The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-11-19

ury OF having one at all.
Deacon Miles smilcd-a hard. hyena-
like smile.
Its the CUSTOM said he. And
we'd all ought to do our duty"
But l hain't nothing To give.
pleaded the honest farmer. Crops has
been short this year. and | never felt
poorer in all my born days
There's them russell apples o.
yourn?" suggested the deacon.
''Oh. good land o Goshen" said Mr.
Gregory. Amt fit to feed to the pigs"
do not speak hastily. Brother Greg
ory," said the deacon. simultaneously
Il do not in the least doubt but that. to
our clergyman, all the goodly fruits Of
the earth will be useful and accept
able"
But them amt goodly," said Mr..
Gregory. with a grimace. Il like Mr..
Corbin. and Id like to give soniethin'
worth havin' to the donation. But
can't And that's how I'm situated ez-
actly!''
The deacon smiled againthc same
adamantine. dentists showcase sort of
smile, and went home to pick out the
leanest of his fowls. the sourcst and
hardest OF his dried apples. the most
questionable bag of last seasons buck
wheat to make gift offering to the
Lord. For the deacon was thrifty
and well-to-do individual. with money
in the bank and a conveniently elastic
conscience. And he was already plan
ming to do little serious match.
making, whereby he might foiss off his
hard-visaged daughter Prudence. who
had just passed her nine and-t hirtieth
summer, upon the new minister, who,
luckily, was still unmarried.
"A clergyman" said the deacon. pi-
ously, '.can greatly enlarge the field of
his usefulness by forming judicious
alliance with some sensible female who
feels the importance of the ministry"
And to speak the truth, hint of
this little conspiracy dropped into Mr.
Corbin's ear had already tended to
make him not little uneasy. For
Miss Prudence Malinda Miles had q
countenance like wooden doll and q
figure resembling bcd-post.
Beauty is but skin deep" said the
clergyman to himself; "but. really.
Miss Miles does not commend herself
to the fancy. And il one pauses, by
instinct, to select rosebud instead OF
the colorless flowers of the potato
blossom, don't see why pretty girl
shouldn't make as good wife as one
with plain face"
Mr.. Corbin was sitting at his desk,
considering the Thirdly" of his SER
mon that day, when old Hester, his
colored housekeeper. came tn the door.
please, sir" said she, there's Mr..
Gregory's Patty wants to speak to you. u
ASK her to enter" said Mr. Corbin.
II have seen her occasionally in the
Bible class, and she Is devout and
finely natured damsel."
Patty Gregory came in accordingly
a rosy. fresh.faced girl. with limpid
brown eyes, laughing lips and jet-black
hair forming itself into natural rings
and tendrils on her forehead.
MIR. Corbin," said She, timidly.
''would you like basket OF blackber.
ries?"
'Blackbcrries? repeated the good
man, thinking how like one of Mil.
lais' pictures Patty looked, as she
stood there in the checkered shadow:
of the hop-vines which were trained
across the study window. Truly
they are goodly fruit and most lus
cious to the taste"
Pm SO glad you like Them" sale
Patty. Because I've picked nearly
peck on Mulloch hill, and-and ia
Their is poor and we have nothing K