Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1922-05-18


church and spoke Christmas pieces
and sang Christmas carols, with long
ing gaze fixed on the empty corner
where was wont to be the shining tree.
1t was on Christmas day that the
widow Blake fought the good fight in
her little slx-by-nine room. On the bed
lay black cashmere gown, faded and
rusty and carefully darned; on the
table lay little heap Of bills and sill
yer. The woman gathered the money
In her two hands and dropped 1t into
her lap; then she smoothed the bills
neatly one upon another, and built lit
tie pyramids of dimes and quarters.
Fifteen dollars! 1t must be five years
now that she had been saving that
money, and she did so need new
dress She needed 1t to be-why-
even decent looking sourly at the
frayed folds on the bed.
1t was on Christmas day, too, that
the little cripple who lived across the
bridge received a five-dollar gold piece
by registered mail. Donald's eyes
shone and his thin fingers clutched the
yellow gold greedily. Now he could
have those books his eyes rested on
an open letter on the floor by his
chair; mimeograph letter signed
John w. Grey" Gradually his fin
gers relaxed: the bit of money slipped
from the imprisOning clasp, fell to the
floor, and rolled in flashing cleaning
circles round and round the letter,
ending in a glistening disk, like seal.
just at the left of the signature. The
lad looked at the yellow, whirling
thing with frightened eyes, then COW
cred his face with his hands, and
burst into a storm of SObs.
On the Goth of December, the Rev
erend John Grey entered on his list:
Mrs. Blake, SIS; Donald Marsh, So"
The little minister's face grew pale
and drawn. The money came in bit
by bit, but it wanted twenty dollars
and ninety-tive cents yet to complete
the needed thousand. On the 9th the
teacher of the infant class brought
dollar, the gift of her young pupils.
On the 2Sth, nothing came; on the
Doth, five cents from a small boy who
rang the bell with peal that brought
the Reverend John Grey to the door
with a startled hope in his eyes. He
took the five pennies from the small
dirty fingers and opened his mouth to
speak his thanks, but his dry lips re-
fused to frame the words.
The morning of the Both dawned
raw and cloudy. The little minister
neither ate nor slept now. The door
bell rang at brief intervals through
| out the day, and stray quarters, dimes,
and nickels, with an occasional dollar,
were added to the precious store until
it amounted to nine hundred and
eighty-tive dollars and eighty-five cents.
1t was nearly midnight when there
come a gentle tap at the study door.
Without waiting for permission the
minister's wife turned the knob and
entered the room. Her husband sat
with bowed head resting on his out
stretched arms on the desk, and her
eyes filled with tears at the picture
Of despair before her.
John, l suppose we can take this"
said she, in a low voice, reluctantly
laying a little pile of silver on the
desk; there's just ten dollars there"
Then she recoiled in terror, so wildly
did her husband clutch the money.
"Where did you get this?" he gasped.
IL saved it from time to time out
of the household money. l meant you
should take it and go out to Cousin
Franks for a rest and vacation after
this was over" said she dOggedly.
vacation Mary-vacation !" he ex-
claimed, with unutterable scorn. Then
he fumbled in his pocket and brought
out a little change. With trembling
fingers he picked out ten pennies and
fve-cent piece, putting a lone quar-
ter back in his empty pocket.
THANK God, Mary, we've done 1t ~
and the mans voice broke.
New Years night there was a ju-
biee meeting in the town hall. The
Reverend John Grey hurried through
his bread-and-milk, in some excitement.
He was to preside, and must not be
late.
The hall was full to Overlooking. On
the platform with the minister sat the
deacons of the First Congregational
church-and the Honorable Peter
Wentworth. The well-fed, we'll
groomed honorable gentleman himself
looked about with complacent smile
this was indeed most delightful
occasion.
The Reverend John Grey's address
was an eloquent tribute to the great
generosity of their distinguished Eel.
low townsman. The minister's voice
trembled affectingly, and his thin
cheeks flushed with emotion. The
First Congregational church was deep
" indebted to the Honorable Peter
Wentworth, and would fain express
Its gratitude.
The minister's wife listened with a
faraway look on her face, and little
Donald Marsh gazed with round eyes
of awe at the great man who had been
so very generous; while over in an
IL