St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-09-21
A Missionary Tea Boy.
Written for the St. J%ohnsbury cALRDoN

uIDt ~ 81 tIB-
ing to keep warm one chill November
day, in the doorway Of a large building.
Their hands were red from the chilling
winds but their faces were bright as II
defyiug the mischievious wind, which
lust then blew into their midst a whole
cluster OF waste papers.
"Well, | say Bill" said one of the bows.
as he pulled his bit OF a cap down closer.
"Here you have a whole book store for
sale, cheap. Let's see what's on this
paper. Why, here's a picture of that
church up on the hill, but the rest is
about gone, only, let me see what this
says. A mission. ry t ca. What
can that be? We've got a missionary
down to the mission school, but don't
believe he is a missionary tea. Here
comes Tommy with that big feelin' fellar
whose father is a shoemaker. Just ask
Tommy what a missionary tea is"
Hi, Tommy Here you Tommy Tink-
er, come here and tell US what a mission
airy tea Isl"
Before Tommy had a chance to answer
the "big feelin' fellar" said, mot much
Of a thing only a supper where a few old
folks go to pass away their time and eat
what somebody is a mind to send them.
Guess l know, for | heard my mother
say to father this morning there was a
tea meeting tomorrow but she should
not 60 as it was nothing very interest.
ing, but she supposed she must send
some food and there was the sponge
cake she made that fell in the middle, but
they could cut off from both ends and
get enough for what few would he likely
to be there"
"Oh. you go away" shouted Tommy.
You don't know it all, il your father
does make soles with pasteboard. can
give you gentlemen all the information
needed. My mother don't belong to
anything but the wash tub and me, but
haven't helped pack a missionary bar
rel"
And Tommy swelled with pride SO the
last button threatened to part company
with his ragged jacket. You see," he
continued, 1.-THE ladies caught on to me
one day to bring them in a barrel, so
when l was in / stayed TO see the thing
through, and into that barrel went the
querest stuff. 1t was going to a minister
with six children and one woman brought
a pair of pants that she said the moths
had got into, but she thought the minis
ter's wife could get out a pair for the
youngest hoy. | wondered if the moths
ate up one leg, for there was only one
left. Another brought a coat that only
needed binding, new pockets and a little
mending, then it would wear quite a
while. 1t must have been made for the
Goliah we heard about at the mission.
Now you see, l calculate hat mission.
airy tea is about the same. Cookies too
dry to eat at home, but can be washed
down with missionary tea. Ginger
snaps that have lost all the snap they
ever had. Bread that folks don't want
to waste but can be soaked in a little
missionary tea. I'm judgin', gentlemen,
by the missionary barrel"
Billy had continued to jump up and
down trying to keep warm during this
speech oil Tommy's and now he shouted
by whacky, boys, I've got an ideal
Keep it then. It's the first one | ever
knew you to have and you won't be
likely to have another growled the
shoemaker's son, who felt a little sore
over Tommy's superior knowledge.
With a look that would have silenced
any one OF less degree Billy continued
Let's us boys tell every one whose
house we leave a paper at that there is a
big blow out up at the E. st. church to-
morrow night. Wouldn't it be a lark il
some of those folks up on the hill should
go-the mayors wife-oh my"
Now it happened that a lady who
lived up on the hill was back of the boys
only the other side OF the door. She was
waiting for a lull in the storm and the
boys earnest talk had attracted her at
t%ention. At first she was only amused
for abe also belonged" but did not at.
tend. But as the boys talked on she
began to think of what her brother had
told Of new boys in school. How Charlie
Baxter said his mother went home from
church and cried because no one spoke tc
her and that Harold Hawley said there
was a part of a minister's family on theil
street and they were terribly homesicl
because they knew scarcely anyone anc
could not seem to fit anywhere.
She also thought OF her dressmakei
who scarcely ever went anywhere and il
was SO dreary to go in and out and not
say a word to any one.
Miss Blanchard's list grew long very
fast as she thought Of people whose
faces she saw only in church. With 9
little shake of her head she said, II think
will do a little missionary work on my
self first and then start out and we vii
see who will bring the most people to
gether, the boys or Miss Blanchard"
CONSERVATION was pictured on tn
faces of the faithful lew" on Wednesday
alter,oo, , @ +La ladies came nv two.