The Portland daily press., 1867-06-01
An Old-f.l shi0ned SUNDAY.

From "Homespun;or, Five-and- twenty wears
ago." charming book recently noticed IA orr
columns, we take the following admirable pic
ture OF Sunday in the country:
In the summer time, when the sur gets up
and looks lu at the east windows, not far from
1-2 o'clock of Sunday morning. the coed
himer-1olk bestir themselves right early. In
place Of setting the pitcher in the din2y area
for the milk and-water-man, they turn out to
till their own trothy pals as soon, certainly. as
sunrise, and send off the dewy-coated cows to
pasture again. The children are all brought
up to the kitchen sink, and scrubbed and rub
bed till they take on a shine like new furni-
ture. Pretty soon old aunts slip out into the
garden and snap off spike or two of lilac
blossoms from the bush close by the gate which
they stick into brOken-nosed pitchers ab5ut
the mantels and hearth. The farmers them
selves, in snowy shirt-sleeves, are everywhere
about the barns, greasing up their wagon
wheels, tinkering at the harnesses and indiIlr-
ing IN general fuss Ofpreparation for the hour
OF meeting.
Not home in the whole breadth of nuiet
landscape put Is at that moment all ready to
r'Iaoao,, lo,n i.s own swarm. And the white
wooden meeting-house is big enough to collect
and hold them all safely together
breakfast being done, and the children bav-
ing taken OIL thelr long tires a tedious spelh-to
them-interyenes I'll church time. Where the
less young folks are seated around the room IN
silent circle, generally with Testamant -;
their hands, and there they keep them fast s;t
ting stiffiy, primly, and uncomfortably mt,
the hour comes laggiIgly around. No matter
if golden-ringed humblebee does afiv i'm at
the open window; or a lady butterfly shakes
the yellow dust from the velvet ofher gorgeous
cloak, just over the window-sill; CT a bird
comes and sings on a low bough hard BY TO let
tn the boys feel how unspeakably joyous outdoor
nperty must be, of Sunday morning; there
a IGIt Iraa IL
as the copies OF Miles Standish's, and spirits
crowded Gro back into the pitof youthful despair
Uiil tle CID clock in the corner rings ont ten
ana perhaps little while after
"A, Ater t,le country wagons begin to stir the
tie again oae famiyy aGey 90 not stop to let set
osner, white horse pulling up behind a rod
one ana a lean beast chasing after q MOI IL
ned one; lettering line of sturdy vo,in"s 2o al
i".a' @ nonest ana lusty, whose necs and hards
nare ceeh tanning all the week i'm the hot
corn-1lelds; now two maidenjv woman o y; no'
nets To match their years-n9w n bobhl;n oo,'
man who is not able to keen horse tm.s;,i oiu
about all tne whlle to let the wagons mass him
girls cfowded In on the back seats at a. nm, .
of much of the starch in their Snnd.t, .no cos'
these are the sights that give new faca @,''ie a
that day, to the landscape. You SEQ ~, ;e oa
like it near thl cities; you would hardly IN !
that such pictures could be sketched from l;f'
anywhere.
Almost every country meeting-hous has :
plat of green grass before and around it, and
occasionally, few trees, old elms, or vigorous
growing naples. Commonly, too, sign-pos
the magnet for knots of men before service
open within, whereon they attentively stud,
'h9 probate, town, and society's proclamation
IL is painfully clear that nobody feels at hi
ease ease IN IN ms sunday clothes; the efforts to an
one on ohy IS IN makes the fact apparent
best place for his hands, and vor auoat n,s t,l'
wishes he could have left them at home 81 Thn, q.
one puts little faith in his feet tSrmati II nUc ina
first one and then the other as if thew so ,oSti
conspiracy to play him false and let him v down
with the hat he wears that day, cont;n,,aIit =
tipping it back and pulling it forward unon h;s
hoad' eul another goes around offering hi,