The weekly true Democrat., 1907-11-29

didn,t strike q very responsive chord In
our hearts that day. You see, the cat
tie hadn't turned out very well that
year, and as | said before, farming
didn't amount to shucks. However, on
Wednesday night three or four Of us
went over to the school with q sheat OF
oats, bunch of turuips and a bag of
potatoes, and Mrs. McDougan put US TO
work. tell you that little woman had
taste, sir, and in half an hour we had
the place looking quite festal-like. We
moved the organ over from the minis
| ter's house, and after bidding Mrs. Nc
| Dougall goodnight, went down TO the
Queens for chat
''It was frosty night, and we found
! quite crowd gathered round the big
stove. Our appearance seemed to dis
turb the meeting, and Big Bill, the
blacksmith, commenced to josh us about
the Thanksgiving service. Old Pete, the
stage driver, took a more gloomy view
of the situation, and declared that
Thanksgiving service at the end of such
a rotten year as we had just passed
thro' was nothing less than a crime. Pete
found plenty of supporters, and when
some one said he had just received word
that the railway was going to give us
the go-by, and pass through the Ger
nOrth-the cursing, sir, was something
awful
Suddenly, big man in the corner-he
had come in on the stage that after
noon-got up and looked out of the win
dow.
Look ! What's that p he cried. "A
fire?' We rushed to the door, and in
less time than it takes to tell it, the
room was deserted. AS we ran up the
street, some one ahead of US shouted,
Fire Fire The minister's shack's
on fire y and we raced up the hill as
tight as we could go. About half way
up we overlook Mr.. and Mrs. McDou-
gall. They had been visiting old Mrs
Greenfell, who was laid up with rheu
matism.
good start. and within half an hour the
little shack was a heap Of ashes. We
tried in our awkward way to show our
sympathy, but though the Pilots face
was pale and his wife's lip trembled,
they thanked US with a smile and said
they hoped to see US at the service on
the morrow. Then they went off with
Big Bill, who had offered 10 put them up
for the night.
"There was nothing to be done, so we
all went back to the hotel 1t was some
time before any one spoke, but at last
old Pete broke the silence by saying, in
his peculiar drawl "Well, boys, we
havSbeen talking quite bit about our
misfOrtunes to night, but for down
right, ALFRED hard luck, the Pilot has
US beat to a standstill. And he intends
having his service just the same. ! am
not much up on religion, but if it makes
a man as white as Mr.. McDougall, J
think it's up to us to support it for all
it's worth
fright you are, Pete, said Jones,
the general storekeeper, who had Joined |
US after the fire. The Pilots man
of the right stamp, and it's due to us to !
back him up. He said last Sunday that
the collection tomorrow would be for
church, but reckon he needs house
great deal worse than we need a church, |
and here is $50 to open the list
And here is another $50 TO cover
yours, said Pete; just drawed it to- |
day from headquarters, and | don t |
think / can get rid of it in any better
way
"Well, that started the ball rolling,
and would you believe it, sir, inside OF |
twenty minutes we had $500? Then the |
stranger, who had been listening quietly |
all the time, got up and said:
OSHblStucHB HoC DeltlR TeSluenJ Oh |
your town, / suppose l might excuse |
myself from contributing to your fund !; |
but the fact is, my conscience won't let |
me. i am getting interested in the |
place more interested than you think. |
Now, III tell you what IN do. Get
around early tomorrow morning, and |
see If you can't collect some more for
that fund, and III double the amount
you raise before the service. Now that
was pretty good for stranger, wasn't
It, sir ?
''The next morning saw half dozen
riders securing the country for subscrip-
tions. At half-past ten we met at the
Queens and found that $3.50 had been
secured. The stranger was true to his
word, and handed over a check for
$500. Putting the whole amount in the
hands of Mr.. Jones, who enclosed il in
an envelope, we started for the service,
as chirpy as a flock of schoolboys.
Mr. McDougall met US at the school
room door, greeting each one with a
hearty handshake, and looking as cheer
ful as II he had never had a stroke of
bad luck In his life. The sermon opened
with a bright Thanksgiving hymn, and
Mrs. McDougall, at the organ, certainly
made u go with a swing. The Pilot of
fered up prayer, and then read les
son from Scripture. Then, after another
rousing hymn, came the sermon, and
Fkn