The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1888-04-18
AUNTY PARSONS STORY.
Why Her Church Will Never Go
"Boarding" Any More.

told H zekiah-thats my man.
People mostly call him Deacon Par
sons, but he never gets any deacon
ing from me. We were married -
II zekiah and Amariah' - that $
goin' on forty years ago, and he's
Hczekiah to me, and nothin' more.
Well, as I was saying, says l:
"Hezekah. we aren't right l am
sure of it, And he said: OF course
not We are poor sinners. Amy; all
poor sinners" And / said: ''Hczc-
kiah. this poor sinner talk has gone
on long enough. suppose we are
poor sinners, but don't see any use
of being mean sinners; and there S
one thing think is real mean
1t was just after breakfast; and, as
he felt poorly. he hedn't gone to the
shop yet; and so I had this little talk
with him to sort c.iirk him up. He
knew what | was comm to, for we
had had the subject up before. 1t was
our lftrIe churcn. Ho always salG:
The poor people, and what should we
ever doP' And l always said: 1--WE
never shall do nothin' unless we try"
And so when l brought the matter up
in this way, he just began bitin' his
toothpick. and sad: whats up
now2 Who's mean? Amarlah. we
oughtu't to speak evil one of
another" Hezckiah always says,
poor sinners" and doesn't seem to
mind ii; but when l occasionally say
mean sinners lie somehow gets on
easy. But was started and meant
to free my mind.
So said, says I: II was goin' to
confess our sins. Dan'l confessed for
all his people, and l was confessin fol
all our little church"
Truth is" says |. "ours is alIus
called one OF the fee bic churches and
am tired about it. I've raised seven
children, and at fourteen months old
every boy and girl of them could run
alone. And our church is fourteen
years Old" says /, land it can't take
n step yet without somcb body to hold
on by. The Board helps us, and Gen
eral Jones, good man, he helps us
helps too much, | think-and so we
live along, but we do not seem to grow
strong Our people draw their rations
hn m al 81
agency; and it doesn' tseem-sometimes
as if they ever thought of doing any
thing else.
They take it so easy" l said.
That's what worries NE. l do not
suppose we could pay all expenses,
but We might act as if we wanted to-,
and as if we meant to do all we can.
81 read" says |. 'last week about
the debt of the Board; and this week,
as | understand" says |, 'our .appli-
cation is going in for another year,
and no particular effort to do any bet
ter, and it frets me. l can't sleer
nights; and l can't take comfort Sun
days. I've got to feeling rs if we were
n kind of perpetual paupers. And that
was what l meant when l said, 1t is
real meant! / suppose l said it u lit
tie sharp says ], 'but I'd rather be
sharp than fiat any 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 fourteen years, and I'm tired of it.
never did like boardin',' says l;
'and. even if we are poor, | believe
we might do something toward setting
up house keeping for ourselves.
We'll, there not many of us; about
hundred, l believe; and some of these
is women folks. and some is jest boys
and girls. And we all have to work
hard and live close; but" says l. 'let
us show a disposition, if nothin' more,
Hezekiah, if there's any sperret left in
us, let us show some sort of DISPOSE
ton"
And Hezekiah had his toothpick in
his teeth. and looked down at his boots
and rubbed his chin, as he always does
when he's goin' to SAY somethin'. Il
think there's some of us that shows a
disposition"
Of course l understood that hit; but
keep still. keep right on with my
argument and l said: Yes, and a
pretty bad disposition it is It's ads
position to let ourselves be helped
when we ought to be helping our
selves. It's disposition to lie still
snd let somebody carry US. Aud we