Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1888-02-18
THE DONATION PARTY.
ny HELEN FORREST GRAVES.

the wagon-step ana gathered up the rein
iito his left hand tsrr-
"Y-ycs, l believe so," answered hi
wife.
as the big loaf of election cake in?"
4 ,s"Yes."
"And the store jug of maple molasses p
"It's right here"
"And the ten yards o. rag carpet, ant
the pair O brackets, and the cherry vase
packed in tissue-parer shavingsr'
..Yes, l, bl'eye We hain't forgotten
ncthin'," asscnted Mrs. Perkins, cranina
her neck this way and that, to make as
surance doubly sure.
,.."Wal, then, that settles ma ers," saio
the farmer, briskly ad ,usting himself i,
his seat. Attention, company! For
ward march,
But a. the clumsy old farm wagol
numbered slowly on through dais:et
fields and meadows crimsoned with nod
ding grasses, he looked up in quaint
1one-sided manner at his wife's cloudet
face.
"What on airth's the matter. Matildal' Z
said he. 81 s'posed you was dead Sc
on goin' to this ere Donation Party,
this afternoon"
81 did set cons. d able store by it,
said Mrs. Perkins, pumping heavy sigl
out OF some unseen deeps in her interRa
economy; "but somehow | feel sort o
Uneasy about leavin' Chatty in charge o
things at home"
Asahel Perkins
"Ain't she
said he.
~ s'pose So"
"Get QUIT" said the old sarmer
Zone would suppose she was baby.
''But she amt used to bein' lef
llone"
e"ft's good time to SOFT o'begin, then
sin't iti" chuckled the old man.
"rm afeard shell let the dried peach
lass burn"
"No great harri eff she does"
"And there's the Gulf to be fed, ant
the Shanghai chi -kens to be locke arter
and the short cake to be baked and.
"Well, | caikilate Chatty's equal I,
the OCCASION" nodded Mr.. Perkins
"Anyhow, we shan't never know, ef W
don't take some way of findin' out
Come, mother, don't fret. do blieve
ef yol was on the road to heaven, YOU'D
want TO turn back TO see eff the clothes
! pins was alt a-layin' W tn theii heads tn
right way, and the chickens had gone {,
roost all square an even on the pr1pc
psTeh."
Asihc', you hadn't oughter speal
light o. sacred things" reproachful
murmured Mrs Per .ins.
We'll mother, | won't" acau;esef
Mr.. rerkins, cf you Il leave O thinkin
you know more ttan Providence does
ent -. - -. ~ & -
50 Bic old couple kept oniow ri th
Catfeld PafsonaSe, whers there was, ol
thatrarticular day. one Of those grea
localuph"avals commonly known rs
''Donation y, and where four bush
els of doughnur9. thirteen Bed quilts
nine macrame ii lies, and nineteen bou
quets Of imposs. be paper roses, had al
ready arrived in bewil,lrring succession
II do hope" sigh d the Rev. Eli Par
sons, ''that rroyilence. II prt'it fh;o TIL
head Of some one 10 send me fall o or
coat, fer mines clear in Ia,s. Squir
Pepper, now-he's fairly well or in thi
worlds gools--it's Just Ike him t,
think sssilch thing, -...=-z----.7s.7 '---
VIII c Mrs. Parsons, a withrred li;tl
old wman, with clusters of fa'se curl
on each side o. her face. ard immorta
butterfly always lowering over the bllcl
lace bordcrs of he-cap secretly HOPED
that Ms Goldwood, who had Il OF
money than she knew what to do with
might be spiritually moved to presen
herwith much needed black silk gown
Il know it n nj cn2s steut to think to-
much of earthly Il lornmcnts,' sig e,
poor little Mrs. i'a.Son "Uut | neve
had six gown, aaj it does seem as if i
would be comforting to own one before
died.
But or hopes are frcgucntly doome,
to be blightc |.
Squire Pepper brought a damaged
photogra h album, from hc 'u1saIable
shelf in lis store, and Mrs. Goldwoot
smilingly presented to her pastors fe
hldeous basket Of wax fruit, which ha
stood on her own taci parlpr table unit
she wastired of the sight of il
MRS. Parsons co I'D have burst out cry
ing.
The stuffy little par.or fl ed sst wirl
the parish orers. The kitchen was-wel
packed with soil mItrons and brisl
maidens, arranging the salt shoulders o
Dacon. the juicy hams, III. cold roas
fowls, and loa es of homer male cake
the pounds of cofte, in brown papc
cefements, the packa scs OF white bean
ana The glasses of clrrant Jelly, whicl
were one by one brough. in.
The pallor tables gToaned under book
markers, embroidered tidie', home-kni
iaces, volumes of poems, and such emi
nently useful contributions.
MI. Parsons hustled to and fro
wondering how on earth, even with a
the china and glass she had borrowed
she should manage to provide for such
concourse OF guests.
Mr.. Parsons smiled feebly at the wei
worn jokes of his people, and wonde.e e
nov many OF this pa tcular type 4
donation Party" it would take to sen
him 70 the poorhouse.
"idn't ycr bring your city niece
old Miss Tackaberry asked of Mrs. Pc,
skins, )wbo, surro IN led by group of COT
]. "a frien Is. { ON tho SOFA in the "a
<pdy. raiiart as the full mosp
es.,s.t ~ ssa.-z@ - = ,tz.-.[|ts.|