The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1922-05-19

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THE Honorable Peter Wentworth
= was not a church-going man, and
when he appeared at the prayer meet
Ing on that memorable Friday eve
ming there was at once most irrelig-
ious interest manifested by every one
present, even to the tired little min
lister himself. The object of their
Smazed glances fortunately did not
keep the good people long in suspense.
After tfmid prayer-slightly inco-
herent, but Astounding in petitions for
single mindedness and worshipful rev.
erence-from the minister's wife, the
Honorable Peter Wentworth rose to
his feet and loudly cleared his throat:
"Ahem! Ladies and gentlemen-er
-ah-brethren," he corrected, hastily,
faint memories Of godly youth
prompting his now unaccustomed lips;
"I-er-I understand that you are de-
sirous of building a new church. A
very laudible wish-very," with his
eyes fixed On a zigzag crack in the
wall across the room; land l under
stand that your funds are-er-insuf-
flcient. I am, In fact, Informed
that you need two thousand dollars.
Ahem! Ladies-er-brethren 1 stand
here to announce that on the first day
Of January will place in your pas
tors hands the sum of one thousand
dollars, provided"-and he paused and
put the tips of his forefngers togeth-
er Observation-Disclosures you will
raise an equal amount on your own
part. The first day of next January,
remember. You have nearly year,
you will notice, in which to raise the
money. I-er-I hope you will be sue
cessful." And he sat down heavily.
The remainder Of that meeting was
not conspicuous for deep spirituality,
and after the benediction the Hon
orable Peter Wentworth found himself
surrounded by. an excited crowd of
grateful church members. The hon
orable gentleman was distinctly
pleased. He had not given anything
away before since-well, he had the
same curious choking feeling in his
throat now that he remembered to
have felt when he gave the contents
Of his dinner pail to the boy across
the aisle at the old red school house.
After all, it was a rather pleasant
sensation; he almost wished 1t had
oftener been his.
1t was not until the silent hours of
night brought haunting premonition
of evil to the Reverend John Grey
that the little minister began to real
lie what the church had undertaken.
One thousand dollars! The village
was small and the church society
smaller. The Honorable Peter Went
worth was the only man who by even
the politest fiction could be called rich.
Where, indeed, was the thousand to be
found?
BY the end of the week an urgent
appeal for money had entered the door
of every house in -Fairville.
This was in February, yet by the
end Of May there was only four hun
dred dollars in that fund treasury.
The pastor sent out second appeal,
following it up with q houseto-house
visit. The sum grew to six hundred
dollars.
Then the ladies held a mass meeting
in the damp, ill-smelling vestry. The
result was q series Of entertainments
varying from a strawberry festival to
the passion play" illustrated. These
heroic efforts brought the fund up to
eight hundred dollars. Two hundred
yet to be found-and 1t was Novem-
Der!
With anxious faces and puckered
brows, the ladies held another meet
ing in that cherries vestry-then hast
ened home with new courage and
new plan.
Bits Of silk and tissue paper, gay
colored worsteds and knots Of ribbon
appeared as by magic in every cottage.
Weary fingers fashioned impossible
fancy articles Of no earthly use to any
one, and tired housewives sat up till
midnight dressing dolls in fiimsy mus
lin. The church was going to hold
fairl Everything and everybody sue
cumbed graciously or ungraciously to
the inevitable.
The fair and blizzard began sim
ultaneously the first day of December.
The one lasted a week, and the other
three days. The people conscienti-
ously plowed through the snow, at
tended the fair, and bought recklessly.
The children made themselves sick
with rich candies, and Deacon White
lost his temper over tin trumpet he
drew in grab bag. At the end of the
week there were three cases of nerv-
GUS prostration, one of pneumonia, two
of grippe-and one hundred dollars
and five cents in money.
The ladies drew long breath and
looked pleased; then their faces went
suddenly white. Where was ninety
nine dollars and ninety-five cents to
come from in the few days yet re-
naming? Silently and dejectedly they
went home.
1t was then that the Reverend John
Grey rose to the occasion and shut
himself in his study all night, strug-
Cling with last appeal to be copied
on the faithful mimeograph and deliv-
cred by his patient youngest born.
That appeal was straight from the
heart of an all but despairing man.
Was two thousand dollars to be lost
and because of paltry ninety-nine
dollars and ninety-f1ve cents?
The pressure was severe and be-
came crushing as the holidays ap-