St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-08-10
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] ~ = N'f"hA AANii ilfi itthtAs. AuN SHE
always 20 good natured and obliging
that One lady called her a sunbeam
aud 4heTeupOu We had a merry war of
words "a black sunbeam ~ ..Dut :,
CHEEKY and bright" "And then 50 old -
How much older than the sun = and
| | gave "a up.
| Mother isn't well euouuIi Ia do ,our
washing came to me one day. / put
my hat on ~ onoe, whether frum pure
bencvoleuce or well. motives are mix
ed, and soiled clothing j. no. lovely. /
/ found her quite sick and la trouble, too.
And ] spoke to her of GOd-I present
nelp ard an eternal refuge. She smiled.
was panied at her levity, aud not
willing to give it up entirely, said /:
''Where d. you go to church 2" Then
she laughed outright, and IN her mer-
riest tone, said
"Pve done your washing nigh upon
fifteen years and Won always liked me.
and you've spoke to me thousand
times, and this is the first time you ever
said church to me :"
Then she laughed again. | WAS 81
lent. How silent we shall all be, that
day of days
'Tve washed for all the best folks in
town, one time and another. Good
folks. pious folks but only one of 'em
ever said God to me! 1t pears like
they think cOlored folks haven't any
souls"
"Why," exclaimed, ''think what the
country has done for your race ~
''Thats so I've heard 'em talk
down to the Town Hall but that's for
colored folks somewhere else | tell
you it's splendid to repent of other folks
sins,-'taint quite so nice when it comes
home. When hear 'em tell of money
taken up for churches and Sunday
schools way off, l think of my boys
growing up heather, and one of 'em
getting bad, and an honest, hard work
ing woman
''But, my good woman, every church
and Sunday school here is open to you
and your boys"
''That's the talk. I'll tell you how it
works. First, you see, was brought
up in a minister's family. You know
about Mr.. -. "Yes, indeed" "Well,
in his family. And l went to Sunday
school with his girls, and when joined
the church | stood right next to his old
est daughter, and drank out o. the same
cup" and her voice grew very soft and
gentle, and there was far off sound in
it as she added, slowly: "They just
lived religion in that house ~
After moment, with her old, CHEEKY
voice, she said: ''Well, | got married
and come here. First Sunday | said,
Where do you go to meetingP We
never go to meeting stayed to home
that day but | knew 'twant right, no.
ways. Next Sunday | went along to
the -, where | posed belonged.
stood in the entry. One after another
went along, looked ut me; not one
smiled. Fse stranger, know but if
I'd been a white lady, all dressed up,
guess sOmebOdy'd seen | had a seat.
stayed till the sexton had done ringing
the bell. Then he looked at me;
looked at him and he went off into the
meeting house and left me! Next Sun
day | went somewhere else. Just bout
the same everywhere. So | thought I'd
be better Christian at home, reading
my Bible, than going where it made me
so wicked. You see, from getting pro-
vOked at Christians, | felt kind of pro-
vOked at God for giving me a black
skin-l wonder what he made folks so
different for? Well, l got to staying
home; 'twant to way to do; l didn't
like it. And when my boys came, |
wanted 'em to go to Sunday school,
and not loaf round all day Sunday. So
when Jim-that's my oldest, you know
was going on eight years old, l spent
a heap of time fixing him up real pretty,
and fixed up my best things-ironed
'em myself, you know"
"And | know they were ironed fault
lessly.n
"You may believe that. Then l took
my boy and went to meeting. Folks
know me- l said, and 'I'll get seat
somewhere, and put my Jimmy into the
infant class | went early. Mrs. A.
came along-nice woman one of the
salt o. the earth-she came along,
smiled, and bowed, and went in. So
they kept on coming and bowling and
smiling to me, and one said, How nice
your little boy looks > but not one of
'em, Have you got seat p And the
same old sexton rang his bell and went
off into church. But l want going to
be put off so that time. And l just
walked in and sat down in the back
seat. l sat there while they opened the
Sunday school directly after morning
service), and the superintendent came
smiling along down the aisle and took
Il pretty little girl by the hand and
found her a class; but nobody came
after my boy ; so | went home, and he
laughed fit to kill himself, and say, Il
told you our boy amt wanted along O.
rich fOlks.'"
"But seven or eight years ago they
went round-there'd been a revival,
you know-getting children into Sun
day school. And one came here and
talked to me, and l was glad enough.
But twas winter, and the boys hadn't
good overcoats, and was all off the no
tion of going. So l had to tell her.
She said she'd see to that, and ladies
got EN- good ones and the boys felt
nice. l was real thankful and he was
as pleased as could be, and it was a
lively time in our house that Sunday
morning; and when they came home
with their picture papers and cards, and
wanted me to help them get their les
sons, it seemed like old times and don't
. know when have had such Sunday.
That night / went down to prayer meet
ing and took both the boys, and he went
as far as the road, and was most a
good mind to go in. The seats were
Just crowded, and they brought in
chairs and don't you think not live
. soul came into the seat where me and
. nv BOYS sat! Use glad enough he
: didn't go in. Next Sunday my boys
E he'd their lessons and were fixed up
nice. The white boys nudged each
other and hitched off a little; but the
teacher smiled and called 'em good
boys, and said they had good lessons