The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1951-08-31
MISSIONARY IN
PERSON VISITS
CATFISH CORNER
Women's Club Delighted With
Miss PhenaIia Fifer Form
erly of Ursa Minor
By MISS PINKIE PERRY


Corner last week.
She said her name was Miss
Phenalia Fifer, recently a mission
airy and just returned from Ursa
Minor, that mystic, cryptic country
of eastern darkness located be-
tween Barbara and Erethezon.
Or so she told the women of the
Catfish Corner Women's Club when
she spoke before them that after
noon. 1t wasn't the regular meet
ing day of the club but when Mrs.
Corridor Carter heard the celebrat-
ed lady was in town, she bestirred
herself to work up a special meet
ing of the club and had it held at
her house.
The meeting, it was announced
was to be in honor of the famous
missionary from Ursa Minor. Just
about everybody came to the meet
ing. Everyone had to be intro
duced, everyone wanted to do the
talking. ....
The strange lady had been in
vited to make a talk, and she did.
She told a wonderful story of the
difficulties of in tr due Gin the
Christian religion to the benighted
people of Ursa Minor.
II am making an extended tour, j."
she said, ito raise funds to carry
on the good work. After four
years on du C nj my mission
among these friendly but ignorant
people, funds were exhausted.
These people care for nothing but
food, and fine skins for clothes.
They are trusting and generous.
There are many valuable gems to
be found in the earth of this coun-
try, and because they appreciated
my efforts, they brought me nearly
a bushel of precious stones.
They attach no value to the
stones, yet during the four years
the mission funds were exhausted
l spent with them, their simple
gratitude touched my heart. When
! took passage home to wage a
campaign for more money to carry
on the work"
"Tell US, tell u.s." the women
cried.
"When l got to America, the
customs seized my trunk Of prec-
ious stones, and would not release
them unless l pay $500 in duty.
Tie stones are uncut and / had
hoped to sell them and take the
money back to Ursa Minor.
Miss Fifer reached into her
handbag and brought out num-
Der of dingy objects which COW
cred the palm of her hand.
"You see l have rubies and dia-
monds and emeralds. These are
some of the stones" she said.
They are bigger than the diamonds
you usually see. Mostly they are
two to three carats, worth a
thousand dollars apiece"
"Why didn't you take them to a
jeweler?" asked Mrs. Klaxon King,
| the real estate mans wife.
ooh! l didn't know who to trust,
and 1 thought 1 would wait until
1 found some good honest people.
So l have sold magazines, and
perfume in order to live, hoping /
could raise the $500, but it has
cost so much to live, and business
has been poor, and 1 have become
SC desperate that I think I'd give
nalf the jewels to anyone who
would let me. have $400 to get
them from the customs"
1t was then that several men,
bcrs of the club noted the wink
that Mrs. Klaxon King gave Mrs.
Corridor Carter, and both repaired
to the adjoining room.
"Let US raise the money" said
Mrs. King. "We can't lose. We
ought to be able to make a lot of
money on this deal"
"I'd say yes" replied Mrs. Car
ter, "but I'm afraid we'd get in bad
with the club members; don't you
think we'd better let them in IN
this?"
Mrs. King objet ted for awhile
but fer better judgment yielded to
Mrs. Carter's arguments, and she
returned to the cluh.
"Ook Ladies'" she purred, chow
can we let this dear Christian CIR
suffer when we can help her? Let
US raise this money, and we will
Use cur share of the stones to carry
on the Lords work here in Catfish
Ccrrer." Of course Mrs. King
made a mental reservation that {
few Of the stones be ased to adors
the leading ladies CT Catfish Cor.
ner.
Within an hour the ladies haC
brought to Miss Fifer the sum o.
$500 in green paper. Within an
other fourth of an hour Miss Fifel
had made her departure after
promises to send them their share
in ten days. For two hours NOR,
the women chartered the praise.
of the beautiful and gifted mis-