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

'INHE Honorable Peter wentworth
= was not a church-going man, and
when he appeared at the prayer meet
ing on that memorable Friday eve
ning there was at once a most irrelig-
ous interest manifested by every one
present, even to the tired little min
ster himself The object of their
amazed glances fortunately did not
keep the good people long in suspense.
After a timid prayer-slightly inco-
herent, but Astounding In petitions for
single mindedness and worshipful rev.
srence-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
Teri understand that you are de-
sirous Of building 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-
dcient. am, In fact, Informed
that you need two thousand dollars.
Ahem! characterization, | 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 fore1ngers togeth-
er impressively-"provided you will
raise an equal amount on your own
part. The first day of next January,
remember. You have nearly a 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
Ogable 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 it had
Oftener been his.
1t was not until the silent hours of
night brought a 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 a second appeal
following it up with a house-to-hOuse
visit The sum grew to six hundred
dollars.
Then the ladies held mass meeting
In the damp, ill-smelling vestry. The
result was a series of entertainments
varying from a strawberry festival tC
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 puckereC
brows, the ladies held another meet
ing in that cherries vestry-then hast
ened home with new courage and 6
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 til
midnight dressing dolls in tlimsy mus
lin. The church was going to hold {
fair Everything and everybody sue
cumbed graciously or ungraciously t
the inevitable.
The fair and blizzard began sim
ultaneously the FIRST day. of December
The one lasted week, and the othe
three days. The people conscienti
ously plowed through the snow, at
tended the fair, and bought recklesSly
The children made themselves scl
with rich candies, and Deacon Whit,
lost his temper over a tin trumpet h,
drew in grab bag. At the end of thu
week there were three cases Of nerv
Gus prostration, one of pneumonia, tw'
of grippe-and one hundred dollar
and five cents in money.
The ladies drew a long breath ant
looked pleased; then their faces wen
suddenly white. Where was ninety
nine dollars and nnety-five cents t,
come from in the few days yet re
naming? Silently and dejectedly the,
went home.
1t was then that the Reverend Johl
Grey rose to the occasion. and shu
himself in his study all night, strug