The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1907-02-07

moved a vote OF thanks to Mr.. Per-
kins for his generous and timely gift.
When that was done he looked as
satisfied as if he had given the bell
himself
But when we had started for
home, and he began to talk about
our having one more thing to be
thankful for on that Thanksgiving
day, I just freed my mind.
Thing to be thankful for! You'd
better say thing to be ashamed Of
said. The money that bought the
bell was a present to the ministe: and
not to the parish, and it ought to
have gone into his travel fund, I
said. And if you men that hold the
purse-strings had done as YOU ought
about that bell there wouldn't have
been any need for him to make such
q sacrifice. And now that he has
made it. if you had the least sense
of the fitness of things I said, you'd
find some other way of showing your
appreciation than by passing vote
Of thanks to the man that didn't give
the BELL l said.
We'll. at that Andrew never
opened his head. But I knew we'll
enough that he was thinking. The
next day he harnessed up, and drove
off without mentioning where he was
going; but 1 heard from him all over
town. taking the men one side, and
confabbing with them. And in the
course of the next fortnight several
of the sisters told ME they suspected
the men were Matching up something
that we women weren't to know any
thing about.
Very WE'LL I said. If the men
of this parish, for once in their lives,
can do something worth while with
out our help, let 'em do it and well
come
But if the men could keep from
telling, they couldn't keep us from
guessing, and l presume to say that
nobody was much surprised at the
next social circle when Andrew asked
the minister to step forward, and
then started in on presentation
speech.
He talked we'll, Andrew did.
They say that praise to the face is
open disgrace but l guess that
doesn't apply when you are talking
to your minister, and say only what's
true.
After a spell Andrew branched
off on to the advantages of foreign
travel, and at that I pricked up my
ears. Up to that minute I had rather
calculated that the men had bought
Mr.. Tyler a gold watch, same as the
people down at the Hollow did for
their minister. But now whispered
to Abby Ellen Caswell, DO you sup
pose they have been and raised
money to send Mr.. Tyler abroado'
NO. says she, + don't suppose
anything of the kind.' Aud no won
der, for just then Andrew had picked
up goad-sized parcel that had been
hidden under the table, and was max
ing the awkward piece of work that
he always does undoing the wrap
pings.
So Andrew says, winding un
his speech, we trust that you will be
pleased to accept at our hands this
handsomely illustrated book Of trav-
els; and as in the future you turn
it's pages he says, we hope that you
will be pleasantly reminded Of your
loyal parishioners of the Greenhill
Society, and of the affection and
esteem with which they regard you
ABBY Ellen looked at me out Of
the corner of her eye as the ministec
took the book. Seems, to me that's
quite a come-down from foreign trav-
el,' says she. Not having any hus-
band of her own to feel responsible
for, of course she was quite free to
make remarks. .
LAS for me, I said nothing, though
l felt as if somebody had thrown a
wet blanket over. me.
But the minister was as smiling
as could be, and he made beauti-
full speech, though Abby Ellen kind
OF snickered when he said he should
prize the gift not so much for it,
intrinsic value as for the spirit that
prompted it.
After he had finished speaking.
he left the book on the table and
went to mingling with the people as
usual. But Abel Hayes spoke up.
and says he, Brother Bates, in his
remarks, said something about Elder
Tyier's feelings in the future when
he should turn the leaves Of that
book. think that some of US would
like to see him turn the leaves a
little now
"The minister flushed little at
that, perhaps taking hint that he
hadn't shown enough interest in his
present; but he stepped up to the
table and opened the book, and be-
gan telling US what the first chapter
uas ahout. Then all of a sudden a