City and town life -- Fiction; Short stories, American
It was no marvel that Doctor June's garden was filled, that yellow
afternoon, with many eager for action. Some of us knew that there was an
Orphans' Home fund deficit; but more of us knew only that we were to
"talk over some money-raising." I remember how, from the garden seat
against the spiræa, the doctor faced us, all scattered about the
antlered walk and its triangle of green, erect on golden oak and bright
velvet chairs from within doors. And when he had told us of the shortage
to which we were party, instantly the talk emptied into channels of
possible pop-corn social, chicken-pie supper, rummage sale, art and loan
exhibit, Old Settlers' Entertainment, and so on. After which Doctor June
rose, and stood touching thoughtfully at the leaves which grew nearest,
while he essayed to turn our minds from chicken-pot-pie-part-veal, and
bib-aprons, to the eternal verities.
"My friends," he said, "isn't there a better way? Let us, this time,
give of our hearts' love to the little children of God, instead of
buying pies and freezing ice cream in His name."
There was, of course, an instant's hush in the garden. We were not used
to paradoxes, and we felt as concave images must feel when they first
look upon the world. It was as amazing as if we had been told that God
grieves with us instead of afflicting us, as we held.
"None of us has much money to give," Doctor June went on; "let us take
the way that lies nearest our hand, and make a little money. God never
permitted any normal human creature to come into His world unprovided
with some means of making it better. Only, let us get outside our bazaar
and chicken-pie faculties. Now what can we each do?"
We sat still for a little, tentatively murmuring; and then Mis'
Holcomb-that-was-Mame-Bliss stood up by the sweet-alyssum urn.
"Speakin' of what we can do," she said, "doin' ain't easy. Not when
you're well along in years. Your ways seem to stiffen up some. When I
was a girl, I could 'a' been quite an elocutionist if I could 'a' had
lessons. I had a reg'lar born sense o' givin' gestures. But I never
took. An' now I declare I don't know of anything I could do. It's the
same way, I guess, with quite a number of us."
Mis' Postmaster Sykes was in the arm-chair, and she sat still, queenly.
"I could do some o' my embroidery," she observed, "but it's quite
expensive stuff, an' I don't know whether it would sell rill well here
in Friendship. I'd be 'most afraid to risk. An' I don't do enough
cookin', myself, to what-you-might-say know how, any more."
"Same with my sewing," observed Mis' Doctor Helman; "I put it all out
now. I don't know as I could sew up a seam. That's the trouble, hiring
everything done so."
Those who did not hire everything done preserved a respectful silence.
And Doctor June looked up in the elm trees.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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