inside and put the big jar on
the floor.
"I've brought you some ounce pre-
serves, said Mrs. Archibald TO Mrs. Craw
ford 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 muster
under the reflection that neither she nor
any member of her family could tolerat.
ounces.
The two ladies went through into the
parlor, and the minister tugged and
, nullad tho praat iar thronrh into Tho ,on