The Prescott daily news., 1913-01-06
ITO THE LEAST"
 SHALL BE GIVEN
By ADA WlLkERsON.

new altar cloth for the church.
 Joshua was Mary Ann's husband. and he had been dead ten years. In life Joshua had been 6 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 1t 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 it long ago If 1t hadn't been all mine. He hit me once, when he was in liquor, cause I wouldn't sign 1t over to him so he could sell it. But wouldn't. I was always firm in that, no matter how much Josh wanted money for pain killer.
 "The place where he busted his shoulder once when he fell off scaf- fold always hurt in damp weather, an Josh just naturally took to drinkin' to ease the pain. It's 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 I had hard enough time to save money for the taxes. I used to hide 1t in the old brass teapot I kept way back in the corner of the cupboard, an he never once thought of lookin' there
 But since he's been dead I miss him. Poor old Josh! He was good husband, an I always wanted to give somethiin' to the church as a memo rial. I thought about one of them fancy winders, but they cost too much, so I 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.
 'I saw one once, when I was visitin' in the city, an have my mind set on one like it.
 ''It would just do me good to set in Grace Chapel every Sunday an see Olt Ol lhSlIl HARRISBURG " AllS anu SOlN cloths hangin' over the pulpit.
 q had money fer it all saved up 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. I just had to take her in-she was a 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 Twin for so long. Her strength was all gone.
 Both of us did everything We could, and Miss Artman come over to help, but 1t wasn't any use. Doctor said the baby had taken all his mothers vitality-an you ought to see what a 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!
 His mother give him to me before she passed away, an said she wanted him named for his father-David--so I have named him David Joshua Quick.
 Tt 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 Twin child, stead of
 3 altar cloth.
 thLast Sunday I went to church ear
 before anybody else was there ly. told the Lord how had to use and money saved to decorate his the A And 1t seemed as I knelt there house.pked at that old cloth a-hangin' and loc pulpit that the gold looked over thf and better than it had fer brightertime, and it seemed when l a long ihed tellin' my story to the had flnisi emed l could hear a whis- Lord, 1t seh the silence, like the per througade the window were trees outs together. and 1t seemed a-whisperin Inasmuch as thou hast like it saidb one of the least of these my chirurto, thou hast done it unto me-
 "So I guess the Lord understands,