The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1905-11-25
TIE DEACoE's THANKSGIVING DONATION


on o. no mans turkey -gobblah.
-Century Magazine.
THE DEAC0E's THANKSGIVING DONATION.
"Well, we've got to do something
that's all there is about it. The
salary's pretty we'll behindhand, and
there amt no money in the treasury.
1 don't see how we are going to pay it
up very soon. If we give him a do
nation, why, of course he won't be in
no hurry. And Thanksgiving is a
good time for a donation. What's
your opinion, Deacon Moneybags? 2"
The speaker turned to portly man,
who stood in the centre of the little
group which was settling the affairs
of the church, in an informal manner
in the corner of the churchyard. Dea-
con Moneybags paused for moment,
that there might be an attentive
silence, before he unburdened his
great mind of its weighty opinion.
He was the bell-wether, so to speak,
of the little flock which was under the
pastoral care of the Rev. Septimus
Goodfellow and, whenever he led,
the others followed him, without stop
ping to question the wisdom of his
proceeding. He was the most pros
porous man in the little community,
and he was respected accordingly,
though his wealth did but little good,
he kept his purse-strings so closely
drawn. There are, alas a good many
such men, even such Deacons.
"Well," he remarked, with an air
of profound wisdom, "well, brethern,
you know my opinion on these matters
by this time, I hope. hold to the
Scripture way of doing things in old
times, when the preachers were told
to take neither slaves nor scrip,
neither bread, neither money To
my mind, that proves pretty clearly
that preachers oughtn't to be hank
ering after money and expect to get
pay fo- their work just like other
men. They ought to be satisfied with
working for the good they can do.
But, still as long as we've been in
the habit of departing from the good
old ways, s'pose there won't be any
harm in giving our preacher a dona-
ton; and I'll give my mite cheerfully
with the rest of you."
Deacon, amt there some other
place in the Good Book where it says
the laborer is worthy of his hire 7"
It was the shrill voice of sharp lit
tie Miss Prissy, the village dressmak-
er, which propounded this question;
and, for a moment, the Deacon looked
slightly aghast at having his own
weapon used against him but he
quickly recovered himself.
"There may be some such passage,
he answered after moment S thought,
'but there is a great deal in the Bible
that we mustn't take literally, and
that is one of the passages that we
must put another Interpretation on. /"
Miss Prissy's black eyes twinkled,
and retort was on the tip of her
tongue, when the bell changed its last
discordant summons, and the Deacon
sought hasty refuge in his pew, the
rest following one by one.
The day before the donation party
the Deacon had to make trip to
town, to collect a note that was due
him and, as he put on his heavy
overcoat, and surveyed himself in the
glass, it struck him that the garment
was rather too we'll worn and shabby
for man in his prosperous circum-
stances.
"rll get new one, to-day" he
said to himself; and with a sudden
burst of generosity, he added: "I'll
just let this go as my donation to-
morrow night. It's something more
than I excepted to give, but, still !
can afford to be little liberal now
and then. To be sure, it's rather
roomy for the preacher but he can
grow to it-he can grow to it."
And he chuckled with suppressed
merriment at the ludicrous idea of
the Rev. Mr.. Goodfellow's slight
figure ever filling out the ample pro-
portions of the old coat.
He collected his note, and safely
deposited the FIVE new crisp one-hun-
dred-dollar bills in the new wallet he
had purchased, and then betook him
self to a fashionable clothier's, to Sc
lect his new overcoat. That eloquent
functionary very soon persuaded him
to buy coat.
Very stylish and becoming it was,
and the Deacon complacently resolved
to wear it home, and ordered the old
one to be securely wrapped up in
brown paper, so that it would be all
ready for him to take to the donation
party the following evening.
The donation party came off very
acceptably to everyone except the un-
fortunate Mr.. Goodfellow and his
wife, who saw their best china handled
with reckless indifference, as the table
was set by the guests for their own
entertainment, and forced themselves
to smile, as the house was invaded
from cellar to garret.
Dear me-" said the wife to herself,
sit will take a week to set things to
rights. It will cost US more than it
will come to-
1t was after twelve O'Clock before
the young people would lend an ear
to the admonitions of their elders.
that it was time to go and the clock
struck one ere the last goodbye was
said.
"Well, of all the messes 1 ever did