Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1876-12-07
The Deacon's Singing School.

Il am going out 10 see II can start
q singing school,s said the good man,
as he stood buttoning up his overcoat
and muffiing up his ears one cold
bitter night last winter.
a singing SCHOOL," said his wife,
show will you do that?'
"I have heard of a widow around
the corner a block or two who is in
suffering circumstances. She has five
little children, and two OF them down
sick, and has neither fire nor wood.
SO Bennie Hope, the Office boy tells
me. thought would just step a
round and look into the case"
$50 by all MEANS" said his wife,
@and lose no time. If they are in
such need we can relieve them some.
But I can't see what all this has TO
do with starting singing-school.
But never mind, you need not stop to
tell me now; go quickly, and do all
you can for the poor woman"
SO out into the piercing cold Of the
wintry night went the husband, while
the wife turned to the fireside and
her sleeping babes. who in their warm
cribs, with the glow of health upon
their cheeks, showed that they knew
nothing of cold or pinching want.
With thankful spirit she thought OF
her blessings as she sat down to her
little pile of mending. Very busily
and quietly she worked. puzzling all
tho time over what her husband could
have meant by starting singing
school. A singing-school and the
widow How queerl What possible
connection could they have.
At last she grew tired OF the puz-
zling thought and said to herself:
Il won't bother myself thinking about
it any more. He will tell me all
about it when he comes home. /
only hope we may be able to help the
widow and make her poor heart sing
for joy.' "There!" she exclaimed,
"can that be what he meant? The
widows heart sing for joyi Wouldn't
that be a singing school? 1t must
be; it Is just like John. How funny
that should find it out!" and she
laughed merrily at her lucky guess.
Taking up her work again she stitched
away with a happy smile on her face
as she thought over again her hus-
bands words,and followed him imagin-
ination in his kind ministrations. By
and by two shining tears dropped
down. tears of pure JOY, drawn from
the deep wells of her love for her hus-
band, OF whom she thought she never
felt so fond before. At the first sound
OF footsteps she sprang to open the
door.
"Oh joint did you start the sing
ing school?"
II reckon did," said the husband,
as soon as he could loose his wrap
pings: "but want you to hunt up
some fiannels and things to help keep
it up"
"Oh, yesl will; know now what
you mean. l have thought it all out.
Making the widows heart sing for joy
Is your singing school. What a
precious work, John. pure religion
and undefiled is to visit the fatherless
and widow in their affiiction.' Ny
own heart has been singing for Joy all
the evening because OF your work,
and do not mean to let you do 1t
alone. / want to draw out some OF
! this wonderful music"
There are many hearts which would
be the better il there could be sing.
ing schools started in them. Let's
you and 1 do all we can. Perhaps
others may catch the key note and
help to swell the song until many q
widows heart snail be comfortsd and
the fatherless be fed.-Adrocate and
Guardian.