Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-10-24
The family Circle.
Bits of Green.

bridge; IL looks so pretty ana COOl tueIe.
Yes! yes! do, exclaimed the children.
And the old boatman nodded his head, and
drew in his oars. letting the boat glide
softly under the shadow of the long brids e.
GLOW still and nice it is!'
"But how funny our voices sound. L
guess there's an echo"
Il don't think it $ very pretty, See how
dark the water looks; and the old stone
bridge is gloomy under here. But 0 look!'
Mary voine changed suddenly; do look
ut tic little bits of green things, growing
right out between the stones! Isn't MGt,
pretty"
They all turned to look where Mary
pointed. An sure enough, there among
The dark old stones, grew tiny green
branches and vines, and bright MOSES ;
and in some places, just single leaf
C DIVIDED fast in il narrow crevice, where you
would think nothing could grow.
Hne children Looked eagerly to find
them; and the longer they looked the more
plainly they could see The bright spots
here and there, all along the dark arch of
the bridge.
Il don't sec how they can grow in such
places" said Harry. 1T doesn't seem as
if there was any soil"
"And then, how do they get there?"
Perhaps the seeds are blown there; or
the birds carry them
Harry was just beginning to laugh at
his sisters idea, when the old boatman
took up his oars and said:
"Well, young people, there's no place
,,ln bat - h., Ito III &c -
IF you only look long enough" said
Alice. You know we didn't see them at
first; and Mary thought there wasn't any
thing pretty under the old bridge
They all laughed ut Mary; but the boat
man said Yes in an absent minded way
and looked very sober, as he splashed his
oars gently.
YES" lie said again, after little while
Il wonder if You young people will re
member that No life so dark, but it ha,
its bit Of green nobody so evil, but there
is IL bright SPOT somewhere in his heart!"
Il guess that's so!' answered Harry.
who seemed to understand what the old
man meant. And the girls looked at him
with surprise.
Why" began Alice; and then she
stopped.
You thought there were some people
who hadn'tany good in them, didn't you%
asked the boalman, looking ut her.
NV by, yes and
"And you never thought of stopping to
see il you coulu find any bits of green in
the dark? Perhaps that is the reason
people don't grow better nobody helps
them. If they are wrong, every one shuns
them; and no one stops TO look for the bit
Of good that is hidden away somewhere,
in the dark That isn't the way the Master
meant we should do. lie keeps the spark
of brightness alive in the darkest heart;
! AID Nc wants us TO look for it, and help it
to grow. Don't you know how we pass
quickly by IL dark life when it comes in
our way, and never wait to see if you can
tind any good there? If we had gone
through the bridge in that way, you wonld
not have found the pretty bits Of green"
Why, no. said Mary, II never
thought Of it before" And then she went
on thinking to herself, us the boat moved
swiftly on, " | suppose there are some
pheasant things about every one too, though
sometimes ii is pretty hard 10 find them
| know | often say that cant bear II
pei son; and that some one is perfectly
hateful or very disagreeabe' | won
der if should find any bis of green if
TOOK the trouble to look9 suppose |
ought to-
Here we aren' called Harry; and the
boat pushed up on the shore. I'VE have
| had Il low and II lesson both"
The girls jumped out aud ran to their
mother who was on the shore waiting for
them. Harry stopped to say something TO
The old boatman; and when he came up
uis eyes were shining and lis cheeks flush
ed.
:" want to tell YOU" he said looking
back, where the boat WAS almost out OF
sight already;" that old man has son
coming home from the House of Correc
ton tomorrow! heard all about it up
IN the village. They say he is II smart
hoy, but always getting into some trouble
And lie isn'I much older than ann
and then Harry stopped to take breath ;
and the girls broke in with eXclamations
Of surprise
That is why he spoke so to US just
now" said Alice. Poor old manm
Yes; and what do you think didp |
asked him, Just now, to let his son row up
to the grove on Wednesday,; you and
father are going, you know, mother. l
told the old man heard that his son could
row splendidly, and it is u long pull up
hrre. You see, thought maybe we
could do the boy some good; get him in
lercstcd in what we like. and loan him
books, and perhaps get him TO come over
to Sunday School sometimes"
The girls were pleased at Harry's plan.
And mother said, That is right, my boy.
Let us Try TO do what good we can where
ever we are
Then they told her about the bits of
green"
1t did not seem quite so easy, the day of
their excursion, when the lad met them
with his hard unsmllng face. and scarcely
answered II word, us he pulled them with
his strong, quick strokes, up the shining
river. But all day long thy seem to see
the old lather's sad face, and 10 hear him
/ saying, No We so aurb bit ii has It's BIZ
| Of 9recB.'
When the day was over, and Harry WAS
stepping ashore with the picnic baskets,
he said 10 the boy;
&" believe you know all the fine places
about here; 50 we shall want You for our
guide wherever we 9o."'
"All right" was the answer, and the
boy s face frightened little. as he raised
his eyes for the first time to meet Harry S
kind look. You see there was green spot
in this boys heart. He was not all bad
He WAS glad to know that these good and
true people did not scorn him, but were
willing to have him guide them on their
| little excursions.
So this was the work which our young
friends had found to do during the long
days Of the summer vacation. God al
ways has some work for us to do; even in
vacation time; always some lesson for us
to learn. These boys and girls had found
their lesson IN tho bits of green growing
under the old stone bridge.
win you try and find yours, and learn
il mithfullyP-C hurchmau.
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