- MISS DILL’S DELEGATE.“
l. BY J. L. HARBOUR.
Miranda Dill was “doing up” the last
of her quinces one November morning
when some one rapped at her kitchen
door. When she opened her doo1 she
saw Mrs. Beacon Draper standing on
the little back porch.
“ ’Scuse me for coming ’round to the
backdoor, Mirandy, ” said Mrs. Draper,
as she stepped into the spotlessly clean
, and sweetly fragrant little kitchen,
(1’ “I could tell from the looks of the front
1
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' abor
of the house that you was in the back,
and I thought I’d save you the trouble
of running to let me in at the front door.
My! how sweet and Spicy it smells'in
here.”
“I'vebeen spicing some sweet apples,
and now I’m doing 11p the last 0’ my
quincesfh replied Miss Miranda. , “I’m
real partial to quince preserve, and I ,
think that a little quince is nice in apple '
sauce. But, here. I‘m keeping
standing. Come and sit down in this
rocking-chair, that is, if you don’t mind
sitting in the kitchen?”
“Not if it's ybur kitchen, Mirandy,
for it’ s so clean and cosy here.
{lovely you1 plants look.”
“Yes, I think the l: itchen’ s a good
place for plants. There s so much
moisture from the teakettle and it’s so
sunny in here. I have a crysanthemum
that’ll be in full bloom soon.”
“If it comes out before you ought,to
put it on the table you’re to have charge
of when the association meets with us
next week.”
“It would look lovely on the table,
wouldn't it? And flowers will be real
scarce by that time. Do they expect a
good many at the association?”
’ “Oh, yes; the deacon thinks there’ll
be as many as 100 delegates come, and
that’s what I have run over to see you
You know I’m chairman of the
committee 011 entertainment?”
“ 1es, I heard it give out Sunday.”
“Well, I’m ’round looking up enter-
tainment for the delegates, and I knew
I could count on you taking at least one;
you will, won’t you?”
“Oh, yes, I‘m willing to take one. I’d
take two if they could room together;
you know I’ve only one spare room. I
could. on a pinch, give up my bedroom,
and I could sleep on the setti11’-room
lounge, but if I did that it’d keep me so
busy I wouldn’t get out to many of the
meetings.”
“0h, one’s all you ought to be asked
to take, and I’ll try to have some real
nice person sent to you. Sometimes
when folks are getting free entertain-
ment they’ re fussier and more exacting
than if they w as pay ing board; I’ve had
delegates act just so.’
“ll ell, I don’ t know that I have,” re-
plied Miss Dill. She was a kindly soul
w 10 did'kindly deeds and found delight
in speaking kindly words. Her tongue
was little given to say unkind things
about anyone, and she was loyalty itself
to her brothers and sisters in the Bap-
tist church.
“The association comes the week be-
fore Thanksgiving, I believe,” she said,
when‘Mrs. Draper had risen to go.
“Yes, on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Most of the delegates are expected on
Monday, and they’ll ,be likely to stay
until Thursday.”
“I’d just as soon have mine to stay
that long as not, if you send me some
real pleasant person. I just enjoyed
entertaining the delegates I had last
spring, when the Woman’s Christian
Temperance union met here.’
“I’ll try and have some real nice,
agreeable person sent to you, Miran.”dy
Mrs. Draper went on her homeward
way and Miss Dill gave her attention
to the quince preseives simmering in
a. blue, porcelain-lined kettle on her
shining stove. She was as immaculate-
ly neat as her surroundings. Her move-
ments were as quick and free as those
of a girl of 18, while it was said in the
town that Miss Miranda “owned up to
45,” but it was also said that whatever
Miss Dill “owned 11p to” was the exact
truth. She was known to be absolute-
l y honest in word and in deed. Her life
was as an open book.
It had always been a good and kindly
life, and much of it had been spent in
the service of others and in promoting
the general good of the world. She was
sometimes called the “backbone” of the
feeble little Baptist church in Hiram-
ville. There had been times when it
would have been deserted, but for Miss
Dill’s zeal, and the free use of her rather
limited income.
The little church was now pastorless,
although numerous “candidates” had
”for some time been filling its pulpit.
\
Two weeks after Mrs. Draper’s call
Miss Dill appeared at that lady’s house
in a state of manifest perturbation. '
“Why, Sister Draper!” she said, ex-
citedly, “my delegate has come, and
—-why, Sister Draper!”
r “Why, what is it, Mirandy?”
? “You’ve sent me a man delegate!”
Miss Dill’s look and tone of dismay
were so comical that Mrs. Draper.
laughed aloud.
“Why,1Mirandy,” she said; “it’s no
killing matter if a man has been.sent
to you, is it? Who 1s he?’
“Rev. James Hiller, of Oldfield.”
