The Worthington advance., 1899-10-20


gold watch, and on the evening that tie
report and decision were to be made, a
hall had to be- esprocured, for the chapel
would not hold the crowd. A brief CON
cert was given first to get the people
in q good humor, and to whet their
anxiety, and though the performers
were well received, little attention
was paid to them, but everyone was on
the qui vive for the greater drama Of
the evening. The minister was in his
glory = w .'Ss s,Ssf : s ''.t1s> y
When the concert was over, he wei
coined, Lucindy and Maria Ann to- the
stage, where they sat, one on either side
of him. The reports began. First2one
from Lucindy's side, then one from
Maria AIMS, and So alternately
through. It was very close! The peo-
pie were leaning forward, eager and
anxious for the issue. The reports
came thick and fast, and Il the excite
ment grew as the sums increased. The
climax was to be the. reports Of the two
leaders themselves, and here Lucindy
had shown her shrewdness. "} Maria
AIMS side had begun to- report first:
and so. their leader was compelled to
state. her amount first. There was a
certain little reserve fund in the pock.
ct Of her opponent with which young
Mrs. Worthington was somewhat. ac-
quainted, and it was to be used in case
Maria Ann should excel her. Maria
made her report, reading from her
book: =, -, -. ..s.@'
., "'Co'din' to de returns made by may
patty, which you hev all hyeahed, they
hev collected one hun'erd an eight
dollahs; addin' to that what I hev col.
lected by myself, fifty-two dollahs, re.
turns to de chu'ch one hun'erd an sixty
dollahs.''
| Down in her lap Lucindy did some
quick, surreptitious writing. Then she
stood up.
"'Co'din' to de returns from which
my patty hev made, an which you hev
all hyeahed, they hev collected one hun
'erd an two dollahs, an I, by my indi-
vidual effort laid wonderful en-
phasis on the last two words, ''bring in
sixty dollahs, mekin' the total one
hun'erd an sixty-two dollahs, which I
submit to de chu'ch.''
There was burst of applause from
Lucindy's partisans, but Maria Ann
was on her feet:
II forgot" she said, 'de last donation
received. Mrs. Jedge Haines was kim
enough to give me check fu' ten dol
lahs, which didn't add at fust, an it
brings my collection up to one hun'erd
an seventy dollahs.''
The volume of applause increased at
Maria AIMS statement, but it wavered
into silence as Lucindy arose. She
smiled down upon Maria Ann.
"I'm mighty thankful to de sister,"
she said, ''fu' mindin' me o. some'p'n
mos nigh fu'got. Mis- Cal'line Worth
ington desired to put her name down
on my book fu' twenty dollahs, which
brings my collection to one hun'erd an
eighty doliahs." -
Mrs. Worthington looked across at
Mrs. Haines and smiled. That lady
raised her chin. An ashen hue came
into Maria Ann Gibbs face.
With great acclamation the watch
was awarded to Lucindy woodward,
and in congratulating her Rev. Eleazer
Jackson held her hand perhaps a little
longer than usual. Mrs. Worthington
was standing near at the time.
IF had known it meant this" she
said to herself, II wouldn't have given
her that $2o." The lady saw that she
was likely to lose good servant. When
the meeting was out the preacher
walked home with Lucindy.
On the following Thursday night the
Afro-American Sons and Daughters of
Hagar gave dance at their hal! on Main
street. Maria Ann Gibbs, the shining
light of Bethel church, went. and she
danced. Bethel heard and incurred.
On the next Sunday she went to
church. She walked in with Nose
Moore, who was known to be sinner.
and she. sat with him near the door, in
the seat of the sinners.
Rev. Eleazer Jackson went past Lu-
cindy's house, and they walked to
church together. Lucindy had increased
her stock of jewelry, not only by the
watch, but by a bright gold ring which
she wore on the third finger of her left
hand. But if Maria Ann cared, she,
did not show it. She had found in the
tents of the wicked what she could not
get in the temple of the Lord.-Satur-
day Evening Post, Philadelphia.
Couldn't Fill His Teeth.
In ono of the rural districts of the
borough of Brooklyn is little church
which pays it's pastor salary of fewer
hundreds year than the average city
clergyman gets thousands. His women
Parishioners, especially one who poses
as the Lady Bountiful of the church,
but whose contributions scarcely fit the
part, attempt to make up to him in cor
diality what he lacks in financial sup
port. They surrounded him at the
picnic of the Sunday school of the
church the other day and urged him
to eat dainties from their baskets.
Finally Mrs. Bountiful pleaded with
him to try a piece of fruit cake that
looked as hard as the heart of sum-
mer girl in October. I'll really
can't" said the minister. my teeth
are not good" 20, why don't you get
your teeth filled ?" burst forth the sym
pathetic architect of the cake. The un-
derpaid clergyman fastened his eye on
her and said with a voioo ~ r7,.x, oe =,