Name/Title
letterEntry/Object ID
2021.2.565 A-JScope and Content
Letter sent to Miss Barbara Maxwell, Post marked St. Joseph MO Oct 29, 1952 "The Autobiography of a collection plate" written on envelopeContext
Pg 1 October 28th, Tuesday Querida Hermanita, Hope that you received Papa's note telling you that he plans to come for you Friday. Ain't that nice? I just hope the nice weather holds out over the weekend. It is colder now that it has been but still it is sunny and brought. Most of the leaves have blown off the trees it was quite windy Sunday and yesterday. I wrote you Saturday so you know my views on the events of that day. Sunday was quite a day too! Sally Lacy had a cold and asked me to take charge of Sunday school. When I called that evening to see how she was Louise told me their mother was ill; she had a bad spell with her heart and wasn't getting over it very soon. They hoped she would get to feeling better too and I hope so too.
Pg 2 Anyway, I struggled through SS with Janie and Mrs. Seaman helping me. Dorcas wasn't there. I believe she and Louise haven't been to choir practice or church the last two weeks. I don't know where they are. Margot thought they might be in Chicago but surely not for two weeks. I thought maybe some members of the family was ill. John's sermon was most excellent as you would expect. he told it in the first person starting out saying that usually in an autobiography certain items of information such as date and place of birth are given. As to place, that was easy enough as I was born many hundreds if feet below the earth's surface where it was cool and dark and comfortable. But as to time that was not so easy for no one knows exactly how long ago it was. But I was not born as pure silver, I was mixed with zinc and lead and other ores. Then one
Pg 3 day I heard scratching noises above me. At first, I was frightened as all things are frightened of the unknown. Then the silver was taken out of the earth carried in a little cart to be loaded on a larger cart which was pulled by something they told me was called an engine. It went to the furnace and was melted always before i had been solid, now I became a liquid sinking to the bottom of the kettle which my companions rose above me. The I was poured out into an endless sheet of silver. Finally I was cut apart from the continuous sheet and sent to be made into what I was to become. Now I felt the hands of the artist and those hands were gentile as an artist's hands always are. After I was shaped I was again taken away this time to be put in a glass case,
Pg 4 where I could be seen by many people. now it was that I was to find out the purpose for which I was made for some women came into the store where may glass case set and asked to see come collection plates they might buy for their church. When they saw me and seven of my companions they said these are just what we want and once again I was moved this time to a church which was to be my home for that time on. John continued by describing the hands that the plate felt the gnarled work worn hands of farmers and housewives and the smooth manicured hands of the professional men all of whom gave generously the chubby little hands of children dropping in a nickel or a dime. And he told of the destination of this money. India where the point for program of today is old hat the church has been doing the same thing for 50 years.
Pg 5 And specifically i visited a college registrar's office one day. I watched a boy and his parents as they questioned the registrar about fees, tuition, board and room. He told them all these amounted to $750 and they went away to see the dormitory where the boy would live and the roommate with whom he would share his room. I marched right up to the registrar and said Why didn't you tell those people the truth? it doesn't cost $750 to send that boy to school it costs $1100. Where're you going to get the rest of it? From you he answered we always have. Of course not always was the place happy for sometimes those who should've given much didn't but usually I was proud, proud of all the things I had done proud of my church home
Pg 6 and proud of my purpose. Pretty good for budget adopting Sunday wasn't it? In congregational meeting Mr. Hargrove answered the four questions about the budget that had been sent it. Two of the questions were mine! One was about the salaries (how divided) and the other about our $7000 share of the new center at MU. The latter is to met by individual donations and another method not yet divulged. The salaries are to be John $6000,Larrie $3600, Max $1200 Joyce Ann $1920 and Mr. Porter $1080. john's $6000 is $800 more than he got this year. Larrie's is the same . Barb Lee said as when he came! Whew! I rattled on didn't I? Sunday afternoon we sand as the Reformation Day service The music was lovely the sermon was too long. John presided beautifully. That evening
Pg 7 he had the Hi-Y dedication service so he was rather busy that service was broadcast on KFEQ and we heard his talk. He used Samson's story to show how we lose our strength oral and spiritual as well as physical when we lose our ideals and faith (hair) It was very good and undoubtedly appealed to his audience. Lat night Ma and I baked a cake in the mixer no, we baked it in the oven after mixing it in the mixer. it turned out pretty well at least we can eat it and it tasted good! In the Woman's Day there is a pic of Marlon Brando as Mark Anthony in Julius Caesar. The big question they say is how Brando whose fame rests on mumbling
Pg 8 his words will sound pronouncing Shakespeare's English! Time will tell! Ivanhoe is coming next week! I can hardly wait. Wish it would start Sat but don't think it will as everything I have is yours started Sunday. Ivanhoe will probably be at advanced prices as it is a pre release engagement. We are reading Evangeline in English class. I'm liking it. I hope the kids are, best I stop now as you are probably tired and my arm surely is! Lots of Love, Marilyn PS Alice Margaret Doyle's father died of a heart attack last Saturday. He was working in Wichita he was a civil engineer.
Church bulletin-First Presbyterian Church
envelopeCollection
Marshall White
