The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-07-02
QUR NIGHT WITH
THE "CREEKETS."
by HAL OWEN.


A party of young people of for month nc rnoS
ting know pretty well what f1 ha1To,y-
ne means in al lis shortness ara Snaiio"
ASS. we were such a party Stopping az
li.tle town on the northern shores OF gooo
Tal,a Michigan. where 1t was never 100
ut or too cold.
We were onart4red at the hospitable home
Mrs. HOPKINS, a hostess devoted to our
easure AID to tie wants of the Inner
an" We were seventy-fve miles from
ilroad, telephone, 8 door-bell, or any
ming else that could interrupt perfect rest.
1re rowed on the little bay, fiShed in It's
aters, drove through the woods, swung In
8 hammock, made pine pillows, reau,
liked. meditated, rested, and did just what
q pleased all day long.
me mother of some of us was the mother
, all of MS. Her flesh was often too much
9r her spirit, and she begged off from active
SerciSe, consigning Us TO the oversight Of
ISIS Dodd, a young lady no longer as young
years as in warnings. She was a teacher,
nd hence supposed to know everything, and
o be perfectly responsible, not only for
ersef, but for every one within range of
er bright eye aud pointed finger.
She was lively and witty. had a so0d ~, tolI ,
ma never in any way mteTIe4eu WIN "ri
m unless we carried il too far, and then
ar cnnscience did duty for the whole party.
ia was an ardent, active churchwOmah,
nd had become much interested IN lone
ttIe church mission school IN in hamlet
alled Creekton ten miles away throngh
II was proposed We should all go over to
risit This school some Sunday. We would
start early, take our lunch, aud come home
n the lenEtheniug shadows OF the alter
noon.
or course every one was pleased with such
vlan The PDlOOpl n
bachelor Of leisure, who was Ostensbly
visiting Fred Greer, one ef our party, but
-eally. in a vely sly way, renewing an old
line acquaintance with Miss D0dd. We
we're on the scent Of this at once. but were
seriously enough interested In both parties
70 respect the affair and await develop
ments.
The next Sunday was fixed upon for our
visit and proved every way most suspicious.
The ride was delightful through pine woods
and along by prosperous farms. a Sunday
hush rested over everything and quoted
even US. We reached the forlorn little
town at about 10 O'clock, and stopped as W.T.
had been directed to do at Squire Simkins.
Now, We had expected to find the Squire's
home q large square house, probably wife,
located on hllin welI-keut grounds, hauked
by flouTishinG fields and generous orchards.
Imagine our dsapp ointment 20 ind II 4 log
house on the edge vi the town, shaded bv
one lone tree, and euvirOued by potato
D3ltl ana q ulult!u. L lie IdtH was near
e, the road, we stopped IN its shadow and
sent Miss DoNd 10 spy cut the land. She
soon returned, saying that the Squire. being
lHdlspoSeG, had stayed 40 hum" but
mag" had gone TO church.
We followed her example finding the
building without trouble, it being the only
place OF worship in the town. 1t was a
monument TO zeal and energy Of two faith
full women, who had started the enterprise,
a :I were carrying 1t on almost uuaided.
ne nearest missionary was fifteen miles
away. " hen he happened TO have a horse
to g'e DO came to tins place once a month.
Dut often several months would elapse he
tween the visits, as was the case at this
time. With what help Miss Dodd and some
other friends down in the world had fur
nlshed, these women had been able Ia huv
an old cottage which had been converted
INTO little chapel By doing sewing on
orders sent them, by making rag carpets.
OedqulIts. bags and aprons. by putting up
preserves, stripping pine needles, and
various other things, they had accumulated
sufficient money to furnish its barest
boards Without q sy se3iS sweEe , 9ply pine
was perfectly neat, and as fitting as ii could
be. There was not man in the place who
lad sufficient piety or energy to MT hnger
% help; the women did everything, from
shovelng the snow and carrying wood TO
kinde the fire. 10 teaching the children and
reading tie service.
They were lust opening the school when
"a arrived. About twenty-five children
from to 10 years of age. all poor but neatly
lad, were assembled, and seemed not only
Interested but eager to learn. They reclted
he catechlsm in manner | have never
leard excelled, and answered the questions
hat we're asked in way that showed con-
scienti0us intelligent teaching.
We chatted with the good woman, gained
al the Information and gave what encOur-
cement we could, then drove away, sobered
the IN = had reapiVai
iUlved TO do something to help the work.
The result of our resolution was to give
~ entertainments Just the thingl What
iun II would be, and Of course we should
make iOtsP We talked 1t all over, and
decided upon " Mrs. Jdrley's Wax Works"
ruey would be great novelty in this be-
lighted region.
Some Of rs drove over during the week,
ma made all necessary arrangements. The
own nall was engaged, a parlor organ
promised, and the " Simkins boys" said they
would " hx up CURTAIN" and they would
also put up notice in the Postoffiee. Squire
olmklns sent US an invitation TO stop over
night
As some Of US were soon going away, an
Early date was fixed upon. Costumes of
surprising designs were improyised. We
40 no; need much rehearsing except for
l,ckstep march and jdck-knife bow
% De used Tor the entrances of the choruSes.
We carried a small trunk containing our
va 'ouo ti4cClS, ana lelI quite ike q troupe
IS We Grove up to the nall. We found it
me hottest place this side of the equator,
tue MOI afternoon sun pouring in every win
dow' GhOsay Christmas wreathes hung dis
consolately on the walls. Three smoky,
nhtrlmmed lamps were in one corner. The
"curtaln' was made of an old calico skirt,
the fact emphasized by the pocket still cling
ing about mid way. The stage furniture
consisted &c a broken chair, small table
and soap box.
AT first WA Uare dauntad. tba, ,,a x--.
dauptleSs, and went to work with will.
making curtain with the shawls we had
brought for wagon cushions, and manufac-
turing the various articles we needed
Various callers dropped in on Us, and lent
willing helping hand. We were rather hui
inflated by the question as to whether we
were to play the next week, and if we had
ever been in the district before.
Tired and warm, we left the hall late in
me afternoon to meet our supper engage.
ment. Such support 1t was laid In the
large, rude kitchen on a long table covered
with oil cloth. Not the fatted calf, but the
family OK, had evidently been sacrificed for
the occasion, and large share of him now
lay steamlng at one end of the table, along
which were ranged dishes of boiled pota
toes. cabbage, pork, brown bread, soft but
ter, currants, molassss and lemonade
over everything and everywhere swarmed
the flies.
paw hasn't he'd time to put in the screens
JOAs ooih o. dpOlO1eLlCdlly. as
she waved dish-cloth over the scene.
Ii was the first OF August. We murmur
something about busy time, to which she re-
piled:
ION, 'tsn't that so much, only 1t seems
like be never gets no time"
Well. 1t did seem as though paw" hadn't
bad time for much of anything. He had
been albright man in his day, but in his
preSenttwilIght and toilet you would never
nave slfpected 1t. Poor NAV" looked as
II the chrden Of life had been heavy on her,
especially that day. Her face showed the
effects OF the heat that had been necessary
TO roast that beef, 10 which the bot stove in
the corner also bore witness.
We did our best to enjoy the feast the
good woman had prepared for us, and then
VS. escapeI * UuT room, where new horrors
awaited our city eyes. 1t was a little loft
With two hunks made up with straw pallets,
patchwork quilts and calico pillow-cases.
The boys wero to sleep in an adjoining
va md 60 IL.