Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-04-22
Written for the Freeman.
4 Story for Fast Day.

- Matthew, Mark Luke and John. and
you might have fanced that staid Deacon
Jones was apostrophizing those New Testa-
ment worthless that early April morning. as
he stood in the entry and shouted up the
stairway, but for the words that followed.
- get up there, every one of You -
There followed sounds above as of yawn-
ing and stretching on the part of several
youngsters, little louder came voices in
conversation, still higher up on tho scale
came the bouncings out of bed. AMI racings
ubout the chamber floor, raised with sundrv
slaps and pushes, and fully an octave above
all the rest was the elatter and confusion
when the noisy ruartette came bounding
down the stairs like So ranv wild horses.
- Land of Goshen " exclaimed the horror
struck Deacon, looking up from the fire he
had just kindled, % boys do you know what
day it is -
= Friday, SIR shouted Johnny, the ten
year-old.
1T is Fast day, - said the father emphatic
ally as solemn in tone and manner as if he
were procaiming the veritabe day of iudg-
ment = day that by the laws of our land
should be kept sacred the Sabbath.
- Oh dear , = sighed Johnny. - two Sun
days in one week , -
- nregenerate - groaned the Deacon
but here good Mrs. Jones came to the rescue
- Tisn I strange the boys had forgotten
about it's being Fast day. | don't know as
we've spoken of it for so me days, and Johnny
don't dislike Sunday half as much as he i'm
agincs All the trouble with him is that he
is naturally ST. active it is hard work to keep
STILL and the kind hearted mother put on
the teakettle and hurried the potatoes into
the oven, both actions not a whit more natu-
raj or accustomed than were her words. for
she had always been the mediator between
her lively roguish boys, and their stern un-
bending father
Little AchsaiI came out of the bedroom
just then, her f1axen curls all in halo about
her head and her face as fresh and fair as the
morning itself. Her father had given her
that quaint scriptural cognomen, which
seemed so ill-suited to the dainty little lady,
holding part of his creed that no child
ever ought to be baptized with other than
Bible name. The boys all called her Acts,
arguing that it came in direct succession
after them, while the mother said only
- Darling and - Sunshine - and such pet
names, for never could she pronounce the
real name without heart ache at thought
of her firstborn, who bore it only three short
years before they laid her away in the quiet
grave yard
There was something so pleasant and soften
ing about the child's very presence. that it
acted like magic on the noisy boys. Some
how their boots seemed to forget the kick ing
and pulling which had appeared essential to
their coming on, and drew on easily without
further resistance. The stern father bent low
to kiss the household pet, before he went
out to the barn, whittier Matthew and Mark
followed after donning their striped frocks
Luke and John, after vigorous scrubbing of
face and hands, and an exhaustive brushing
and combing, set to work with quiet alacrity
to help mother get breakfast Who would
have thought those noisy boys could so soon
tone down to steady working habits? 1t was
all due to their mothers gentle influence
no wonder that Luke the rcbel-was once
heard to tell his brothers, when the Deacon
had been absent a few days. that he guessed
they might all become quite decent boys if
father would stay away year Mrs. Jones
was wise enough not to repeat the remark to
the head Of the family.
bread, and John set the table, while their
mother went in and out and oversaw the
whole. Little Achsah put the cat into the
rocking chair and gravely proceeded to rock
her to sleep, singing, :. Hush, my dear, lie
still and slumber," in grave motherly
fashion. and so the morning passed calmly
away, till they were all seated at breakfast
81 should like TO know burst out John.
bluntlv. between two mouthfuls of toast,
ss who It up Fast day to begin with. and
what he did 1T for, and what good they ever
did anybody
"John,'' said his father sternly. -. YOU
are very irreverent. Fast days are mentioned
in tic Look of Isaiah, and are therefore a