Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1888-04-12
AUNTY PARSONS STORY.
Why Her Church Will Mover Go
BOARDING" Any Moro.

told II zskiah-that's my man.
People mostly call him Deacon Par
sons. but he never gets any deacon
ing from me. We were married -
'Hczckiah and Amariah" - that's
Soin' ON forty years ago, and he
Hezekiah to me. and nothin' more.
Well. rs l was saving. says /:
'Hczekiah. we aren't right. | am
sure of H." And he said: 'Ot course
not. We are poor sinners. Amy; all
poor sinners" And | said: Hoe
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 tho
shop yet; and 50 / had this little talk
with him To sort o'chirk him up. He
knew what | was comm to. for we
had had the subject mp before. 1t was
our little church. II, always said:
1.-The poor people. and what should we
ever do?' And always said: we
never shall do nothin' unless we try"
And SO when | brought the matter up
IN this way. he just began bitin' his
toothpick. and said: What's up
now Who's mean? AmarIah, we
oughtn't To speak evil one of
another" llczekiah always saws.
poor sinners" and doesn't seem to
mind IL. lint ttIap nuru1fn.IIv "a
mean sinners lie somehow gets on
easy. But was started and | meant
To free my mind.
81 | said, says l.: Il was goin' to
confess sins. Dan'l confessed for
all his people, and | was confcssin' for
all our little church.
Truth is" saws |. '.ours is allus
called one OF the feeble churches and
| I'M tired about il. rvo raised seven
children. and ut fourteen months old
every boy and girl IF them could run
alone. And our church is fourteen
years old says l. ..and it can't take
n step yet without somebody to hold
on by. The Board helps MS. and Gen,
eral Jones. good man. he helps us
helps too much, l think-and so ",
lily along. but we do not seem to grow
strong. Our people draw their ration,
every year rs the Indians do up at tn,
agency; and it docsn' t seem sometime.
rs if they ever thought of doing any
thing else.
They take it SO easy" / said.
That's what worries me. | do moi
suppose re could pay nil expenses,
but we nigh. act rs if we wanted to,
and rs il we meant TO do all we can.
II read says |. last week abou.
the debt Of the Board; and this week
rs understand. says |. ''our 'ippli
cation Is going in for another year
aud no particular effort 10 do any bet,
ter. and it frets me. | can't sleeI
nights; and | can't take comfort San,
days. I've got to feeling rs if we wer,
a Kind of perpetual pauperS. And thai
was what | meant whom | said. 1t i
real mean. | suppose | said il u lit.
tie sharp says ]. ''but I'd rather b,
sharp than Hat any day; and if ",
don't begin to stir ourselves, we shall.
he Nat enough before long. and shall
deserve to be. 1t grows on me-. Il
has jest been Board. boarl, board.
for fourteen years. and I'm tired of it.
! never did like boardin'.' saws 1
land. even if we are poor. l believ,
we might do something toward setting
up house keeping for ourselves.
We'll. there's not many of us; about
q hundred. ! believe; and some Of these
is women folks, and some is Jest boys
and girls. And we all have 10 work
hard aud live close; but. saws |. .ler
us show a disposition. if nothin' more,
Hezekiah. if there's any sperrc. left in
us. let us show some sort of disposi.
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 somcthin'. Il
think there's some of us that shows a
disposition"
of course | understood that hit; bu,
keep still keep right on with my
argument. and ] 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 a disposition to lie still
and let somebody carry Us. And we
are growing up erIpples--onIy we don't
grow.
'kiah." says j. do you hear me?'
Sometimes when | want to talk 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
isaid; "Kiah. do you hear2' Anil
be said; "Somel' and then | went ON.
"fW got a pr~oposiua9" says /