Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1876-04-15

, lows had more attraction than singing.
, schools or quilting parties at night.
But nature was stronger than Miss
Patty, and when the boys went to
market, they managed TO smuggle home
some tender little gifts for each other
sister-a bottle of perfume they dared
not ,pen, a fan they dared not use, OF
a ring to be worn on string over the
heart, instead of on the finger.
The boys, feeling that they could
work any other farm as well as Miss
Patty's, broke loose from her letters
first, and walked off to evening enter
tainments and meetings in the village
whenever they pleased; but they adj
vised the poor, imprisoned girls TO
submission till the bright by and by
which they had all pictured. Miss
Patty had become quite dependent upon
the boys by this time, for they filed
the place of two hired laborcrs, and
brought brains as well as hands to the
work; so she was forced 10 wink at
their "ungrateful independence" some.
times.
One night the boys came home with
news. Two tough old Methodists had
come TO town and were going to preach
in a schoolhouse every night for a
week-tall, middle-agsd men in Qua
Iker-cut coats and broad-brimmed hats /;
and the boys were going to hear them,
right through, and find out what Meth
odists were, for they were new in that
part of the country.
Now Miss Patty had really no relig
ious convictions whatever, bu: she
knew that Methodism was an innova.
ton on time honored views in that re-
gion, and so she resolved TO put it
down. She fancied she could stamp
out its burning fire with one stroke Of
her indignant foot. SO she told the
boys what Methodists beleved-that
they held to John Wesley, just as the
Catholics did to the Pope; that they
believed those who shouted the loudest
would take the highest seat in heaven :;
that the moment one pronounced him
self a Methodist, he was perfect, and
that whatever he did after that was
good and right. And she farther said
that no man could be Methodist and
yet attend to his daily business, but
must ever after go shouting and blaz-
ing" all over creation, hindering him,
self and everybody else; that it was no
uncommon thing for Methodists to go
crazy-she had read Of one who set
fire to his house when wild with reig-
iOn-and so on. Il wouldn't have one
of them in my hovse for an hour" she
exclaimed, ''nor yet one who runs af-
ter them y
But for all this "the boys" put on
their best clothes the next night and
went to the distant school house to hear
the strangers.
They came home quiet and subdued
in spirit, and next morning at the
breakfast table they told much that the
men had said, and it was quite at vari-
ance with Miss Patty's statement of
their belief. Paul, the oldest youth,
who had nearly reached his majority,
said, DWELL, III tell you all what /
think: if we've got souls, it's high time
we were looking after them !"
Haven't paid seventy-five dollars
a year to the parson to teach us that!"
asked Miss Patty sharply.
eff he charged you that, he got his
money under false pretcnses, for he's
never done it," said Paul.
Miss Patty turned q whitening look
on Paul, and asked, " Do you suppose
this laboring man knows as much as a
man who has been through college and
studied forty years afterward?"
"Id be willing to bet on it, that he
is the best Christian of the two" said
Paul, resolutely. AT any rate his SER
mon rested me, and made me want to
be better man. I could have sat
there for hours"
Miss Patty was silent for a moment,
then, concluding it was not wise to
cross this rising spirit, she said,
" Paul, you and Albert have of late
been out at night more than is proper
for young fellows who have no fatller.
Tonight | want you to shell corn with
Abel"
GLOW much do you want shelled p
asked Paul.
Miss Patty stated a large quantity
for one evenings work, and smiled at
the shrewd way she had headed the
boys off from running after these row.
ers.
But the work was accomplished, and
the boys were on their way over the
pastures to the village before seven
o'clock. Miss Patty had gone before
them with glass of jelly for sick
neighbor.
What was Pauls surprise after the
little school-houSc was packed with lis.
teners, to catch a glimpse Of Miss Pat,
tvs pale, careworn face in the extreme
corner near the door. He did not men.
ton this to Albert, nor did he turn his
face that way again. He was cautious
about meeting Or overtaking Der, and
proposed walking round by the road
thus making the way mile longer.
When they reached home, Miss Pat
ty and the girls were knitting very
quietly, and she announced that Mrs
Burke's fever had turned and that she
I was now out of danger, as if she hat
: ust come from the sick room