Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1912-12-19
ITO The LEAST"
SHALL BE GIVEN
BY ADA WlLkERsON.

Ever since Joshua died Mary Ann
Penrose had been saving up to buy a
new altar cloth for the church.
Joshua was Mary AIMS husband.
and he had been dead ten years. In
life Joshua had been a great trial to
his wife. He was a carpenter, and a
good carpenter, when they were mar
ried. He had built their little home
himself. and presented It to Mary Ann
on her wedding day.
That's how / come to still own It."
she said the day she told me about the
Altar cloth.
Josh would a sold 1t long ago II it
hadn't been all mine. He hit me once,
when he was in liquor, cause /
wouldn't sign 1t over 10 him so he
could sell It. But l wouldn't. was
always firm in that, no matter how
much Josh wanted money for pain
killer.
1.-THE place where he busted his
shoulder once when he fell off a scat
fold always hurt in damp weather, an
Josh just naturally took to drinkin to
ease the pain. It's a blessin' the Lord
never sent us any children. He would
a sold the clothes off their backs fer
drink. But when he was himself he
always said he wouldn't ever take my
home away from me.
Goodness knows l had a hard
enough time to save money for the
taxes / used to hide it in the old
brass teapot l kept way back in the
corner of the cupboard, an he never
once thought of lookin' there.
"But since he's been dead l miss
him. Poor old Josh! He was a good
husband, an l always wanted to give
somethiin' to the church as a memo
rial. l thought about one Of them
fancy winders, but they cost too much,
30 / settled on an altar cloth, white
satin, all worked in gold, like the old
one, only lots nicer. with more gold
and some pieces Of glass that look
like jewels.
Il saw one once, when l was visitin'
in the city, an | have my mind set
on one like it.
at would just do me good to set in
Grace Chapel every Sunday an see
one of them handsome white and gold
cloths hangin' over the pulpit.
81 had money fer 1t all saved up
a hundred and fifty dollars-in the
teapot. Teapots is safer than banks.
An I was a-goin' to go to the city to
git the new fixin's, when along come
that poor, forlorn woman, Mrs.
Quick, sellin' buttons and thread, lace,
darnin' cotton and needles she had in
a basket. She told me she had tramp
ed all the way from the city. Her
husband was killed workin' on the
railroad, and she was tryin' to git
money to buy her baby some clothes.
poor soul She was staggerin'
sick when she come to my door.
Just had to take her in-she was
nice, clean little woman, too-an' so
white an miserable lookin.
"Of course, had to git the doctor;
but he couldn't do nothin' to save
her-she hadn't had nourishin' food
or the right kind of livin' for so long.
Her strength was all gone.
Both of us did everything we could,
but 1t wasn't any use. Doctor said
the baby had taken all his mothers
vitality-an' you ought to see what
husky little fellow he is. He's asleep
now, but when he wakes up I'll let
you hold him a while. He's Just as
pretty and bright!
ellis mother give him to me before
,h - o1,.o
him named for his father-David-so
have named him David Joshua
Quick.
1T took all the altar cloth money
for medicine for the mother and
clothes for little David-and the fu-
neral; but Josh, he'll understand that
my memorial to him will be the up
bringin' Of the livin' child, stead of
the altar cloth.
Last Sunday l went to church ear
ly, before anybody else was there
and l told the Lord how had to use
the money l saved to decorate his
house. And it seemed as / knelt there
and looked at that old cloth a-hangin'
over the pulpit that the gold looked
brighter and better than 1t had fer
a long time, and It seemed when l
had finished tellin' my story to the
Lord, it seemed / could hear a whis-
per through the silence, like the
trees outside the window were
a-whisperin' together, and 1t seemed
like it said: Inasmuch as thou hast
done it unto one of the least of these
my children, thou hast done it unto
me-
$50, / guess the Lord understands,