The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1877-09-13
rnr socuarlo sn.ll no,

much as beard Ol Socrates, aud the re-
markable success that attended the small
boy dialogue with bis father, Rev
samuel TaTb5x of Gooscbary, Mass. de.
serve % be commemoreled 10 print Ar
Tarbor has been well known ID Boston
aud ~ vicinity ior many ears. aud 30
one doubts that be ouc q lhc most
faithful aud conscientious ministers of
the orthodox Congregational dcnomina.
lion. Descended from the purl,ans, be
has firmly kept The faith euoe committed
TO those particular saints, and being
fearless and honest Ia ,he expression OF
bis views, be commands universal res
pect. Mr. Tarbox, having hhored near
~ twenty years, consented this summer
TO take n three months vacation, iHclud-
ing trip TO Europe, he, therefore, en-
gagged passage on the steamer which SAIL
ed from this port last Saturday, anl on
the preceding Sunday preached bis last
Sermon lie took for bis text the Fourth
Commandment as given 10 Exodus, and
denounced With the utmost severity tie
modern system Of Sunday excursions.
He, Of course, maintained that The com.
mandment referred to sunday, aud that
no man had right TO violate it, however
pleasant such a violation might tempOra.
rily seem. lie admitted that wofkmeu
could not get into the country except on
Sundays, and be fully sympathizod with
their hard lot but he un1nehiugly main.
tained that they could not excuse O sun
day pleasure excursion Oh the plea that
Sunday was their only holiday. II must
be admitted that from Rev Mr. Tarbox' s
point Of view his argument was conolu-
sive. As be justly said, a man has no
right to steal peaches because be cannot
buy them, and similarly he has no right
to go on Sunday pleasure excursion
merely because he is a workman who
has no holiday except Sunday.
Now, Mr., Tarbox owned small boy OF
unusual sharpness aud Of an inquring
turn of mind. On Sunday evening this
small boy asked his father how much
time voyage across the Atlantic requir-
ed, and was informed that the time va
ried from seven to sixty.f0ur days-lhe
swiftest steamers sometimes making the
voyage in the former brief period, and
the steamer Smldt generally requiring at
least sixty-fourda days in favorable weather.
Whereupon the following conversation
ensued:
S. b You will be at sea Oh sunday.
T.-Yes, my son; ! shall certainly
spend Sabbath on the great deep
S. viii the ship stop on sunday?
T.-Of course not
S. B.-Then won't you be travelling on
Sunday?
t. Well, yes, suppose so.
5. B.-But why iii is wrong for peo.
pie to travel ON Sunday steamboats,, is ii
right for you TO travel on steamship on
Sunday?
T.-Because | cannot cross the ocean
without so doing.
S. B.-You said that people must not
90 on Sunday excursion steamboats,, even
if they could not have any other holiday,
but that they should stay at home. Could
you not stay at home?
I'll suppose | could.
s. BIS your journey TO Europe a
work of necessity or mercy2
T.--Not precisely.
S. B.-Thon, if you 60 on a pleasure
excursion on Saturday, steamer, and
travel all day sunday, what i the differ
ence between your act aud that Of the
workman whogoes Oh a Sunday pleasure
excursion?
T.My son, you will now 10 TO bed,
and at O'Clock tomorrow morning !
will hold an interview with yon il the
woodshed
Having tha' ril himself Of mis- Ismall
boy, the good Mr., Tarbox tried 70 rid
himself Of that unpleasant boys sugges-
lions. The effort was failuie The
more be reflected upon what nc bad said
10 his sermon the more plainly he per-
eaiYed that il fully applied % himself
and hjs nten lea sea voyage II was
! perfectly true that be could not cross the
4 Atlantic without travelling on sunday,
and that he could not honestly III y iu
tended voyage work q neces. q
mercy II was quite d possible Tor lin
to stay at home an summer 10 bi com
forta BILE parsonage - i was ior thf
workmen to stay at home eycr} sunday
in their hot tenement houses, The good
man had set bis heart on doing right ilc
felt that be must either give up LIE yoy
age or give up his opposition u SUNDAY
excursions. ln such . dilemma ba wac
not the man 10 hesitate, and The oplS
compromise which be would make witi
j, bis conscience was 10 defer lnai deci
sion until the morrow.
Early the next morning The small boy
with biS clothing ca.eluily lined viii
shingles, went to meet Bis stern father II
the woodsbed, lie found him with
serene and peacefal expression q face
Ny son, remarked the good man, ! hay'
decided not 70 chasiIse you, and NOT y g
to Europe. You need, therefore, iay
fear that yonr father viii travel Ga sai,
day.
Tias j. wby ltaappeHed thst he isi e
passengers by ,Aes Saturday, sieamc
did nat contain lle name oi iey sAnua
Tatbox. TUat conscientious miDsie
sacrificed his passage mOuey, snd siss
At home. Later ID the season he wi
pay visit to The seaah0re, aHd loci