“Why, he was to have been sent to
Brother Palmer’s and a Mrs. Drewe was
to have been sent to you. I’ll warrant
'7 you they’ve made a mistake and sent
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i
Mrs. Drewe to Brother Palmer’s.”
“But, what shall I do?”
“Do ?” said Mrs. Draper, with another
laugh. “Simply make the best of it.
Brother Hiller is a lovely man.”
“I know, but won’t folks—won’t it
seem a littlewwell, strange, for me to
, be entertaining a gentleman delegate ?"
“Nonsense, Mirandy! You’re too
Well known and too highly respected
in this town for anyone to say a word
about it. It would make a good deal
more talk if you sent the man away,
simply because he was a man. I’ll tell
folks that it was a mistake, and Iknow
that there won’t be a word said about
it.”
So Miss Dill, comforted, but still per-
turbed in spirit, went back to her dele-
you ;
How -
‘gate and guest, whom she found seated
in the big, comfortable rocking-chair
in her cheery sitting-room looking at
her photograph album.
Rev. James Hillcr was a portly, good-
looking man of 50, with kindly blue
eyes and courteous, gentle manner. He
was quick enough in his perceptions to
know that his coming had given his lit-
tle spinster hostess something of a sur—
prise, although she had said that she
had been expecting a delegate.
She was calmer in her mind and man-
ner VV hen she returned from Mrs.
Draper’s. A minister was to hera hu—
man being set apart from the rest of the
VV orld and w orthy of the most profound
respect.
Her heart began to flutter a little
again when she found herself sitting
opposite he1 guest at her daintily -ap-
pointed tea table, on which was set.
delicacies such as the departed wife of
Rev. M1. Hiller had not been skilled in
making.
“You live entirely alone all the time,
? do you, Siste1 Dill?" he asked, as she
handed him his third cup of the most
fragrant and delicious tea he had ever
tasted in his life.
. “I have quite a good deal of com-
pany," replied Miss Dill, “but I stay
alone most of the time.”
“Do you find it lonesome?”
i “No. not very, excepting at Thanks-
giving and Christmas time, when other
people have so many of their friends
around them. I do feel lonesome then,
although I gen’rally manage to find
some other lonesome person to invite
in with me. I was wondering to-day
who I could invite in this year. I had
Widow Jay and her poor old mother
in, but the old lady died last summer
and her daughter’s gone away. I dare
say I’ll find some one.”
Mr. Hiller became very communi-
cative after tea when he and Miss Dill
were again seated in her sitting-room
before an open grate fire. He told her
how he had been apwidower for two
years, and 110w his son and daughter
had both married and left him to go to
homes of their own. Finally 11c asked:
“Did you know that I was to stay
over after the association closes and
preach in your church next Sunday?”
“No, I hadn’t heard that, but I'm glad
of it. We need a regular minister very
much. The town has begun to grow
fast since the cotton mills and the shoe
factory came here, and a good man
could build the church right up.”
“It looks like a promising field to
me, and I don’t mind saying that I’d
be open to a call if the people feel that
I’m the man they want after they hear
me preach.”
lev. James Hiller’s preaching creat-
ed a great deal of enthusiasm.
“Everybody says he’s just the man
we want,” said Mrs. Draper to Miss Dill
on Monday. “He did preach two splen-
did, goodsermons, and he’s so kind and
sociable. Deacon White knows all
about him, and he says there isn’t a
single out about him. How did you like
him?”
“Very much,” replied Miss Dill, with
a blush.
“He s a real nice perSon to entertain,
isn’t he. ‘5”
“Yes, he is.
company."
“If we call him he’ll want a boarding
place. and why don’t you get a good
girl and fix up‘ that big east room of
yours for a study for him and take him
to board? There’s no place in town
where he could be so quiet and com—
fortable. The deacons and trustees are
going to‘ have a meeting to-night and
it’s almost certain they’ll call him. He
went back home t-o-day, didn’t he?”
“No, he went over to Hebron to visit
a day or two with a cousin of his, and
he’s coming back here for Thanksgiv-
He’s the best kind of
ing‘.9,
“He is? Well, that’s nice. Whose.
guest is he going to be?”
“Mine.”
(5011!”
“Yes. and I’ve been thinking that it’d
be real nice if the deacons and trustees
and their wives could come in in the
evening and meet him socially.”
“That would be real nice. We’d be
glad to come.”
“Then I’ll invite the others.” Every
invitation was accepted and Miss Dill’s
house was aglow with light and cheer.
The little hostess Ilooked ten years
younger than usual. Her eyes and her
checks were aglow, and her frequent
laugh was sweet and joyous.
