Newark post., 1915-02-10

gracious or reverend. Elder Whann
of Head of Christiana was a sin
gularly dignifed personality, and
his wife, the little old lady with
placid countenance and gentle
blue eyes, seemed exactly fitted to
be his mate. Jones Matthias, an
elder of the same congregation,
with his huge bald head and great
spade-like beard, had the gravity
and majesty of a Hebrew prophet
when he passed elements at COM
munion. James McKeowan's wise
and kind Scotch Irish face is one
never to be forgotten, and what a
world of vigor, enough for three
ordinary men, went to the makeup
of Andrew Kerr. Billy Hawthorne
was one Of the elders at White
Clay Greek, a humorous old gentle
men with a voice that sang vigor-
ously out of tune. Another elder
of that congregation was Scatter
good Allen. His Christian name of
doubtful comotation l have not met
elsewhere. He and my father suf-
fered a slight coldness because my
, father would not vote for Elder
Allen when he ran for Sheriff on
the Republican ticket The misun-
derstanding was eventually cleared
up, and the pastor ate many a
bountiful meal at the Elders full
board. | think my father in that
instance carried party loyalty a bit
too far, but in those days it was
proud boast that a man had "never
scratched a ticket.
How many other faces and fig
ures rise out Of that past-the Nc
Kees, the McDaniels, the Lindseys,
Mrs. Caulk, the embodiment Of
dignity, the Steels, the Tweeds.
The donation parties were intended
as surprises, but some discreet
mother in Israel always gave notice
to the women of the household. AS
to the pastor, he was an easy man
to surprise. He always came from
his study astonished to find so
many Of his Pensioners in the par
lor. Meanwhile carriage after car
riage load rolled up, and the house
was soon possessed by the visitors.
They ousted the cook from the
kitchen and put all sorts of things
in the oven and on top Of the stove.
1t seems to me now that every room
in the house was filled to suffoca-
ton with very large women. They
couldn't all have been fat, but so
they remain in my memory. If
there was thin one among them
she must have been overlapped and
hidden by the abundant adipose
tissue of her sisters in Isreal. How
merry, and how kind they were
The air was full of friendly salu.
tations. AS to the food, it "snowed
of meat and drink" in our house on
these occasions. There were pans
of mountainous rolls, loaves by the
score Of the whitest bread, chick.
ems, live, dead, and cooked, LOAF
: cake Of half dozen kinds, pickles
: preserves, sausages, scrapple, cider
apple butter, everything that comes
from the rich and capacious kitchen
of prosperous farmhouse. Three
2 or four tables full sat down to sup
l per in succession, and then there
| was an evening Of talk in the par
2 lor, in the study, in the dining
!. room, wherever groups could fine
I a place to sit or stand. Toward
: ten O'Clock the visitors went home
r having first put the distracted
|, house in order, leaving the parson
. age larder vastly enriched and ever
: the horse provided with many bag
e of corn and oats. Perhaps the do
s nation party is an undignifed wa,
< of paying a pastors salary, bu
4 from all appearances those excel
4 lent people found it altogether de
lilo htfI,1