Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1891-03-20

and Woman's Work, and EZra's sister
ALWAYS sends US the Nep York ObseTr-
er. Tread of them what can, but
Ezra, he just devours them, and so
he's what call scholar, and when
he talks in prayer-meeting folks like
to hear him, il do say it, and he can
give illustrations better than lots OF
ministers. Ezra prays well, too, at
meeting and at home, and lives all
the same as he prays. If he didn't l
wouldn't mention the praying.
well, we were thinking and talk
ing a great deal about the debts OF
the Boards, three years ago this sum
mer, and casting about to see what
we could do. OF course I've always
had missionary eggs ; every fifth egg,
is my rule. If the old Jews gave
tenth, pity if the Christians can't
give fifth And there's my cherry
and apricot trees. Some years
they've helped me out ever so
much; and then there's the rent OF
our spare-roon, always set aside
part OF that but what was it all
among the causes when each wanted
an extra effort. and deserved it, too :!
It. the extras that make the trouble
always. What was left for the debts?
On our mite-box, it says, Freely We
have received, and hope I'm not a
stock or a stone not TO know that I've
had mercies enough Just to be we'll
and breathe, in California, is pretty
big blessing, Ezra says when he reads
about the cyclones and the sunstrokes
and the billiards, back east. But 1t s
when he goes to talking about histo-
ry, that Ezra gets real eloquent. Why,
he'll go on by the hour about what
the early Christians went through,
Just to spread the gospel, and the
wav they crept here and there with
their little rolls Of Scripture, even
across the sea, into England, among
the awfulest heathen that ever was,
il they WAS our ancestors and about
the Waldenses and the Huguenots
and the Covenanters. | declare Tor
it, when Ezra gets to telling these sto-
ries. feel so worked up, I'm ashamed
to think I've had my bonnet done
over at all. What do | know about
self-denial, anyway
But to 60 back about those debts
We haven't had a bit OF new furnl-
ture for thirty years. Everything s
Just what we got when we first came
to California. Oh, yes, l did get n
new rocking chair for the front room
after Eliza was married, and | wanted
to rent the room. Then, when moth
er came to live with us she brought
from the old home in Maine the
things her mother gave her when
she was married-an old cherry desk
and an eight-day clock and a spin
ming wheel, il you'll believe it, little
old-fashioned flaIwheel, spindle, dis
taft and all. We thought that was
big joke, but you'll see. We put the
wheel up in the loft and the children
used to play with it, though grandma
kept a pretty sharp watch to see that
they didn't break it. | think she al
ways hoped it would come in fashion
to spin our own linen again. After
mother died the young folks used to
get it down for tableauI and New
England kitchens and such things,
and once Cora Gillette, the banker 8
daughter, asked my Eliza if we would
sell it. which of course Eliza wouldn Il
listen to-sell grandma's wheel, in
deed!
Talking about the debts-if we
had something we could SELL says
Ezra, and / just laughed, but he fell
to telling about the early Christians
living under ground and starving to
death till | was sober enough to cry.
| always lie awake nights when any
thing troubles me-foolishest thing
in the world do!-and | was lying
awake that night and all at once ]
thought OF the wheel. OF course
hated to part with it, but what was
that to be thinking about such q
time as this! So in the morning after
Ezra went to the shop | got down
the wheel and cleaned il and oiled it
and rubbed it till it shone, and then
put on nv bonnet and went over to
Mrs. Gillette's, who is such genuine
lady that nobody is afraid OF her, so
lust told her I'd like to sell mother
wheel. Miss Gillette was in the room
and she joined right in. 'Of course
we want it, mamma, says she, dc
send the man right over for it,.
81 think I'll step over TO Mrs.
Johnson's and look at it myself, says
her mother, and so she come home
with me, and when we came in she
sat down and we had a nice visit.
She said right away that she'd take
the wheel and would give me ten dol
lars for it, which / thought a rea
good price. Then she says, in hsr
soft. beautiful way: Dear Mrs
johnson. you're not in any trouble,
hope, that makes you anxious to sell
this wheel?
No, says |, only those Board
debts
Whose debts? What 1ebtsy say:
she, in kind Of surprised, inquiring
voice.
Board debts, says l, and upon my
word had to explain it to her, al
though she's one Of our church mem
bers, a most lovely woman, but she
never had an Ezra for a husband