The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1916-10-17
the HOLLOW farmr,

the Hollow farmr'
In this disjointed fashion Arthur
Frake met a parishioner whom he had
never seen. Mile Rhodes was tall
fair girl, with soft blue eyes and q
sweet mouth. She was dressed In
black, and he recollected that they had
said she had lost her mother. Hell
arms were filed with fowers-chrys-
anthemums Of every color, great
branches of crimson dogwood berries
trailing lengths Of orange and scarlet
bittersweet and bunch Of pink gera-
NUNS with sweet smelling leaves.
ut was all I had to bring" she said
a little wistfully as she dropped them
on the study table.
"And a beautiful donation, Miss
Rhodes. thank you," said the minis
ter sincerely as he took her hand.
"Win you add another favor-arrange
them about the rooms? No, only in
this ROOM" he added whimsically.
So Mile Rhodes stepped lightly to
and fro, arranging vases and bowls of
flowers on manteIpiece and tables,
trailing the dogwood and bittersweet
berries over pictures and mirrors and
at the minister's request placing the
bowl Of pink geraniums on his desk.
Rose geraniums are my favorite
flowers" he said gravely. And they
were from that instant.
Then came the sound Of laughter
and loud ringing at the front door.
The house was filed with a merry
crowd Of the minister's flock, all push
ing forward to shake his hand and at
ter good wishes. Each one brought
something's bag or bundle or basket
and soon the kitchen tables were heap
ed with bushels Of potatoes, apples.
dried fruit, bags of flour, jars of pre-
serves and pickles, toothsome layer
cakes and pies and all the goodies that
farmers wives know how to manufac-
tire.
Mile Rhodes sat quietly in corner
with group of friends, and there was
quiet happiness in her face that no
one save Mrs. Wells and Sarah Smith
and, Of course, the minister quite I'M
derstood.
Miles donation beautif1ed the min
ister's own room, and unconsciously
her fingers had given the deft wom-
anly touches that the room needed. =
By and by some asked her to sing,
and she arose and, unaccompanied,
sang in a sweet, flutelike voice many
old ballads that brought tears to the
eyes Of the older people.
II should like my wife to sing like
that" thought Arthur Frake as he
moved among his people.
This donation was not exactly like
other donation parties. Even Emma
Wells admitted that. To begin with,
there was such an abundance of gifts
that the company could not possibly
dispose Of them at the supper, which
was served at 10 o'clock.
Then Mr.. Frake was young, and
youth creates a different atmosphere.
The old parsonage had always been a
gloomy place In the pastorate of the
aged Mr.. Walker, and tonight there
was such feeling of cheerfulness and
good fellowship between young and
old that the parish was united In
stronger bonds of love than ever be
fore.
Good night" they called as they
went away-"good night, Mr.. Frake,
and good luck"
And Arthur Frake, having blessed
them few moments before, fell on
his knees in the fragrant little study
and poured out his soul In thankful
ness for the kindness that was show
cred upon him.
And he especially prayed for Mile
Rhodes, who had given what she could
out of her meager store.
There came a day In the following
year, after Millie had been bereft of
her remaining parent, that Arthur
Frake fingered at the Hollow farm
and asked Mile to come and make
the parsonage home for him.
ut will be a Donation" he smiled
down at her, ''the best donation you
can make to me and my people. We
need you, Mile Rhodes"
And when they were married. why,
Of course the minister's people must
make another donation, and this time
the parsonage was coy and homelike
with q woman's touch, the same touch
which had lighted the fame of love In
the minister's heart