Page:Contending Forces by Pauline Hopkins.djvu/143

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THE SEWING-CIRCLE.
141

CHAPTER VIII.

THE SEWING-CIRCLE.

Where village statesmen talked with looks profound,
Imagination fondly stoops to trace
The parlor splendors of that festive place.
·······
Yes! let the rich deride, the proud disdain,
These simple blessings of the lowly train;
To me more dear,
One native charm than all the gloss of art.
Goldsmith.

Ma Smith was a member of the church referred to in the last chapter, the most prominent one of color in New England. It was situated in the heart of the West End, and was a very valuable piece of property. Every winter this church gave many entertainments to aid in paying off the mortgage, which. at this time amounted to about eight thousand dollars. Mrs. Smith, as the chairman of the board of stewardesses, was inaugurating a fair—one that should eclipse anything of a similar nature ever attempted by the colored people, and numerous sewing-circles were being held among the members all over the city. Parlor entertainments where an admission fee of ten cents was collected from every patron, were