The Press., 1894-05-31
Number 9.

tended the meetings regularly.
 Families who had never attended any church got acquainted at the grange, and first we knew were coming to church, and to the evening weekday meetings as we'll and to-day every church in town is better attended and better supported than it was before we had grange.
 "The little cliques are broken up, every body knows everybody, we have town library, people take part in making the lecturers hour pleasant and helpful that never attempted anything in 8 literary way before, and, tell you, it is amazing how it has developed local talent.
 "Then, there isn't a farm in town that isn't the better for the grange.
 "The stock is better, we raise better crops, we have got creamery, more fruit is cultivated, and, as for flowers, no fam fly is without them either summer or win ter.
 "Our highways have wonderfully i'm proved, not only the roadbeds but the brush has been cut from the sides, the trees trimmed up, and we have street lamps in the village and in many of the outlying neighborhoods. In fact, our town isn't the same at all as it was before we organized that grange.
 "City people have come in and enjoyed the home they have found with us, al- though we are ten miles from a railroad, and we are spoken of in half pitying way by people perched in tenement houses on the dirty streets of manufacturing centers as 'one of the back towns,' altho' I notice they are all glad of a chance to come visiting us.
 "Another pleasant result of the grange meetings was that the young people from different parts of the town got acquaint- ed, and there were ever so many grange courtships, and matches, too, connecting families who did not know each other at all until they met at the grange.
 And the drollest thing about it all was the goings on of the Weathervanes and the Scare -easys.
 "All these eight years we have been in- innate neighbors, everything all pleasant, living right on there side by side, going back and forth every day, but made up my mind to begin with, when they left us in the lurch, that I wouldn't mention the grange to them, and l haven't.
 "They were anxious to talk about it and to know the particulars of every meeting, and when they begin asking questions I would remind them that I had taken an obligation that prevented my gossiping about the grange, and turn the conversation.
 '"They were greatly cut up because i Nellie Weathervane's beau joined as 6 charter member in spite of them. and be- fore long he began going with the grange Flora, and before the year was out they were married.
 "No one has ever asked those two fam lilies to join, but this fall they couldn' stand it any longer, but made application and were taken in.
 "We just spread ourselves on the feas and the musical and literary program | Nearly every one of the 94 members wal out, and the new brothers and sisters thought they had never seen anything like it in all their lives before, and couldn't help saying: Of course you remember you might have been among the first 16. You car judge little something now of what you have lost all these eight years, how much | pleasure as we'll as instruction, all on ac. ! count of the prejudice of 8 few jealous people who soon joined themselves, anG | have been in it now for years To Nellie 1 said-it was rather mean in me to bt sure, but couldn't help it:- "'You wouldn't be an old maid now Nellie, if you had joined the grange, but i better late than never; we will make yol | Flora when we change officers next, anC they say that is a sign that never fails that you will be married in less than ( year.
 ''Yes, tell you, the grange is 8 gooc thing. You will like it, and you will see in 8 years time even that you have got new ideas and have made new friends"
 We have made one already" said Mrs Never r-mind-her-name. | ANNIE A. PRESTON. "Maple Corner" WillingtOn, Conn.