The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1905-11-25
looking over Mrs. Goodfellow's shoul

i
evening, with all their debris pile
high upon them, and a dark strear
of coffee was slowly making its wa
over the snowy tablecloth.
"I'm glad / staid TO help you sid
up, she continued, as she tied on ;
great apron, that covered her fron
head to foot, and prepared TO make
! vigorous attack upon the dishes.
While the ladies were thus engaged
Mr.. Goodfellow investigated the pei
wipers and ironholders that decorate
the parlor table, and then took u
the overcoat, with little sigh, as ht
realized the discrepancy between hi
size and its proportions.
"Put that on for minute" callec
Miss Prissy, till we see if it can
be taken in to fit you"
The minister obeyed; but, as h
put his hands in the side-pockets, t.
draw it more closely about him, h'
discovered something in the way, and
drawing out the obstruction, pro
duced wallet.
He looked at it in blank amaze
ment.
Miss Prissy could not restrain hel
curiosity, and, snatching it from hi:
hand, she opened it, disclosing the
crisp bills.
Five hundred dollars r. she
gasped, incr redulous, and there was a
moments breathless silence.
"What does it mean?" said the
minister, afraid to look upon the
money as his own, lest there should be
some mistake.
Shrewd Miss Prissy detested the
Deacon as cordially as she loved the
minister and his wife, and, with a
mental determination that the close
old man should be outwitted fol
once, she exclaimed:
"Well, if that isn't neat way tc
make nice little present. The Dea-
con said he meant to do something
handsome for once but I never mis-.
trusted he would do anything as gen.
erous as this. And hidjngit away SC
as to surprise you, too ! Well, I'll
change my opinion of him."
The minister and his wife were in
an ecstasy of delight, and they were
half fearful that the precious bills
might vanish if they let go of them.
"They shall have them too, for
they deserve them said warm
hearted Miss Prissy, land I'll fix it. !"
Early the next morning. she start.
ed out, telling everyone she met OF
of the Deacon's generous liberality
and delicacy, and she reached the
Deacon's gate just as he had finished
breakfast, and was in most comfort
able humor with himself and all the
world.
81 just want to tell you what
think of you, Deacon" she exclaimed
warmly, SEEING his hand.
'sYou're the most noble, generous
hearted man that ever lived, and the
whole villageis talking about you and
praising you. l never knew your
equal-never !"
"What do you mean 7" stammered
the Deacon, rather bewildered at this
outburst, for he had always supposed
himself a special object of Miss Pris-
sy's dislike.
"Why, your donation p answered
Miss Prissy. "Oh, you needn't pre-.
tend you don't know what l mean,
though we all know how modest you
are."
"Oh, the coal" said the Deacon,
beginning to doubt the sincerity Of
Miss Prissy's praise.
eyes, the coat that everybody
thought was such stingy thing for
rich man like you to give; but we
didn't any of us know, when we was
judging you that way, what you had
slyly hid away in the pocket. I ex-
pect Mr.. and Mrs. Goodfellow got of
TO the city, on this train, to get some
of the things they've been wanting
this many year. Five hundred dol
lars was big thing to them"
The Deacon gave an inarticulate
gurgle, and his rubicund face turned
to greenish pallor, as he grasped the
gatepost for support. His five hun
dred dollars gone He remembered
now how carelessly he had left it ir
the pocket of his old coat. Mis-:
Prissy didn't wait for him to speak
though her black eyes sparkled mis-
chievously as she witnessed the effect
of her intelligence. She knew that
| if there was one thing the Deacon
loved more than his money, it was
the applause of his fellow-men, ant
she had managed so we'll that be
could not recover his money withou
| incurring the scorn and ridicule o.
his neighbors.
She trotted briskly off, and lef
him to himself, to get over his anger
and grief as best he might. The
Deacon was wise man in his gener.
alton, and wise men always make
the best of circumstances, so that /!
what the Deacon did. He realized
that he had irretrievably lost th'
money. so he resolved that no one
should ever know it had not been {
free gift, and he accepted his neigh
bors' praises as if he had fully earn
ed them, as we'll as the earnest graf
itude of the minister and his wife
Only the Deacon and Miss Priss!
knew it had been a mistake, bu
they never told the real truth abou
that Thanksgiving Donation.
terson's Magazine.
"WELL, PAT, how do you lik
this country?" ITS moity foil
country" Have you got a jol
YETI" No but have friend VIII
is about getting me pension
"GRANDPA, do you have to b