St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1859-03-24
The Prayer. Me eeting!

~?nT The Prayer 5Meeting! haa i
ab :2t = BY T. - 5. ARTHUR. t,uiz5 '''~s.'@'
q :4as@a33D -------} H&:a@i'R .:1S 81
"You will beat the meeting to night
Marston p said a man Ito, his friend
/ They he'd stopped at the corner, of the
street, and were about separating. ..l....
"0h,; yes. r. wouldn't miss one o1
those Wednesday night meetings on any
account, Isenjoy them very much; and
gain strength for duty. :. You: will be
there ?". ., ~ -.,..,..T
"of course; nothing but matter tt,|*c Of
life and death could Keep me away" ''00>
"Good evening" )" a~i: ~s:'5 'i='''*@~'5 :Gf
>. "Good evening. T.. Come early Marston." !"
|. And the, two men separated. Both
had recently joined the Church, and both
were ardent in their new life,- almost to
On,his arrival at !iv;;;s, ,M!arstqn four!
that preparations for tea were not in a
very encouraging statetof; ;advanent; SO he
said, in a cheerful way to his wife, who
was going about with: baby in her arms,
"You must hurry up things little, An
ra: This is Wednesday night" you know,
and I wouldn't fail being at the meeting
ION any accounts: . Give 7Maggy; to me
There; now your hands arc free, T ought
Ito have. come home little earlier"
f. The pale, weary looking wife smiled on
her: husband, as she handed him the baby,
and said, pleasantly, ...,.>le&"'"@ 9,3 -
r. :'You shall not be late, dear. : / i, will
soon have all ready. My head has ached
badly all the afternoon, and this has kept
me behindlland" ...,"-. y
r. "Tm sorry for that, Anna. 5 Does it
ache still % The husbands voice was
full of kind interest. .-...... .,.:, .....
eyes; and l feel unusually weak. The
first warm weather Of the season always
tries me. you know: ...:,:) .::';ti II
A shade Of concern came over the face
of Mr.. Marston, as his eyes followed =. the
retiring form of his wife. He was an in
dustrious young man, with only a small
salary !; andthis wife WAS, trying to get
along without domestic. They had two
children little boy four years old, and
Maggy, the baby, who had not yet com.
fpleted her first year. '.''> - >-'''
In a shorter time than the husband had
respected, his wife's pleasant voice; called
him to supper. He gave. her the baby
las he entered their little dining room, ans
she sat down with it iii her arms to pou:
outsthc tea: y = -. '''..' ''''
"Does your head ache sti!l? inquired
Marston. ..,f +. -eAIt...g L: . ~, '.-' =
Badly; but think cup Of tea wi
do Inc good.", ........,. ......
81 hope so, indeed Give baby bacl
to Inc. can hold her" And the hus
band. reached out his hands for little Mag
egyy,~Mho, pleased: to return, almost leapee
into his arms .... ..>.:. :.,...., MI,
"You must take her back, Mother
said Marston, rising from the table, abou
ten minutes after, and reaching the bab,
to his wife,: "It is late, and / must b
away, or the prayer meeting will open be
fore get there" .>.....: -....:. ..-*. ):
| But Magggy, who was very fond Of he
father, did not wish to leave him and s.
struggled, after her mother had received
her, and cried to be taken back. j.. .: :
"Papa must go, darling" Marston ben
| down, and tried to soothe. the grieyin!
I little one: AS he did SO, ,Maggy put he
arm around his neck, and held on tightly
1t took quite an effort to remove them. :
4 j AS Marston shut the door of his. dwell
ling behind him, and commenced. walkin!
rapidly away in the direction Of tn
Church at which the prayer meeting wa
Ito be held, he was concious Of in unpleas
q ant pressure upon his feelings What di'
this mean 2 He began at once searchin;
about his mind for the cause. AT first, b
{ could see nothing clearly; but gradual,
thought went back to tie home he = 'ha,'
|just left, and to his pale, weary -lookin;
4 wife and children, grieving, because h
had left them. r...;.,. <.><s -n.s..:.>s
rs this right p" The: .. ,,,,,, question cam n
suddenly upon him, and almost arreste
his steps, 4 fs<.stt't5<t 2's- i'' i's<'
= ~ am sorry to-: leave them alone t
might" he. said within himself San
j wouldn't except for the prayer meeting
I gain SO much strength and comfort i
this means Of grace, that I feel as if
would be wrong to neglect it: s@'~
81 And so he walked on, but with slowe
steps; his thong hts still returning to hi
home, and imagination giving more an
more vivid pictures Of his wife and chi
dren in grief for his absence, At last b
stood STILL wa s'$S'' ss'zS' ,S's's' '@'.'''s =
f" II need the blessing T hae hoped to II
Eceive this evening" The strength, th
comfort, the peace he said, still talkin
TO himself: "But, poor Anna! It. j
hard for her to BE left alone and she ism
at oil we'll. 1851 1t35 IN .sst.5t:: L 49,
Mwill go back" espoke out res,
- futely, at last;;: and commenced retracin
fhis steps: II must not. consider. myse
.EIalone. Perhans God Will rive fha strene ert