The Democratic advocate., 1905-06-03
Selett Stnrp.
Painting the Meeting House.
BY VI. QTAD.

clock on the mantel shelf in vacant way
'Tm Jest a-thinkin' about our mcetin'
house" he replied, after heaving long
sigh
THAT meetin' house has worried you
till | almost wish it had never been built
Why can t they let it 90 as it is p
Three years previously dozen or so of
certain religious denomination living in
and about the hamlet of Harper's Corners
had set about to build meeting house. as
our forefathers used to call it. The build
ing had become completed and dedicated
at last, and the appointed pastor would
drive out from Honesdale every Saturday
afternoon to hold services, but, alas! the
painting had not been taken into their cal
culations. All were agreed that the editice
ought to have two good coats outside, even
| if the interior had to be left for three or
four years to come, but as every man had
given all he was able to, it was puzzle to
figure out how anything further was to be
accomplished.
Eyes, it has sorter worried all Of us, -
replied Moses, as he indulged in another
long sigh.
"Wall, | pose the building would look
better if painted, y unused the wife, as she
began to narrow on the heel of the sock in
her own hands, ''but you ain lookin' for
any miracle to happen, are you?''
Not skassly, ma. Some tin pedder
or chicken buyer may come along and hand
out hundred dollars to do the paintin
but | ain t lookin' for it.
"No, | guess not. However, don be
glum over it. We We all done what we
could and the rest must he left to Provi-
dence
Farmer Harper moved over to the table
and the lamp and picked up his county
paper, to which he subscribed by the year
and paid in stove wood He hadn't been
reading 10 minutes before he suddenly
burst out with
wall, by jingor
Moses Harper, do you know what you
are sayin?'' sharply reprimanded the wife,
as she almost let her knitting fall to the
floor in her astonishment.
II didn' mean to swear, Hammer, but
but
''But what? Have any of our nayburs
COWS died or their barns been burned p
''N-o. Iwish Lucy was home. What
time did she say she d be back from the
frolic p
about midnight, she guessed, but you
can never tell when those young people
will break up. They are goin' to pop
corn, pull lasses candy and play on the
melodeon, and it may be 2 O clock in the
mornin' before she gets home. Why
Moses p
IL dunno, he tamely replied, 1T
jest struck me to inquire. No, she prob
ably won t be home before 2 O clock 1t
beats all creation how many folks are killing
each other this winter. Here's as many
! as six places about it.
''Yes, it, dreadful, and | don 'spose
we hear of half of EN-. If this world is
goin' to come to an end through wicked
ness, it won't be very long now. If the
end comes before spring we shan want no
paint for our meetin' house.
"Mebbe we better wait and see.
The husband had found something in
the paper to wiring an exclamation from
him, but, as the wife had not pressed him
to explain, he had gone to bed to think
and argue and ponder with himself instead
of to sleep When breakfast was over next
morning and he had finished greasng his
boots and was ready to go to the barn, he
gave Lucy, the IS year-old daughter, the
wink, and put the Weekly Banner into his
pocket at the same time
"Nhat is it, daddy p she excitedly
asked, as the doors of the barn closed on
them.
For answer he put the paper in her
hands and pointed out certain article
1t read in effect, that the sport-loving
citizens of Honesdale had raised purse of
500 to be presented to the fastest st-stepping
horse appearing at the racing on the frozen
river at a date five days ahead.
''Well, daddy was queried again after
the article had been read.
''Don't say word to your mother-not
word!'' he whispered.
''But what does it mean p
''Don' you see, gal? 1t don tsay that
PAGERS are barred out, but it $ free for all. >
eye s.
"Wall, there our PAGER, Jim, lookin'
us right in the face over the head Of his
stall and putty nigh understandin every
word we say. Is thar Il criter for 20 miles
around that can throw dust or snow in
.Jim's face? Where's your wits, gal ?
sBut, daddy, you don't mean-you
can mean ?'-she stammered, as a glim-
mer of what he did mean began to pene
trate her mind.
s'S.s-s-s-h, gal! Your mother would
put her foot down and hold it there.
She d call it next to becomin' a gambler
and pirate and mebbe she'd pack her
duds and leave the house | hahn t said
a word to her-not blessed word.
"You-you mean to put Jim in the
race p
The father nodded his head
sEAnd-and win that hundred dollars?'
"Win her Jest as sure's your born J.
"But, daddy said Lucy, after draw
ing long breath and feeling something
rise up in her throat and choke her, 'syou
can't do it. You are almost the same as
deacon of the church, and what would
folks say p
~ want that hundred dollars, gal, and
I want it bad. Iwant it to pay for putin
two coats of white paint on the meetin'
house. 1t seems jest as if Providence had
left it on the road for me to pick up.
That is, it will seem so if-if -
eff you wasn't almost deacon, she
walled
"No, that is if you We got the spunk to
drive Jim in the race and win the money.
l dasn't t do it, though I don't believe the
Lord would lay it up agin me, considerin
the use T d make of it, but you can. You
are good gal, Lucy-a mighty good gal
but you hain't been baptized in the river
nor made profession, and folks can only
roll up their eyes and groan and pass it
over. You can handle Jim as well as |
- .nI ou NOR, oof IN romamhar ia N