Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1880-06-02

good woman, helufali' ana 'hhhc 'hp
dumplings,'
4 thought you children Intended to
learn q couple Of Bible verses for your
birthday said their mother SuggeSt'
lively,
SO we do answered Paul, taking
tho large bible from the stand In the
corner, feeling sure that no harm
could come TO him while holding this
book, Seated together near the tall
candle on tho table, with tho Bible
open between them, grandsir' In Ills
corner, Keturah peeling vegetables,
and their mother cutting and fitting
the little coat, the children ceased to
teel that anything unusual was occur
ring; only when th,y glanced out OF
,heIwindow or up at the clock did a
shivering fear creep over lhem' and
then they drew nearer together and
claspcd tho edges OF the book more
firmly.
Here is just what We want cried
Paul. "Anse, shine; for thy light
Is come. and the glory Of the Lord is
risen upon thee, For, behold tho
darkness shall cover the earth, and
gross darkness the people; but the
Lord shall arise upon thee, and his
glory shall be seen upon thee Retu-
rah opens the Bible blindfolded to tell
what she must do, aud now this
means that It will be as light as can
be, Patty he explained. God knew
that it would be dark to-day, and so
he wrote this to tell us that the sun
will shine, and we need NOT bo afraid,
Is that right, mother'
q think he will allow you 10 take
the comfort Of it in that way she re-
piled after an instant's hesitation. 1T
means something more than that to
me-
So the children softly repeated the
words over and over again until the
coat was cut and basted, and tho din.
ner was all ready. Oliver assisted the
great-grandfather to his place at the
table, and they all bowed their heads
while he asked tremulous blessing
then the mother helped them to the
stew from the large blue platter, and
the dinner hour passed just as usual /;
but just as they were rising from the
table torch flashed past the windows
and loud rap sounded upon the out
CT door.
The doy of doom has come !?
shrieked Keturah, hiding her face in
her lap.
1T is one of the neighbors, said the
mother. open the door, Paul.
With trembling fingers Paul ad'
mitted Seth Rider.
.Are you all prepared to die 2 asked
the young man, setting his torch in
the chimney corner.
sit down, Seth invited the moth
en- placing chair for him. Il think
We are no nearer death than we are
every day
Other folks think different, an
swered Seth, in surprise. Everybody S
crowding into the Westinghouse,
where they couldn't SEQ each others
faces but for the candles, and Parson
Smith he had prayed an hour when l
left, about Pharaoh and Judas, and
Jezebel; but thought I'd come and
see how you folks was getting along
and perhaps you'd like to go to the
Westinghouse. The men are shaking
aud groauing, and the womep are
crying and iainting' and the young
ones are bawling.'
4 think I shall stay at home and do
the duty of Friday replied the moth,
er. IF the world does not come to
an end Paul will need his coat for
Sunday, and if the world does come
to an end to-day I wish the Lord to
find me doing the duty he has set tor
me; and besides, l do not know how
to faint
4 wish l felt as you do, said Seth,
admiringly; but just come to the
door and see how things looks. This
is the darkest spell of all
Leaving g,andsir' nodding over his
plate all hastened to the door while
Seth stood upon the door-stone hold
ing his torch high above his head
The clouds were thinnest at the north ;
at the northeast they were very thick,
and 30 low that the hills only half a
mile away could not be seen; but the
south-westerly hills near where the
children's aunt Esther lived, twenty
miles away, could be plainly seen, al
though the spaces between were so
| ii, .L,. tbo r,roos oould pnt ha dis