Phoebe leaned over to Joanne and whispered to her, ‘Joanne, who is that man sitting at the right of that third table from here?’
Joanne said, ‘Trevor, isn’t that Cecil Hanna sitting up at that the third table up there?’
Trevor said, ‘I’m sure it is. So what?’
Phoebe said, ‘When I was coming here, he shook my hand and said, ‘Young lady, you played that smart by not hoisting them barbells on your first attempt.’
Trevor perked up. ‘That makes me think. That’s Cecil Hanna, the phys. ed. teacher at City University. That’s worth knowing and something to digest.”
Trevor told the audience that he didn’t want to take up any more of their time. He turned it to Joanne. “A word or two.”
Joanne said, “We have enjoyed Phoebe’s company while she was in Toronto. We do not know what she is like down here but in Toronto she takes a backseat to no one. Her personality and talent is outstanding and her dedication to her church is unquestionable. We thank you for the privilege of speaking to you.”
Phoebe escorted them back to their seats beside grandfather. Dell took over and said, “I feel that we owe this young couple our heart’s gratitude. I’m positively sure, had it not been for them, Phoebe could not have made the connections to display her talents, the end results being that our beloved church is nearly two months closer to opening doors for the Christmas season. I would just like to tell these young people that when I get back to Toronto I’ll tell those benevolent people that Phoebe says that the sun has risen again. Let’s give them arousing good old down east welcome.”
The people stood up and banged the floor. It was a good old rough and tumble down east welcome.
“Now, Dell said, “Let’s get on with the remainder of our program. The next item is our ballroom dancing couple from Kingston, Miss Janet Raymond and Mr. Jeffrey Johnson, Susan Kennedy on the piano accompanied by Archie Plunkett on his violin.”
Dressed up in ballroom attire, they glided over that stage like willow the wisps. After they finished their dance, they retired behind the curtain. After a brief interval, the male dancer appeared and asked if there was a lady who would come up on stage and have a dance with him. A voice from the rear shouted, “How about Phoebe!”
Phoebe whispered to Dell, “Bring up Kathleen O’Leary. She is the best dancer in the county.”
Kathleen was also a member of the choir. Dell stepped out beside the dancer and made himself loud and clear. “Kathleen, where are you?”
Some people sitting beside Kathleen stood up and tried to urge her up. Kathleen was a shy girl. She shook her head but was still laughing. “No, no, no.”
A section of the audience broke out. “Kathleen, Kathleen, Kathleen.”
Her boyfriend, who was sitting beside her, stood up and whispered in her ear. “Come on, Kathy. You can do it.” He took hold of her arm and softly and gently asked her. “Come on, Kathleen.”
Kathleen slowly got up on her feet. Then the house let loose with applause. The professional dancer was surprised at the swing and ability of that young lady. She could swing and dance like Danny Kaye. Her dexterity was amazing. After they presented their dance, the professional took Kathleen by the hand and gave a graceful bow. After the applause, the dancers retired to the back to the back of the screen.
Dell was looking at his program to see what was the next act. Suddenly, the gorgeous girl appeared from behind the curtain, gave a bow, and invited any gentleman up for dance. Boy, did the whistles blow and hoots that followed cheer. There were lots of suggested names called but no takers.
Dell asked, “A fine young lady night this and no takers?” Apparently most of them were shy about taking on a professional dancer. It was getting embarrassing to the lady. Joanne whispered to Trevor, “Go to the girl’s rescue.”
Trevor’s parents had given him ballroom dancing lessons in his primary school days. Trevor finally said, “Well, here goes nothing.”
He went up the aisle amid cheers. The pair of them were standing waiting for the pianist to strike a note. Trevor said to the girl, “I took some lessons in my younger days so you will find out that I’m a little rusty.”
Well the pair of them started out slowly. Gradually the girl sped him up and tried him on a few modern swings and twists. The pair of them put on a professional exhibition. They both gave a graceful bow at the conclusion. The girl shook his hand and thanked him. They both got thunderous applause.
Dell said, “That was a good show,” and gave them a heartfelt thank you. “We have had a wonderful and successful campaign and a very enjoyable concert. To conclude the concert and campaign, we will place a pot in the center of the stage and Phoebe will throw in the final donation, a cheque for a thousand dollars. After that, the concert will conclude with the appearance of Dunadry’s Hayseed Band. They are assembling somewhere.”
The big maple sap cauldron was placed in the center of the stage. Phoebe looked spiffy in her salmon coloured dress and white lace collarette and lapels with shoes and stockings to match. As she strode out on the platform, she got a hand from the crowd.
Phoebe was not her old self with that unexpected call off the cuff. She looked very serious. She began, “Dear congregation and friends, I have had a whiff that the committee might choose me for this final donation. It’s a great honor and I feel very humble to be chosen but let me tell you something. We have all heard the old adage that money talks. How true, but let me tell you I’m not listening. How about all those who traveled the farm lanes and stepped into a cow pie and ruined a pair of Sunday shoes or maybe tore a hole in a Sunday dress taking a near cut over a barbed wire fence? All those school students that knocked on doors? All those men that did the landscaping after the horses and wagons cut up the church grounds? All the women and daughters who made all the pies and pickles for our churches socials? How about all the donations to church bazaars? I could go on and on. All of you know it and don’t need to be reminded by someone like me.”
“I feel greatly honored to be chosen by the renovation committee to put the final donation into the pot that we all see plainly up there on the stage. Well I’m going to decline that honor for the simple reason that I never had to make the sacrifice of time and material that every member of the U.C.W. (United Church Women) made, my own mother and being one of them. I have helped once in a while. It was lives aside in our home when it was time to bake those meat pies for the church bazaar or whatever. The odor of our place was enough to decoy a coyote.”
“Every member was a worker for the good Lord blessed me with the voice. God forgive me, I have been told in some jovial instances that I was a snake charmer. But being what may, I was like a soldier that ran away so that he could return to fight another day. See, I could return to sing some other day. When I sang. I always got something in return. I generally sang on a fifty fifty basis. I would sing to the best of my ability, possibly to the tune of one rabbit but my returns would equal one horse. Therefore, my friends, I take no credit for what I have done. It cost me nothing and I had nothing to lose.”
“Darn it all, if you are around Brian Berwick’s barn, you will often hear me singing to his jersey cows. The only applause I get there is a chorus of mooing. In other words, bring on the milking machines. I would gladly do it all over again if it were necessary, which I pray that it won’t. Now I have a suggestion to put to you. I mean it to church members only. Seeing that I have relinquished my right to deposit the final donation in the pot, I would like to nominate two young Sunday school pupils to take my place. Of course other church members can nominate also.”
“Dell said, “Phoebe, I do not think that we can do that. In order for us to have nominations, it should have been printed in the program long before this concert.”
Phoebe said, “Dell, leave it to me to put my foot in the soup.”
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