The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1889-06-08
For The CECIL WING.
MIRANDY GILMAN GOES C0LLECTIN'
BY MARY f. IRELAND.

Why how do Icrusha Havens | am
raal glad you got time to come to OIL
church picnic. | was just wishin' you
would come, it is such splendid day
to be in the woods. | come airly for
Philander had business mile or two
further on, so he brought me and my
basket, and if we had only know'd that
you had any idee of comm, we would
have stopped and brought you.
am glad you come airly too, for
want to tell you about me and Susan
Pettibone going collectin' for Home
Missions to Zed Granger's and to Philip
Starkey's which | didn't get time to tell
you the day was to see you.
You Sc Jerusha, we was gettin' up a
lot of clothes to give to a poor set of
creeturs that had been burnt out OF
house and home, and left with no
clothes except what they went to sleep
in. 1t was man named Bennett, and
his wife and hull lot of children of all
SIZES, like paper of assorted needles,
so it want much trouble to get clothes
to fit and suit EN-. So we planned to
get all we could collect from the neigh
bors and that would save buyin' new,
and what we saved in that way we
send in money.
Well, as was sayin', the president
Of our society told US of all the places
we mi ght try collectin', and as i'll luck
would have it, my place was Zed
Granger's.
Now Jerusha you know Zed Granger
as well as | do, and know that he is not
only the stiDgiest creetur, but the hard
heartedest that is to be found in the hull
neighborhood. | know the Bible says
we must have charity of speech, and
says that the best of virtues is charity
and l believe it and practise it; but
Jerusha, when the hull neighborhood is
pullin' in one direction, and in the di-
rection of truth, into the bargain, it
amt wuth while fer me to be pullin' the
other way and praisln' up Zed Granger
fer good deeds he didn't do, and good
traits he amt got.
We all know'd that the Granger
children wouldn't have no cast off
clothes fer Zed never allows money fer
new until his children is in ta.terS, but
the president said maybe | could soften
his heart by tellin' him of the sufferln' S
OF them poor creeturs, and maybe he
might give US some money. Now Je-
rusha we know Zed Granger better
than that, and know it want wuth
while to try to soften what want there
but, howsomever, l went, and poor Miss
Granger-lookin' as though she was halt
starved, and SO she is fer love, and ap
probation, and generous livin'-come
and let me in, and said she would tel
Mr. Granger that | was there.
Well Zed come in end the minute he
saw my memorandum book he friz right
up and looked as grim as the old tY,
rant he is, and you can't go no further
than that Jerusha
Well Mr.. Granger, says l in persua
Sive tones, | reckon you have heard o.
them poor creeturs down by the mil
that was burnt out and have no house
home nor clothes.
Yes, says he, l heard it, and what
kind of careless wretches are they to &C
to bed and leave an old wooden fire.
board up with bushel of SCOT behind
it to get afire.
Wen, says | calm-like, l reck on they
think that themselves, and i. don'i
make it it any easier fer them TO bear
KNOWN that it might have been pre-
vented. They were as porr as churci
mice before the fire, and B nnett goI
hurt trying 10 save some of his poor
furniture, amt able to work and don't
know when he will be and if somebody
don't turn in and help them they will
starve to death.
Well, says he, let 'em starve, there's
too many of them anyhow. The neigh
borhood would be heap better of
without them, and would be very glad
to spare them.
There's some other folks the neigh
borhood could spare, says |, lookin
meanlngly at him, leastways they are nc
use in it.
Right you are, says he, putin on the
sneerin'est look you ever see, and the
ones that can be spared best IS the wo
men that goes gaddin' about collectin
money for the heather and such like
l don't know how 1t may be with Phil,
ander Gilman, but | would rather my
wife would be settin' at home darnin
stockin's.
Well Jerusha l didn't make mite O
reply to thai fer | knJw'd that the Dool
stingy creetur ouly said il to keep from
givln' anything.
Don't you never give anything tl
help people that is in trouble ? says |.
No l don't, says he, and Jerusha he
seemed rally proud to say it.
Well, says l, that's what the hui
neighborhood says about you, but
thought it might be wuth while to try
DO you expect TO go to heaven witt
that way OF doing?
| reckon SO, says he, lookin' as hare
favored as one OF them ugly figger>
on an old Dutch pipe-the dyin' THE
didn't give nothin' to help his neigh
bors as ever | heard of and he went
straight to Paradise. I'm just like him.
And don't you never give anything
to the church? says |, to help the
spread of the gospel?