St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-11-19

Remember them that are in bonds,
as bound with them and them which
suffer adversely. Heb. IL: 3.
Eleven Good Reasons for Not Going
to Missionary Meetings.
las extracted from the diary of Mrs MeanwellI
SUNDAY, February Odd.
What a splendid foreign missionary
sermon we did have this morning, and
how earnestly our dear DR.. DOgoOd did
urge us to rise to our duty and our
privilege in this direction. l really
mean to make more effort to attend
the meeting of our ladies' society, and
resolve to allow nothing but the most
weighty reasons to interfere with my
doing so.
WEDNESDAY, March 18th.
The day of the missionary meeting,
and bad made my plans to go, when
who should appear but Mrs. Shirwell,
the dress-maker, saying that she could
give me just this one day for the re-
modelling of my old black silk. So
there was nothing to do but to bring 1t
out, and of course l must work with
her, as usual. 1 did think l should
still be able to go, but at the last min
ute decided that the five rows of knife
plating which we had put on the un-
derskirt did not trim it quite high
enough, and that should have to hem
the sixth if Mrs. Shirwell got it on be-
fore dark. So 1 reluctantly sat down
again with my thimble, feeling that we
must sometimes yield our most cherish
ed plans to the claims of home duties.
WEDNESDAY, April 9th.
Again disappointed by being kept at
home from the missionary meeting.
But, really, my old friend Minnie
Lewis, of Springfield, had been in the
city for six weeks, and | had never in
vited her to my house. AS Thursday
is Bridget's day out, and Friday Ellen's,
Wednesday seems to be the only day
on which can conveniently have COM
pany, so l decided to ask her to a
luncheon to-day. OF course was sorry
to miss the meeting, but remembered,
for my comfort, that the Scriptures ex-
pressly command us to 'use hospitality
without grudging," but leave the mat
ter of attending missionary meetings
entirely to our own judgment. l was
sorry, afterward, that l did not ask
Minnie to 90 with me, for when | men
toned our society she expressed a de-
sire to attend one of its meetings; but
it was nearly four o'clock, and so alto
gether too late for that day. But she
will be in town next month, and then
will try to go, and take her with me.
WEDNESDAY, May 18th.
Went to the missionary meeting,
taking Mrs. Lewis with me, and really
enjoyed it extremely. l had no idea
how much information one gains at
these informal gatherings, nor how
much interest is aroused by the items
brought in by the different members.
Resolved to make1 special effort to at
tend more regularly, and to endeavOr
to induce my neighbOr Mrs. HOmebOdy
to go with me next month.
WEDNESDAY, June 18th.
Started for town right after break
fast, with the full intention of finishing
my shopping as soon as possible, and
so getting home in time for the mission
airy meeting. But just as L began to
see my way through my list of errands,
l met my friend Mrs. Wunderbargain,
and l was persuaded to look in with
her to the Japanese auction. l am re-
ally almost ashamed to say that 1 got so
interested in the sale, and so carried
away by the bargains which were to be
had, that stayed till l had spent all
the money in my purse, and looking at
my watch found that had no time to
go home and replenish it before the
meeting. / cannot endure to go to a
missionary meeting without proving my
interest in the cause by a contribution,
so concluded to finish the afternoon at
the sale. carried my money to the
treasurer next day, however, and told
her how much regretted my unexpect-
ed detention.
WEDNESDAY, July 9th.
l did not so to meeting to-day, for l
had raging nervous headache; and
when | looked at my magazine and saw
the subject for the day was "North
American Indians" I really was afraid
to venture to attend. 1 have such
horror of Indians, and was so afraid
that my nerves would be completely
upset by accounts of their atrocities,
that l concluded it would be wiser for
me to remain quietly at home. heard
afterward that Bright Eyes was pres
ent, and said much to interest the la
dies in behalf of the Poncas. But, after
all, there are two sides to that question,
and l agree with my husband and the
New York Observer, that we ought to
hear both.
WEDNESDAY, August 18th.
How fast the months do fly round
Here it is the second Wednesday in
August, and the day of the missionary
meeting. But baby is so much pros
trated by the heat, that think 1 must
take her out for a little excursion on
the lake. Bridget would willingly take
charge of her but then, l should have
to pay full fare for Bridget, and 1 really
feel that need the little change, es-
pecially as do not expect to take any
extended trip this summer.
WEDNESDAY, September 10th.
DR.. DogOod has not returned from
his summer vacation, and did not feel
like going to church last Sunday to
take chance of hearing dull sermon
from a stranger; so did not hear the
notice of the missionary meeting, and
really never thought of it till my neigh
Dor Mrs. Onhand came in, on her way
home from it, to see if l was ill.
WEDNESDAY, October Sth.
wonder if 1 did wrong in staying
away from missionary meeting to-day.
hope not; but this is how l happened
to be absent: 1 have been waiting for
live months to have our dining-room
papered; and when knew, last night,
that pork had gone up, l thought it
would be good time to ask my hus-
band if it could not he done this fall.