The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1890-09-24
THE DONATION PARTY,
BY EBEN f. RExFoRD.

ment to the new minister with an air of
stating the possession of great moral
virtue peculiar to the people Of Scragsby
Corners.
al have never found donation parties
very satisfactory" said the minister. az
would greatly prefer having a stated
salary, and having it paid in cash."
"Wall, yes I s'pose ye would" said
the deacon. "That's what all the minis
ters say. But, ye see, 'twon't hardly do,
here in Scragsby Corners"
"Why potl" asked the minister.
go, they've got in the habit o. havin'
donations, an they expect 'em, ye see,"
replied the deacon, 'an' they'd feel sor-
ter offended ef preacher sot his foot
down an said he wouldn't have 'em.
Some folks give suthin' in that way that
wouldn't give nothin' in cash, and we're
bound to git all out O. the cmmunity
that we can, ye see."
"MY experience has been that a great
deal Of what people bring to donation
party is worthless or useless" said the
minister.
"Nalf, yes, spose so" assented the
ag'in' donations on that account here.
Ye'd have the folks down on ye in no
time"
''Well, then, said the poor minister,
with sigh of resignation to the newt
able, 81 suppose it will have to be-" He
thought of his last donation party with
its dozen loads of dozy, half-rotten stove
wood; wood which was worthless to the
donors, because it had been cut so long
that il was unstable, and which they would
never have thought of using at home.
More than once his wife's temper had
been sorely tried with the miserable stuff,
and she had threatened making a bonfire
of the whole lot, and probably would
have attempted carrying the threat into
execution if she had had any idea that it
could have been coaxed to burn itself
up.
''Dear mel" exclaimed Mrs. Spooner,
in dismay, when her husband told her
that donation party was being talked
UP. 81 did hope we might escape the
infliction when we came here. / don't
think was ever more vexed than / was
the morning after the last one. There
wasn't room in the house fit to use
until it had been cleaned. There was
half a chocolate cake between the pillows
on the parlor bed; pie IN the bureau, and
some one had emptied plate of baked
beans behind the sofa. 1t took me all
of two weeks to get Strengthened around.
And now that we've just got settled,
there's to be another. It's too bad, but
don't know that we can help ourselves,
since a minister and his family are con-
sidered objects of charity, and, there
fore, obliged TO take up with whatever
the people see fit to give them, without
the chance to say a word for them
selves"
"a donation party will be held at
Elder Spooner's next Thursday evening,
the Lord willin', an it's hoped ev'rybody
I'll turn out, an bring suthin' for the
sport o. the gospil," Deacon Spears an
nounced, one Sabbath, after service.
"The Lord loves cheerful giver," he
added, in a sort of postscript, after which
he blew his nose vigorously on a great
red and white bandanna, in a manner
that suggested applause, over the neat
way in which the announcement had been
made, and then sat down.
Immediately there was buzz among
the female portion of the congregation,
and little groups of women put their
heads together and began discussing what
to carry in the shape of eatables; while
the men got together in the vestibule of
the church, and consulted with each other
on what they were to "donate."
81 reckon I'll take beans this year"
said Mr.. Wade. ''It's been a great year
for beans. l hain't raised so big a crop
emmy year since '65, Is can recollect. l
can give beans 'thout feelin' it much"
$50 can /, said Mr.. Pettigrew. 81
got jofired big crop off'n the side-hill
lot. 1 guess III take beans, too. / can
spare 'em better'n enything else, an they
amt a-goin' to sell fer much this year,
cause they're so plenty"
Several Others who listened TO their
conversation concluded to take beans
also, fur it had "been great year for
beans" in Scragsby Corners, as Mr.. Wade
had said.
"I've good notion to take some o.
my Almiry's clo'es, )" said Mrs. Deacon
Spears to Mrs. Pettigrew. "Shes out
crowd 'em, but they'd jest about fit the
elders oldest girl, 1 sh'd jedge, an
they're most as good as new, some on
'em. You don't s'pose Mis- Spooner d
feel put out about it, do you now, Mis-
Pettigrew.
~ can't see why she should" re-
sponded Mrs. Pettigrew. "Olo'es is
clo'es an minister's folks hadn't ought to
git mad at what's give 'em as long as
they hey to depend on us for a livin'.
'Tain't as if they could afford to be in
dependent, y know. l s'pose I might
take some jackets an trowsis that air
gettin' putty snug for the boys. will,
if you conclude to take some o. Almiry's
dresses, Mis- Spears"
"Wall, then s'pose we do" responded
Mrs. Spears.
The evening of the donation party
came.
The first arrival at the parsonage was