Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-07-06
THE RIVAL PICNICS.
THURSDAY, JULY 4TH.
ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPEN-
DANCE.


DANCE.
The Methodist Congregation OF
Middleburg will hold First Glass
picnic at Clapp's hill. Brass band
ice cream. poem Orration and fire
works. meet at Mason's PM Tick
cts IS ctsl Children price.
"There!" said Ed. Tully, as he af
fixed this notice to post in Mason's
store. Il bet that I'll fetch the hull
village" Ed was muscular young
wheelright of lively manners and So
cial instincts.
Reuben Applegate, the best car.
penter in Mid0leburg, stepped back to
survey the placafd. and remarked,
with the shy conceit of the true art
ist: at looks well, if did do it."
"It's splendid" said Ed, good as
print. But NUNS the word, for if
Holloway's folks know we're expect
in to make anything for our preacher
not one of 'em will buy a ticket,
while, as it is, the young fellers might
find the picnic a good, cheap treat tor
their girls. Hello, Mason!"-as the
store keeper looked out through lit
tie window and under the legend
Postoliice-" don't let on to Hollowav's
folks that we're raisin' money for Mr..
Dodd Then the young men went
down the village street.
Presently old Mrs. Crawford and
her pretty niece Abby dropped into
the store.
"Any letters for us, Mr.. Mason?
No? Why it seems as though scme-
body had ought to write Got any
dark blue paper muslin? Why, sakes
aliye, Abby" Gas she spied the plac-
ard), eff Dodd's folks folks amt 60
ing to give picnicm
The store. keepers gossipy soul un-
derwent moments struggle; then
he compounded with conscience by
saying, "Well, Miss Crawford. I'll
tell you, as a secret, we're raisin' mo-
ney to buy Mr. Dodd q horse and
buggy"
Miss Crawford, who was a mas
sively built and conscientious old lady,
became at once very thoughtful, and
in walking home she remarked:
"When we need an organ so bad,
it don't seem right to help Dodd's
to get horse and buggy. Don't you
GO to that picnic, Abby"
"But, aunt" said Abby, "the pic
nic's no harm"
abby" Miss Cra wford, turning
upon her niece large, solid counten-
ance that seemed to open up the
whole subject of architecture, "ever
since certain person has come to
Middleburg I've noticed you don't
take serious views of things"
Abby flung her little head away,
and INDUCED in that pain and privil-
ege of youth called blushing. The
girl. having soft dark eyes, rich gold
brown hair, and dainty skin, blushed
upcommonly well, the pale rose on
her cheek just deepening to a lovely
carnation. "Oh, aunt" she stammer-
ed, "you know | refused DR.. Worth,
although / did love"-the aunt turn
ed that study in masonry upon her
again-"I did love his little daughter
Mabel dearly"
"Abby, said the good woman, pas
sionately dashing q tear from her hon
est eyes, "I'd rather see you dead
and buried than married to heather,
or, what's worse, an-an Armenian.
Miss Crawford's strange use of this
last word was owing to slight mis-.
understanding of Mr.. Holloway. her
pastor, when, in reference to the Me-
thodist Church, he remarked mildly:
"Mr. Dodd is rather too Arminian for
M; NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS."
Some of the congregation, not vest
ed in theological terms, heard this with
awe and horror, and easily changing
q vowel, the word armenian" had
become terrible cabalistic synonym
for all heresy and schism. Middle
burg possessed but two churches. and
the villagers were pretty evenly divi.
ded between Mr.. Holloway, Presby-
terian, and Mr. Dodd. Methodist
The two gentlemen entertained res
pect for each othor, and although Mr..
Holloway being dignifed and scholar
ly and Mr.. Dodd being free-spoken
and familiar, there was no intimacy
between them, neither suspected that
their congregations were nourishing
a bitter rivalry.
Miss Crawford, on recovering from
her outburst against heterdoxy, chan
ced to meet the Sparks girls, and she
told them the news.
"Picnic!" cried Mary Sparks, with
proper spirit. "Horse and buggy for
Mr.. Dodd? Guess not. Lets have q
picnic ourselves"
"a grand idea," said Miss Craw-
ford; "but the horn is engaged, so is
the drum. Why, what's left for us?"
"I'll call my brothers," said Mary
Sparks. She did SO promptly, and the
whole party proceeded to the school
house to consult MIR. Godfrey, the
teacher, rather weak-eyed and weak.
kneed young man, but one who had
undoubted erudition.
We'll turn out with our choir, y
be at once decided, land we'll have q
barrel of root beer, and I'll make a
speech, and if DR.. Worth will let us
have little Mabel, she can recite The
Drummer Boy"
Miss Crawford, forgetting every
thing but her eagerness to further the
glorious project. ordered her niece
sharply, Now, Abby, fly to DR.
Worth's and engage Mabel Run.
child, runw
DR.. Worth's old housekeeper being
away, the lonely widower was dis
cussing such such cold meal as he
! bourtv allowed him when he heard