Evening star., 1926-05-30
The Minister Who Thought He Was Failure
BY NELIA GARDNER WHITE
A Rundown Church and a Dwindling Congregation.

| to resume the habit. Allie and her
family were first. and then came the
LaraWays. Even the two Laraway
girls had come in the little red car.
They brought an armful Of bright
colored music, as Jen had asked them
to do. It was a jolly crowd, full of
"reminiscences and friendly gossip.
Fat Mrs. Frazier's big laugh set them
off into a new gale OF merr1ment
every few minutes. Allie asked Jen
to get out her old photographs, and
even the young folks had a lot OF run
over them. Dot Laraway played the
old organ, and they sang all the JAZZ
ziest Of the jazzy new pieces. They
were noisy and happy. But Jen cer-
tainly did miss Caroline.
Then they opened the ice cream
yellow with eggs and cream-and the
boys put on Jen's big aprons and
passed the refreshments around. 1t
was while they were eating that Jen
gathered her courage into her hands
and stood UP.
Speech. Jen!' some one called out.
Every one laughed.
Jen tried to smile, but found It too
serious q moment.
Folks" she said, and the laughter
died away suddenly. as all the little
sounds Of nature die away before the
majesty Of a storm. Folks, / sup
pose you all wondered why I got 1t
into my head to have a party tonight,
with the children away and all. May.
be you thought ! had some reason
outside of just neighborhood fun.
though that's reason enough. good
ness knows! But this isn't my party.
'Tisn't yours. either. It's Rev. Mr..
Marrow's.'
They were all listening. Jen wished
they wouldn't listen quite so intently
it was hard to talk with every ones
eyes turned her way, and she wasn't
so much Of a talker at best.
We've been remembering tonight
some OF the days when we were
younger. But there's some things we
seem to have forgotten. Dot Lara
way. I wonder II you remember one
Christmas when you were or 5, and
you came to the Christmas exercises
at the church and there wasn't any
Santa Claus? You cried and cried; /
recall just how you looked. curled up
in your fathers arms. your face all
wet and hot from crying. 1t was a
bitter night, and 1t had showed so
over in the hollow during the day that
the man who had promised to be
Santa Claus hadn't come. Mr.. Mar
row slipped out and got out his horse
and drove over after that suit. He
had to walk part of the way. but he
got back in time to be the funniest,
jolliest Santa you'd ever SEEM
Johnny Frazier. do you remember
the time you fell off the barn and
broke some ribs, most killed your
self? I reckon you amt forgot it.
Remember how Mr.. Marrow drove
over miles and back every night
to help with the chores till you got
sos you could be round again?"
Che didn't wait for John Frazier to
- answer. though he half rose a.
though to speak.
"Bill Jones. maybe you've sort Of
forgot the time your pa died. You
was pretty small. 1t was pretty hard
shedding, I guess. with so many of you
young 'uns to feed and dress. I re-
member seeing Mr.. Marrow over plow-
ing your garden-and didn't he pay
you boys for helping pick his straw
berries. berries he'd always picked
himself before?
Remember when your Cora had
diphtheria. Allie? Who was it come
every day to see If he could help out?
"Who was it bought Sunday.school
papers for the children, out of his own
pocket. when we thought we couldn't
afford 'em any longer? Mary-maybe
you won't thank me for calling it to
mind-but there was time when you
and Jim was close to parting over