Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1882-04-01

/ y
covered Johnny's head, and smile,
down at the distressed, boyish face.
cit is true, John, but the fine wa
RENTED. So you see it couldn't b
anything SO terrible after all"
81 wish you'd tell me about it
father. I'm old enough to keep
secret"
And John Strengthened himself Will
an air of dignity which was so impress
sive that the captain laughed outright
I'm not much in the narrative line
my son, but I'll ask mother to tell tn,
story to all the children sometime
Then you can see what dreadful of
Tense it was which caused me to b.
hauled over the Goals"
John never suffered promise to bt
forgotten for lack Of reminder.
So that very evening, as the family
party were all gathered together in the
huge kitchen, the captain with his pipe
the mother with her basket of family
mending standing beside her on the
table, the daughters with their knitting
the boys cutting out odd bits Of wooden
ware with their jackknives-all, as was
the fashion of the times, usefully busted,
even to the one guest, Reuben Plumer,
who was holding a skein of yarn for
Priscilla to wind, the captain astonished
bis wife (after meaning whisper from
john by saying:
Mother, l promised John to-day
that I'd ask you to spin yarn for him
and the children about that dish of
vegetables you once cooked for me which
came near being such an expensive one. y
"Why, fatherI' said Mrs. Chase, with
a glance toward their visitor.
"Never fear but Reuben has heard it
before" said the captain, land Id like
to have the white and black of the whole
thing known correctly. A story never
loses by being told.
All chimed in after the captain:
"Oh, please tell u.s.
And so Mrs. Chase had no alternative
but to begin.
''It was only few days after father
and were married, and during that
time he had not been able to give me
much of his society. But you all know,
being a sea. faring mans children, that
the time Of such on dry land is but
short. He had been off on q longer
voyage than usual, and unless my
memory's playing me a trick, / think
he'd been away nine months. | used
to worry about him a good deal, fearing
he'd get the scurvy from being SO long
on ship-board and eating nothing but
salt tack as the sailors call it. The
chief pleasure / took just about then
was trying to keep something a-grow-
ing in my garden that he was fond of,
so as to give him treat when he got
home. But it was getting late in the
season, and it wasn't the easiest thing
in the world to keep anything green
there. I had planted peas so as to have
them come in rotation, and the pods on
the very last crop were just filed out on
& Saturday morning.
"'Oh, if Aquila will only come home
now : was my earnest wish; and the
very next day we saw his ship spread
ing her sails, like so many white birds !;
and it wasn't long before l had my wish.
Almost the first thing [ said after
the very first meeting was over was:
"Oh, Aquila, how l wish you'd got
home yesterday. You'd have had such
nice dinner !
".Why, wife, he said, why can't 1
have the same to-day I'd have had yes
terday?'
"sThey're peas l answered, 'and
they amt picked. I've been a saving
them till you came home.
"'Surely,' said he, there wouldn't
be any harm in picking 'em if it is Sun
day. Don't you remember how the
Saviour and His disciples picked corn
and ate it, and rebuked the Pharisees
for what they said abont it and You
know we haven't any Pharisees about
us-only neighbors.
$50 the peas were picked and l
cooked them, and 1 declare never en-
ioyed anything in my life as l did to
see your father eat them after being so
long deprived of all green vegetables. "
"But how about the Pharisees, moth
err? Were there any !" asked the cap
tain, with twinkle in his eye.
eyes there was mani can't call
him a neighbour was strolling
about in the fields, and he saw the cap
tain picking the peas, and went and
made complaint against him that he
was breaking the Sabbath.
Wasn't he mean one?" said john
ny, Indignantly.
GOOD have foughted him, wouldn't
90, Donny?" chirped his baby brother,
and John sank at once into silence at
this reminder of his own misdeeds.
A laugh ran around the circle at this
sally from the little one of the flock.
Then Priscilla whispered to Reuben;
Chow can you have man for q
father in-law who has been guilty OF
such misdemeanor ?"
And Reuben whispered back:
"You can't shirk out of your bargain
to marry me on any such grounds as
that, Miss Pris, for 1 had heard the
story long before laid eyes on youl
| face"
This little by play was interrupted by
question.
But did the people take any notice
of the mans complaint, father @ asked
Sally.
claw is law, and they had to in
vestigate the matter but you can form
your own opinion as to how henious my
offense was considered. They fined mt
thirty shillipgs, but they RENTED il
again at their next meeting, merely
suggesting that the offense should moi
be repeated.
"But, father, do you think there was
any harm in what you did ?" asked
Priscilla.
81 am not a theologian, Pris, so
cannot answer from that sfaDdpoinF