Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-10-16

! who was a woman of intelligence, did
not write her own paper, the obliging
| authoress agreed to supply % pages
of literature ON the subject OF Chinese
! missions. The literary lady, who for
convenience may be styled Mrs.
Brown, had busy week before her
and thought no more Of the mission
airy paper until one moring she open
ed am envelope from which fell a
programme of the missionary conven-
ton, bearing in large letters, among
other announcements, the statement
that Mrs. William Henry Brown
would read paper on mission work
in China. Mrs. Brown almost tainted.
ut is some terrible mistake On the
part of some one. l will write to Mrs.
Smith and call her attention to it,
said Mrs. Brown. In due time she re-
| ceived an answer from Mrs. Smith,
saying that no mistake had been made
and that she hoped dear Mrs. Brown
would be On hand at the church
promptly at the opening hour, as her
| paper was to be one of the first
This note arrived the day before the
| convention, and Consideration reigned
in the Brown household. Ladies for
/ whom Mrs. Brown had written papers
had always dunnel her assiGuously for
them weeks in advance, and, depending
on Mrs. Smith to do the same, she had
forgottene how soon the papers would
be required. Three teas and a reception
were book for that day. and it was 8
! o'clock at night before surrounded by
/ encyclopedias and other books of refer
! ence, she got to work at the Chinese
missions. 1t was / o'clock before she re-
tired, having completed % pages of a
closely written article breathing forth
good things of the work done by the
missionaries in the land of pigtails.
Mrs. Brown is humorist. Besides,
her husband is one of the cleverest pro-
fessional jesteers in the country, while
her youthful daughter has an apprecia-
ton of the funny side of life that
makes the conversation in the Brown
household far from solemn. Living in
an atmosphere OF popularity, it was very
hard for Mrs. Brown to give her arti-
Gle on the missions of China the proper
sedateness and earnestness for a mis-
sionary convention. Early in the even
ing she had sent an agonized telegram
to Mrs. Smith asking her to take the pa
per and read it in the scheduled vic
TINS place. A prompt and decided neg
ative was returned.
I'll start out in the morning and
get some one to read it for me- said
Mrs. Brown as she retired. There are
a lot of women on this street who are
quite used to reading club papers. I've
written papers for some of them, and
they can't very civilly refuse to read
this one for me-"
The morning found Mrs. Brown
making round of the ladies in the
neighborhood known to have had ex-
perience on the club or missionary
platforms or a longing for such. 1t
was remarkable, however, the number
of engagements every woman was pre-
pared bring forward in support of her
regret at net being able to oblige Mrs.
Brown.
Even little Frances Brown, moved
to compassion by her mothers evident
mental suffering, had volunteered to go
across the way and interview Mrs. Dr.
Creed, the wife of the clergyman who
was connection by marriage of the
Browns Mrs. Greed admitted having
read many missionary papers in her
day, but gave Frances a cooky and
her mamma on. of the dilemma. Pos
sibly Mrs. Greed was suspicious of the
gravity of a paper that came from the
pen of the humorous Mrs. Brown At
any rate, Frances went home cynical
and unsuccessful, declining to eat the
cooky.
At luncheon time Mrs. Brown came
home exhausted and despairing and
dispatched Mary, the housemaid, to the
family physician, with note request
ing amy sort of dose that will put a
little courage into a forlorn woman
who has to read a missionary paper"
The doctor. without smile, returned
half dozen pink lozenges. with direc-
tons that they were to be eaten at in
tervals of an hour
After having partaken of one Of
them Mrs. Brown felt her coura ge
rally and started off quite cheerfully
to the convention, saying that she
knew in all that gathering of lovely
Christian women there was sure to be
one who, seeing her anguish, would
cnsent to read the paper. When she
reached the church, she found it sur
rounded by carriages, and the audi
torium packed with people. There
were many lovely Christian women
present, but none of them was will