West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-01-19
THE DONATION PARTY.
nY mELEN ronnrsr anAvrs.

by HELEN FORREST GRAVES.
care youa'l right, Matilda2" said Mr..
Perkins, casting final, comprehensive
glance around him, as he put one foot on
the wagon step and gathered up the reius
into his left hand.
"G-yes, l believe So answered his
wife.
rs the big loaf of election cake inln
eyes. ="
and the stone jug of maple molasses -
cts right here
''And the ten yards o. rag carpet, and
the pair o brackets, and the cherry vase.
packed in tissue paper shavingsW
"lcs, l blcve we hain't forgotten
nothin'," asscnted Mrs. Perkins, crauiug
her neck this way and that, 10 make as
surance doubly sure.
oval, then, that settles matters" " said
the farmer, briskly ad .ustng himself in
his seat. Attention, company! For
ward march"
But as the clumsy old farm wagon
lumEercd slowly on through daisied
fields and meadows crimsoned with nod
ding grasses, he looked up in quaint,
one-sided manner at his wire's cloudcd
fICc.
What on airth's the matter, MatildaI"
said he 'I s'poscd you was dead set
on goin' TO this ere Donation Party
this AFTERNOON"
Il did set cons d able store by il. 8"
sad Mrs. Perkins, pumping heavy sigh
out Of some unseen deeps in her internal
economy; "but somehow ! feel sort Of
uneasy about lcavin' Chatty in charge of
things at home.
Asahel Perkins whistled.
Amt she a woman growed up2'
said he.
s'posc So"
Get OUT" said the old sarmer.
"One would suppose she was baby. s"
But she amt used to bcin' left
alone"
"It's good time to sort o'begin, then.
aiu't itp chucklcd the old man
d" Pm afcard she'll let the dried peach
sass burn. "
No great harm OF she does"
And there's the cllf TO be fed. and
the Shanghai chickens to be looked arter.
and the short cake TO be baked and -"
Well, ] ca.kilate Chatty's equal TO
the OCCASION" nodded Mr.. Perkins.
- Anyhow, we shaa't never know, ef we
don't take some way of findin out.
Come, mother, don't fret ] do blicvc.
ct you was on the road TO heaven, you'd
want TO turn back to see ef the clothes
Plus was all a-layin' tn Their heads the
right way, and the chickens had gone to
roost all square an even on the proper
perch"
Aslhe', you hadn't oughtcr speak
light o. sacred thingsn rcp:oachful "
murmrred Mrs Perkins
Well mother, I won't" acau. u.escl
Mr.. Perkins, of you'll leave OF thinkin'
You know more tLan Providence does.
chr
so The old couple kept on toward ihe
Catie!d Parsonage, where there was. on
that particular day, one of those great
local uphcavals commonly known as
donation atty and where four bush
els Of doughnuts thirteen bcd.0uilts.
nine macramc tides, and nineteen bou.
quets Of impossible paper roses. had al.
ready arrived in bcwildering succession
81 do hope, sighed The Row Eli Par
sons, THAT Providence 10 put it into the
head Of some ono 20 send mca fall or.
coat, for mines clear i'm Ia U.s. Squire
Pepper, now-hc's fairly well on I'm thi
worlds goods-.it's just Ike him To-
think OF such a thing"
While Mrs Parsons, % w,thcrcd little
old woman, with clusters of false Curls
on each side o her face and an Immortal
butterfly always lowering over the black
lace borders Of her clp, secretly hoped
that Mrs Goldwood who had more
money than She knew what to do with.
might be spiritually moved TO present
her with a much needed blu.l, silk gown.
81 know it au'tcOns stcnt 10 ihiuk too
much Of earthly adornmcnt.' sighed
poor little Mrs Pars.nt. "lut J never
had q SIX gown, and 80 does seem asifit
would be comforting TO own one before ]
died "
But or hopes arc frequently doomed
90 be blightcd
Squire Pepper brought % damaged
photog aph album, from The "u1.aable7
shelf in IBIS store, aud Mrs Goldwood
smilingly presented 90 her pastor wife 20
h'dcous basket of wax fruit which had
stood ON her own bac pulor table until
she was tired of the sight Oft
Mrs. Parsons could have burst out Crv-
ing
The stufy little par!or filled fast with
the parish'Oncrs. 1hc kitchen was well
packed with soil m1trous and brisk
maidons arranging the salt shoulders OF
bacon, the juicy hans, Che cold roast
fowls, and loa.c OF homc-m1jc cako:
the pounds Of cOItc. iu brown p0pcr
ccfemcnts, the packages OF white beam.
and thc glasses Of clrrut jelly. which
were ono by ono brought in
The parlOr tables gio3uCd und bool
markers, embroidered tidiot, homc.kuit
laccs, volumes OF poems. and such eui-
ncntiy useful contributions
Mr Parsons butIed io and fr0.
wondering how on earth. oven with all
the china and glass She bad borrowed.
she should manage to provide for SUCH %
coucOursc of guests
Mr. Parsons smiled fccbly at tho WE'LL
worn joke OF his people. and wondorc
how many Of This w cular type of
donation Party 80 would take Co send
him TO- tto p0OrA0usc
"Didnt yen bring your city niece '
old Miss Tacka5crry asked of Ms Po
kine, who sufr1nIcd by group of con
Gcnial friou s., sat on tho sofa in lhe pa #
aon's study radiant as thc iuli moon.