| Show THE PUMPKIN oh greenly and fair in the lands ot the sun the vines of the gourd and the rich mel on run and the rock and the tree and the cot tage enfold with broad leaves all greenness and blos all gold like that which er nineveh s prophet once grew while we wa ted to know that his warn ing was true and longed tor the storm cloud and listened in vain for tl e rush of the whirlwind and red fire rain on the banks of the the dark spanish maiden comes up with the fruit 0 the tangled vine laden and the creole of cuba laughs out to be hold through the orange leaves shining the broad spheres of gold tet with dearer delight from his home in the north on the fields 0 his harvest the yankee looks forth where the crook necks are colling and bellow fruit shines and the sun of september melts down on his vines ah on thanksgiving day when from east and from west from north and from south come the p 1 grim and guest when the gray haired new englander sees round his board the old broken links of affection ed the care wearied man seeks his mother once more and the worn matron smiles where the girl smiled before what moistens the lip and what bright ens the eye what calls back the past like the rich pumpkin p e oh fruit loved of boyhood the old days recalling when wood grapes were purpling and bro nuts were falling when wild ugly faces we carved in its skin glaring out through the dark with a candle with n the good people of the church at had decided that something must t done and at once the treasurer a young man who had re bently come to the village had made a financial statement that october sunday morning upon which certain persons felt very much scandalized such a thing had never been done be fore not even thought ot then it re healed the tact that the reverend wes ley norwood had received but tor six borths ot faithful ervice I 1 don t belice in br aging up such matte in the religious services of the chuich growled brother cook wha always protested that it was a waste of money to pay the minister so much salar I 1 quite agree with you responded mr barnes he was not a member ol 01 the church but attended because it was a respectable thing to do gave you standing it these things must come up every sunday I 1 shall attend church elsewhere notwithstanding this it was gener ally agreed that it was a shame and something must be done but when things hara gone in a haphazard way so long it was no easy matter to face right about after several weeks of deliberation the necessary something seemed as tar from accompli ament ever it Is too bad that they do not col elect lect the pastor s salary remarked mrs hunter at the ladies aid meet ing ano she meant by they was not entirely clear inasmuch as she was one of the officers it no one else will do anything we must rejoined mrs alien the van ous members nodded approval it was soon planned the pastor had received they would pay him 98 25 make it even and have enough left in the treasury for incidental matters on thursday evening of next week wh ch was thanksgiving the would inv te them selves to the parsonage and have a good time while making the pastor bappe it would be easy to prepare something extra while getting ready tor thanksgiving it was to be a grand secret not a soul but members the boci soci should know a word 0 it at the close of the bu me s meet ing ot the young people s I 1 eague the p made a close ny to sure h iselt thit all present were numbers he then proposed that as th would not do adyth ng the beag e take ui the matter 1 IP stand that we have nearly sixty do avs in the treasury we could pay the pastor 48 50 bring the sal aay up to 1 and have enough left to pay all bills and begin the new year ut of debt if we do this I 1 suggest that we observe the utmost secrecy and make it a complete surprise all beadil agreed to the plan and pledged the proper reticence in the matter r of the most faithful met after braier meeting to discuss the situa tion and that they must at once collect 25 the balance nee essary to pay the six months salary due this they proceeded to do so quietly that no one surmised a gen eral canvass was being made before sunday the entire amount was secured friday after school the junior leaguers met and decided that inas much as the grown up folks would not help in the matter they would do what they could so they voted to pay over every b t there was in the treasury upon counting 23 25 was found to be the correct amount oh girls cried lottie newman as she made some figures in the treas aurer s book it will make just even 75 and I 1 hope we can get enough to make it a hundred after the choir had run over the sunday hymns s meone proposed that they pay the proceeds of the la t con cert on the salary the sum of 30 aa after referring to the margin of his anthem book the chari chori ter reported that it would make 82 all told on thanksgiving morning they would call at the parsonage and surprise the pastor with a check for this amount perhaps it would somewhat atone for the sin of whispering during the ser mon thanksgiving day was a trying time for the No the baby was sick the night before and kept them awake and when tl ey did get to rest they overslept what with rush ing to get breakfast over and make ready tor the service at church pray ers were shortened and the chapter omitted altogether oh wesley I 1 am so tired every thing has gone wrong today said mrs norwood that afternoon the children never were so naughty before what will people say about hobble fighting the flour barrel is empty the potatoes are all gone and we have not a th ng in the house for breakfast only bread and b itter and the grocer sent us word yesterday that we could not have another thing until we paid him what shall we doa after which lengthy and somewhat ent speech she laid her head on his shoulder and found refuge in tears never mind dear the lord will provide then he slowly added as it in an afterthought some way A few minutes later pastor norwood was bowing to the organist who slip ped a check in his hand and said prop eriv with the compliments of the choir just as they were seated the door bell rang again and this time the junior league marched en masse and the astonished minister stood speech less with a check in either hand then the older league came and pres antly the ladles aid and last of all the trustees all adding their offerings and crowding the small rooms each party looked stiffly askance at the others wondering by what trickery their secret had become known after an hour of discourse and song the treasurer arose and said A few days s nee our pastor had received but a mere pittance for many months of faithful labor while he had wrought earnestly tor the church and its societies so that for the first time in years all were in a prosperous WHAT SHALL WE DO condition he unselfishly forgot his own needs no no brother nor wood you must permit me to finish then one society and another by some strange nc dence conceived the thought of giving the pastor a pleas ant thanksgiving surer s it is ne d less to say that we have surprised each other quite as well but best of all I 1 find that in the few days of ancon operation we have increased the amount paid on salary to just five blundred do lars this shows what we can ao it we all work together I 1 move you as a congregation that we til 11 LA u increase our pastor s salary from six hundred to eight hendred dollars a year it was carried with a rush even brother cook assenting pastor nor wood arose and with tears of joy trickling down his cheeks thanked them simply some said they sung the doxology as never before at least there were two vo ces that rang out with a new inspiration of faith when they were once more at home and the children in bed wesley nor wood again took his wife in his arms THEY TOGETHER and opening hi bible at a place much marked and worn they read together with the guileless faith of children and it shall come to pass that before they call I 1 will answer and while they are yet speaking I 1 will hear |