At about nine in the evening Deacon
Smith called the company to order and
said:
- “I guess it won’t be much of a ’sprise
to anyone here, unless it is Brother
Hiller, to know that we have voted
unanimously to give Brother Hiller a
call to our church, and we’d all be glad
to hear a word from him about the
probability of his coming.”
His acceptance of the call was brief
and T0 the point. Then he hesitated,
cleared his throat and said:
“Perhaps there could be no more ap—
propriate time for me to announce.
something I feel that my parishioners
have a right to know, and for which I
have cause for heartfelt thanksgiving,
as every man ought to rejoice and be
glad when the Lord directs him to a
good and true woman who is willing to
be his wife.”
He crossed the room and took Miss
Dill by the hand.
“Allow me to present to you the dear
woman who has promised to be your
new pastor’s wife. I hope that this may
not appear unseemly to you because of
our brief acquaintance. If, on such i11-
vestigation as you care to make, you
find that I am unworthy of her, I will
release her from her engagement. I
feel that we know our own minds and
hearts well enough to feel sure that we
'will be happy together, and that our
whole life will be filled with the true
spirit of thanksgiving and praise.”
“And to think What a fuss you made
about entertaining a man delegate,”
said Mrs. Draper to Miss Dill after-
ward.
But Miss Dill only laughed as she had
not laughed for years and as only they
can laugh who love and are beloved.—
Detroit'Free Press.
THE EVENING (IAZETTE .
A. SPARROW HUNT.-
Eight Thousand Birds Killed in
One Afternoon.
Ohio Farmers Get Together Every Year
and Devote a. Day to the Exter-
mination of the Little Eng-
lish Pests.
The annual sparrow hunt is a big
event in several Ohio counties. It seems
to have originated in Summit county.
and to this day the hunt is conducted
011 a more elaborate scale in that part
of the state than anywhere else. Only
English sparrows are shot, and no mat
ter how many are killed, like Koko’s
victims, “they never will be missed.”
Early in the month of December the
farmers, having got everything stored
away neatly and safely, having pro—
vided plenty of wood and having
boarded up theeattle sheds for the
winter, decided that. it was about time
to go 011 the warpath for sparrows. A
notice was posted up next day at Rich—
ficld Center to this effect:
"The annual sparrow hunt will be
held to—morrow. All are invited. Please
be on hand not later than eight o’clock
a. 111., Jotham Potter and Cyrus Hop-
kins will be captains of the two teams,
respectively, and will choose sides at
7:45 a. In.”
On the following morning nearly 100
'men were ready for the hunt. , It
doesn’t take long to circulate such an
announcement in a farming communi-
ty in Ohio. Especially is this true dur-
ing the winter season, when there is
nothing that the younger people like
better than to visit around.
When the hunters came together it
was noticeable that nearly all of them
carried guns of modern make. Very
few old-pattern pieces were shouldered
by the stalwart- sons of the county, and
the army musket, which was so eon-
spicuous immediately after the war,
was no longer noticeable. “City foll:
licz done it all,” croaked Elder Paine.
“They’ \e come out heIc ’n’ shot quail
\Viih brich loader’s 11’ now nuthin’ will
do but that ev’ry boy inthe neighb01-
hood must be armed with a. new-fanglcd
gun wuth more’n a hull summer’s
work.” I
As soon as the contestants could be
placed in line the captains chose their
men. . It didn’t take long to do that, for
it doesn’t require much skill to shoot
'linglish sparrows. They are so tame
:liatanyone can get close enough to pop
them over as fast as he can sight his
gun. The hunters with the guns that
can be operated with the most speed
are almost certain to be those to make
the largest scores.
One side went up the valley and the
other side went down, the agreement
being to hunt in a circle and come to—
gether again at the center at a stipu-
lated time in the afternoon, all sparrows
to count up to the time that the con—
testants should report to the score-
lieeper at the center.
In five minutes from the time that the
men started on their way the guns
began to bang. All up and down the
valley during the entire afternoon the
reports filled the air until the inhab-
itants might have been excused for be-
lieving that a war skirmish was going
on in the neighborhood. The spar-
rows never had been thicker. In fact,
they had been so thick during the sum-
mer months that they threatened to
eat the farmers out of house and home.
One peculiar fact about shooting spar-
rows is that the noise of the guns seems
to frighten them only temporarily.
