The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1911-04-29
St. George and
St. Daisy
By EPES w. SARGENT

1t even puzzled Rev. Augustus Elem
ming to decide whether the popularit.
OF st. Georges was due to the fact O
Its being the first religious edifce IL
Mangoon or whether credit should b,
given Daisy Homer, to whose endeav
ors St Georges owed its existence
when. as yet, there were only thret
saloons In the town. AS rule five
saloons preceded the first church.
Daisy was the daughter of the su
perintendent of the Mangoon Mining
company, and Fiemming was her cou
dn, but lately graduated and filled
with desire to benefit his fellow
man. He was clean-cut, sincere, and
mans man, SO the little congrega
don prospered amazingly. The miners
Hooked into the church and stared al.
ternately at the minister and Daisy
The latter sat on the end seat In the
choir and formed by far a more potent
attraction.
Even the Twisted Dog shut its
doors during the hours Of service,
and Mangoon was Unfortunately proud
OF Its church, its minister and Daisy.
These three we're even more impor-
tant to Mangoon than the railroad,
though before Daisy came and the
other two followed In her wake, the
main line railroad was accounted q
thing too important to ever be su-
perseded in the boasts of the towns
men.
Aangoon was still q rather raw
mining town, but John Homer had
worked wisely when he brought his
daughter out to keep him company
Her influence. the more potent be-
cause 1t was unconscious. made itself
felt in the whole town. and Ben
Challoner, the assayist. was wont to
credit Mangoon reforms to st. George
and st. Daisy. with the latter as the
strenuous factor for good.
But Challoner alone was not per
mitted to say pretty things to Daisy.
BY virtue Of his position he held the
Inside track. but there was not Q man
In town Of adult age and good moral
character who had not made up his
mind to win the girl for his wife. and
Daisy. battered BY their homage. &C.
cepted them all ~ good chums and
resolutely shut her ears to pleas Of
1ova
Il like you all % much" she ex-
planned to Fenwick Tenton, editor OF
the local paper, that / don't want to
give you all up for Just one" That
Was at once her platform and the
secret Of her success. None Of her
suitors had ever given up hope, and
she ruled her little court with gentle
despotism.
30 IT happened that when Easter
drew near dozen young men were
interested in the preparations for the
special services. 1t was to be the first
Easter service at St. Georges, and
more than one man recalled the day
back home" with the hower-decora-
ted churches and the vari-colored
eggs. 1t was but natural that the In
terest OF the town should center In |
the tiny conservatory built into the |
Homer cottage where Daisy faithful |
" tended their flowers that they might |
be ready for the Eastertide. She had |
had splendid luck with these and a
dozen stately plants were depended
upon to relieve the masses of wild |
flowers that the boys assured her
would be gathered in time.
Then came the catastrophe. II was |
Challoner who spread the news. He
had dropped in to see Daisy on his
way down to his laboratory and had
found her dissolved in tears. There
had been q sharp frost through the
night and wandering burro had
made objection to this odd-lookins
stable encountered ON his travels and
let ny with his heels. In the morn
ing Daisy had found her beloved
plants wilted and dead and Easter
only three days away. |
A burro with cut heels was abot IN
suspicion. but this did not bring back
the life Of the cherished plants. nor
could anyone suggest q remedy. Flow
ers might be sent down from Denver
By express. but word came back in re-
sponse to a telegram that there were
orders booked for twice the visible
supply, and that no more orders
would be considered.
81 Louis and Kansas City and
Omaha all returned similar ansverr
md by nightfall a consultation was
held In the lobby of the post Office.
The loss Of the lilies was a calamity
% the entire town. They had boast.
nsiy sent invitations to nearby places
o come over and join in real Easter
Rev. Flemming had OBJ
ected to this as being uncharitable
md. therefore. unChristian, but he
lad been overruled and the Mansoon
Times had openly Dragged that Man
Ioon was 20 years in advance of it's
lister cities" Men from Pine Blur