American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-04-05
THE STORY OF A SABBATH.
By RICHARD GRANT,


TWAS peaceable Sabbath day of which
write; warm with the pleasant rays OF
an August sun, and sweet with fragrant
odors ofripening fruit. The sun was far
on his western course, and Dick Dolby,
In his ohair on the porch of his cottage
was looking intently on the page of an
open book before him There was a
quietly happy look in his face whenever
he raised it from the book, and his eyes
rested on the yard, or garden, or far
reaching farm. A look that told the
place was all dear to him, and all the
adornments the work of his own hands
You would not blame him if he were
proud of 1t. Rarely is there found house
tho: so thoroughly looked a home, and
tie flowers and bushes and trees seemed
to grow because they loved to shelter and
Deautify the house. At the back of the
house was long hill, and just at the other
side OF this was staunch-looking old
farm house, where Dicks father and
mother lived alone. Down at the end OF
the farm ran the broad Cocheco River
Coming closer to Dick, you saw the
book in his hand was the Bible, and his
reading was confined to one sentence
which he read over and over again
Honor thy father and thy mother
There is more to that command than
l SvSA ga thCiO DcIOIc, uc bdlu 10 n1Hl-
self. ut is more than a mere obey your
father and mother it is a command to
honor them. How much grander, richer
and deeper that is than had ever sup
posed! The child will gladly obey the
parents whom it respects and 'honors,
but child might obey and yet neither
respect or love the parents it obeyed
Evidently God saw that and hence His
command Was so broad to honor their
parents"
He raised his eyes from the book here,
and straightway his thoughts ran over
the hill to the farm house where his own
childhood days were passed. 81 wonder
II Gods record of me says that fulfilled
this commandment" he continued in his
thoughts. 81 know that l tried always
to be a good son; tried to be Obedient
and willing till the trouble came about
Kitty, and they said if l married her
they would never receive her under their
root, nor ackno Wedge me as their son.
And only because her people were so
poor, and she worked for living for her
self and them. What is a man going to
do under these circumstances? l knew
Kitty was all that any man could ask in
herself, and we loved each other too well
to part, so had only one path before me-
l married her, and angered my father and
mother. I'm pretty certain it wasn't
wrong to marry Kitty, but maybe 1 was
too headstroDg, too impatient with father
Honor thy father and thy mothcrr They
are pretty plain words, and look some
what reproachful. 1 might have
brought Kitty and father together,
some way. and she would have
taught him to love her, or, l could
have waited little longer, and tried
some other way. Yes, I was too indie
pendent. walked right on, and carried
ont my own plans. as if they had no
right to interfere with me. 7 wish it
could be done over again Honor thy
father and thy mother How pleasant it
would be to have father and mother com
ing here, and Kitty and going to them,
and he folks sgainl L wonder if it can't
be done?"
"What can't be done, Dick" said a
bright, CHEEKY voice in his ear; and, turn