South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1873-05-30
The Lesson of Faith
A rAgr eroRr.


| n
ny years ago, had casrge Of q parish iu one
of the prettiest rurss districts 10 this State.
The parsonage, or msnss as they used TO
call the ministers house, was situated on
the skirts of lovely wood, tbroue ID which
ran al easy flowing mill stream fringed
with rock-laurel, azaleas aud columbice.
After their lessons were learned and their
tasks Of serving aud house.work finished
for the day, IL was their ne YER failing hap
piuess to wander hxad- ia hand through
that portion Of the! wood that bordsred on
| the stream. s t"i 1si rr OF 90
Early in the spring, while remnants of
snow-drifts remained in the corners of the
zig-zag fences, the hepatica or liver.vort
with its pretty purple blossom, downy stem
and delicate nameIess perfume; the wood
anemone or wind flower, fragile aud spirit
| like and the dong s-tooth violet rewarded
their search. Iu July they wen. home
with baskets and aprons OVERLOOKING with
flowers, among which were the wild eglan.
the, sweeter far, they thought, than the
faircst double roses in the parsonage gar.
den. Sometimes they were laden with
branches of pink, sweet-sceuted azaleas and
waxcn .biossomed sheep laurel, whose spicy
odor reminded them of myrrh and franklin
cense. Them later, came the golden rod
aud wild asters, and the fragile, fripay,
exquisite blue gentian. Tho little girls
with these treasures. and the wealth of ros-
es and fern from early spring till snow time.
were rich indeed. Parlor, sittinp-room.
study and nursery were made frsgran. and
lovely wish beauties that no art could pro.
In, nd
to do duty as vases. Saucers filled with
soft green moss in which some tiny ferns
aud small vines of squaw berry stood here
and thcrs on the tables aud from door.
way to doorway, and over the windows
arched and hung in graceful festoons, the
pleasant odored ground-pine. h
There was a red school house Just out
side the parsonage gates, aud it was great
pleasure to our little girls to watch the
country children at play during recess
hour, and greater still to be allowed occa,
sionslly to share their sports Most of the
school children went bare footed in sum.
mer, and Agnes aud Maggie Campbell u
sed to wish that they could enjoy the free
dom of running in the dewy grass and dab
bling IN the clear meadow brooks like their
play fellows. But their mother was un-
bending in her decision that the shoes and
stockings must be worn, aud the white feet
OF her darlings be bare only in the ed-room.
Very often as Agnes and Maggie played
IN the meadow, or when they battered about
the soft carpet of the nursery in their bare
feet, they would wonder to each other how
the dewy grass would feel and when they
had their nightly bath, spiashed the water
In the tub aud said how Mica il must bo
to paddle in the creek. 1t is a dangerous
thing to tampcr with temptation and talk
or to think about forbidden pleasures il
opens tho doors of the hear. very wide for
dls1bedience to enter in. Our little friends
did not think of this, however, and one
day, as they wandered through the woods,
the GROWING and victorious tenn tation
came upon them. Maggie slipped upon a
stone on the edge of the brook aud her foot
went over shoe in water.
ooh, dear, isn't it too BAD said she,
now we shall have to go right home, and
mamma said we might stay until sundown =
Yes, said Agnes, aud We did up the
work and learned our lessons so we'll that
mamma let US come real early. I guess If
you take off your shoe and stocking we
can dry them up on the bank 10 the sun
shine ['
but sister, you know mamma said we
were not to take off onr shoes and stockings
well, know that said Agnes, whose
grandmother used to say she ought to have
been boy that she might have been a
IaWyer-'but one shoe and s'ockeu isn't
shoes aud stockings; aud besides, It's ne
cessdry.'
That settled it aud so, instead Of at
once going hoTe, our little girls yielded 70
temptation. Agnes soon got weary Of SIT
tlog quietly by Maggie, aud wandered of
Finding pretty moss she called to Maggie
to JOIN her Maggie found it difficult to
walk With The one shoe, and so thought no
harm as ono was of to Dc # the other. IL
was such fun to paddle into the creek az
ter mussel shells and psrwinklos. Bysnd
oy, almost before she knew IT,, Agnes had
taken bcrs of too, and when tired Of wad.
ing IN the brook, they wandered of shoes
IN hand, for Maggie's were DOT quite dry;
away into the dopih Of the forest. Tue soft
green moss uoder the shadow OF the trees
10 the heart Of the dim dusky old wood,
felt soft and cool TO their feet. They forQo'
all about their disobedisDce, aud enjoyed
every moment Of the afternoon. After a.
while the shoes with the stockings suugly
tucked into them, grew cumbersome 10
Ihelf hands, but the novelty Of the bare
feet bad not worn of enough sufficiently
to induce them 70 put the foot gear on
SO they sat down by a fallen tree aud
roamed about in search Of prettior treasures
than those they were already rieb With, Of
moss and fern. After awhile Maggie said,
Sister, don't you lhiOk the sun is al