They rapidly become accustomed to
the report, as they do to everything
else. They are the most complacent
little upstarts that ever immigrated into
the country. 011 Fourth of July the
same characteristic is noticeable. In
early morning, when the first few fire-
charged, the sparrows will fly away
to the topmost branches of the trees
or to the eaves of the barns and houses,
where they build nests, but before
nightfall they are back again on the
streets as chipper as ever, and only
mind a firecracker long enough to fly
a few feet away and sputter like the
mischief when it bursts. So it is
when hunting. The first discharge of
weapons early in the morning sent
the sparrows away to their safest re—
treats, but by noon, between hunger
and the fact that they no longer
dreaded the noise, they were out on
the roads, in thefields, about barnyards
and stealing the grain away from the
chickens, as though they never had
heard a shotgun. ‘
~\s the sun began to sink 1n the VV est
the pile of sparrows began to accumu-
late. Some of the hu " were lucky,
and shot themselves 0. “:munition
before they had been 11.. 1 hours.
l0thers Were not so l'ortr. .. and
struggled in just as daylight we.» anout
finished. It has been one of the best
days that the sparrow hunters ever had.
In round numbers 8,000 birds~were
slaughtered. That averaged about 80
to a man. Stretched “bill to tail,” as
I'armer Garretson put it, “them birds
would have reached nigh seven miles,
allowing five inches for a bird." The
next morning, however, there seemed
to be just as many sparrows in and
about Richfield Center as ever.
JothamPotter’s side killed the most
sparrows, and therefore Cyrus Hop-
class supper for winners and losers,
with plenty of Summit county trim-
mings. —N. Y. Sun.
From the Irish Standpolnt.
Timothy O’Hooligan was carrying on
'a clandestine correspondence with a
certain young lady of his acquaintance,
and he called at the post office to see if
there were any letters for-him.
“Have ye any letters for me?” he
asked.
“What name, sir?” asked the clerk.
“Tim Murphy.”
“No. There are no letters for that
name. ”
. “And do you think I’d be afther tellin
ye me roight name, ye spalpeen,” re-
turned Tim, angi 11y -——l’ clz- --.le ~Up.
crackers or miniature torpedoes are dis- '
kins’ side will have to provide a. first- .
n
f» ,
T
E MUTUAL LIFE
INSURANCE 00.
OF NEW YORK.
RICHARDA. McCURDY President.
men in eYear ingllecflllfllfi.
Assets." ‘ . .
Liabilities ‘ . .
Surplus ' . . ‘ ..
Total Income . I .
Total Paid Policy-holders in 1895,
Insurance and Annuities in force,
Net gain in 1895 .
$221,213,721 '33
194,347,157 58
$26,866,563 75
$48,597,430 51
$23,126,728’45
$899, 074,453 78
$6], 647, 645 36
NOTE—Insurance merely mr Men, is discarded from this Statement as wholly misleading, and only insurance
actually issued and paid for in cash is Included.
I have carefully examined the foregoing Statement and find the same to be correct.
CHARLES A. PRELLER, Auditor.
From the Surplus a dividend will be apportioned as usual.
Report of the Examining Committee.
lllllue at \he Mutual Life Insurance company of New You,
February 11,1896.-
At a meeting of the Board of Trustees of this Company, held on the 18th. day of
December last, the undersigned were appointed a. Committeeto examine the annual
Statement for the year ending December 31st, 1895, and to verify the same by com«
parison with the assets of the Company.
The Committee have carefully performed the duty assigned to them, and hereby
certifythat the Statement is in all particulars correct and that the assets specified
therein are in possession of the Company.
In making this certificate the Committee bear testimony to the high character of
the investments (f the Company and express their approval of the system, order and
accuracy yvith which the accounts and vouchers have been kept, and the business in
general transacted.
H. C. Von Post,
Charles R. Henderson,
James C. Holden,
Robert Clyphant,
Wm. P. Dixon,
J. H. Herrick.
Committee
ROBERT A. GRANNIS, Vice-President.
WALTER R. GILLETTE, General Manager.
ISAAC F. LLOYD, Second Vice-President,
WILLIAM J. EASTON, Secretary,
FREDERIC CBOMWELL, Treasurer.
IOHN A. FONDA, Assistant Treasurer.
WILLIAM P. SANDS, Cashier '
HENRY E. DUNCAN. Jr., Cor.
Secy.
ALBERT KLAMBOTH, Asst. 8603’.
JAMES TIMPSON, 2d Asst. Tress
EDWARD P. HOLDEN, Asst. Cashier,
EMORY MoCLINTOCK LL..,D F. I. A, Actuary.
WM. W. RICHARDS. Comptroller.
JOHN TATLOCK, J 11., Asst. Actuary.
CHARLES A. PRELLER, Auditor,
HENRY S. BROWN, Asst. Comp.
JOHN C. ELLIOTT, Superintendent of Domestic Agencies,
EDWARD LYMAN SHORT, Gen. Solicitor.
MEDICAL Dinncras
ELIAS J. MARSH, M. ‘D.
A
. GUSTAVUS S. WINSTON, M. D.
GRANVILLE M. WHITE, M. D.
Jenn W NICHIDLS,
New Haven, General Agt. for State of Connecticut.
l
A. 1. ohm,
Local Agent.
..h
Norwalk Chronicler