The Washburn leader., 1915-04-02
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BY c. A. AlkENs.

BY c. A. AikENs.
ICopyright. 1915. by American Press Asso-
ciation.l
"VUYE ERE thinking of sociable
wv to try to get some money
to get the church painted
by Easter. suppose you
have noticed how dreadfully shabby it
is getting to be-"
Mrs. Oscar Holmes, the bankers
wife and the spokesman Of the com.
mittee Of three. had her little book
and pencil out.
. ''Ihe church needs more'n a coat Of
paint. It needs more grace and gump-
tion." Mrs. Waters said almost savage
". mo. don't think you need to
count on me for anything"
The people Of Progress had learned
that when Mrs. Waters said mo" she
usually meant 1t. "She's so queer. so
independent. you know" the ladies
said when they got out Of hearing dis
tance. 81 don't believe for a minute
it's stinginess; it's independence"
NE, It's not stinginess. know that"
Mrs. Holmes said. because when we
were packing the missionary box and
everybody was bringing second hand
stuff to put in it she wouldn't give us
a thing: said she didn't believe in Civ
ing old clothes away and calling II
charity, or giving to the Lord and
trying to get credit on a report for 1t.
She said she'd write the missionary's
wife a letter and put it in the box.
And, would you believe 1t, she put a
whole dollars worth of postage stamps
and a ten dollar bill In that letter, and
we never would have known thing
about 1t IL the missionary's wife hadn't
written back to the society,""
Since the Waters family had moved
to Progress. five years before, Mrs.
Waters had certainly earned the repu-
tation Of being independent and-weli.
queer" The first experience the Prog
ress people had of her ''queerness'' was
when she refused to borrow and lend
with her neighbors.
NE. indeed" she said. II amt that
kind Of woman. I never did believe
in the plan. You lend me your stew
kettle and I'll lend you my frying
pam"
And yet often after this sharp
tongued lady had been cooking the chill
dren might be seen carrying some little
delicacy to old bedridden Mrs. Fraser.
The neighbor across the way said that
Mrs. Waters had made little cushion
and sent It over to a crippled child.
The little church in Progress surely
did need u coat Of paint. In fact. it
needed paint outside and paint inside.
it needed plaster. it needed a new floor
and the foundation at one corner was
crumbling. II believe I'll just 80 and
jog UP Ezra about It." said Mrs. Wa
tiers. And jog Ezra she did to good
purpose
..1f folks would only stop so much
click clackin' o. tongues and ask the
Lord what he'd got to say about
fxin' up his house they wouldn't have
to do so much chasin' round gittin
eggs and cream and freezers." she said
to Ezra that night when they were
discussing 1t. Do you suppose. Ezra
Waters. that II they'd really got down
on their knees to tell the Lord about
this doin's. IL they'd said in serious.
solemn earnest. Lord. we want to
paint up your dwellin' place; we're
kinda ashamed Of tt-how do you
think we'd better 60 about it, and
then waited patiently and prayerfully
for his answer. do you suppose the
Lord would have said. Cit up s0cia.
bley Not bit Of 1t! He's told them
plain enough how to 60 about sich
things. Nothin' could be palmer than
what he's said about the tenth. Come
to think about 1t, Ezra. how much
have we got in that 1.-THE box?"
II guess there is right smart little
sum-" Ezra answered. "but, you know,
that little Indian girls schoolin' will
be comm due soon. We always pay
it long about this time" So
!, Eat the close Of this meeting" the
preacher announced at the Thursday
night prayer meeting. there will be
meeting Of the Ladies society to
discuss plans for the coming Easter
festival" 7 n Il
Before they could get we'll turned
around Mrs. johnson Pepper. the presi.
dent Of the Ladies' society. said:
q .Thes meeting win please come to or.
DER she said briskly. The object Of
ttis meeting Is thoroughly understood,
j ipresume. but In case there may be
some here who were not at the pre-:
i liminary meeting might explain that
fthe church is very shabby looking. and q
wGd decided to paint its before the
summer folks got here for another sen
son. We are going 70 have Z sociable
toShyFtosaiss thu ponsy ds:ssses
I'D like to ask :. said Mrs. Waters,
rising to her feet. III it's the opinion
Of this meetin' that the Lord wants u
/ 70 have this affair to patch up his
house" aas rs
4Why. there's surely no farm IN
l holding a sociable.' = said the president.
sgs v ssYsain,f fI,af1 said Mr9 Waters.