Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-09-06
The Guest Chamber.


sadder ones. Lydia had almost forgotten,
as she helped her mother plan how TO
arrange the furniture in the new aud
SIN Iller house. how changed all things
we're wi h them. To a girl of fourteen
moving is always delightful even though
it be as in l.ydia's case, from largo house
to small one The girl quite surprised
herself II, well n her mlther, by her
quickness in adopting things, 1t was
lytll who made Il cosy little room for the
boys out of a "forlorn looking" hole, rs
theV reported it, in the carriage house or
burn. l. was she who, remembering her
mothers little dressing room, surprised
her by arranging almost its counterpart,
only on very limited scale, by removing
a lev shelves and an extra door in the
passage way between two rooms.
Lydia was thinking with no little satis-
faction and pleasure OF all this. AMI think.
ing b33ir.1s Of a plan she had which, in
this twilight resting time, she thought she
wolld Talk over with mlmmr. 81 she
came back to the tiredness, and said with
Il g"ntle caress.
Are you very tired, m tmnt deIr?'
"Not too tired to talk to the little daugh-
ter who has saved me so much fatigue.
Is it some new, wonderful plan, Lydia?"
said Mrs. Paul, smiling at the unconscious
energy that seemed to start into life in the
girls face.
"Yes Oh, mamma! it's my room this
time. | suppose I'm to have one connect
ing with yoursp 1t isn't the room exact
ly-l know which it is to be-but | want
to fix it up with grandma's old bedstead
and her worked valance and curtains.
| can make a lovely room of it; and there
is The high chest of drawers, and my old
book case out of the school room and"
"But, Lydia, which room is to be the
guest chamberp"
"Oh, mamma there is no spare room.
You couldn't put guest up in that room
by the side of Bridget'sl"
mo couldn't-unless there really were
no better room. Our guest should have
! our best, think, when we remember who
it is we take in"
"Why, never thought! Is that why
we had three spare rooms, and so many
people always in themH" Lydia spoke in
II disappointed tone. She did not want to
sleep next to Bridget.
"Wel, mamma" she said, after Il mo-
ment's thought, 1--WE can't have even one
spare room now; can we?" This little
anxiously.
Child whenever am planning new
home always seem to hear that message
the dear Lord sent before him when he
was on earth: Where is the guest cham
berp' And remembering that he has said,
'Inasmuch rs ye did it not unto one of the
least of these ye did it not unto me- feel
that at any discomfort we should have that
room ready, lest he should need it."
WAS going to mako it 80 pretty" said
Lydia regretfully.
why give it up3' Are you not able tc
make two pretty rooms of your odds and
endso The one next Brdget's might be
your retiring room when the master
needs the other. 1t seems to me it would
help my hot tempered, impulsive little
daughter to live in the guest chamber
that is always kept ready for the MASTER y
There was silence for time. 1t wa:
hard for Lydia to answer. She was trying
to please the dear Lord, and since papa
had been so suddenly called away she hat
wished again and again that he had known
that his little girl was trusting in tho Savior
he loved, and over and over again she hat
resolved to ''speak TO mamma" but any
Girl of fourteen can understand how shy
she felt how hard it was to respond t
her mothers words, and what q relief il
was to havo little Carrie and the boys rut
into the room.
But Lydia, though she said no,hnig
thought again and again of what she
/ I,,L 4, - ho h,rE
ing both rooms, as her mother had pro
poscl. Bat somehow all the beautiful
lhin5s found their way into what sht
called from the first "the guest chamber.
She carried her large engraving, "EccC
jGomo," mp stairs to the little room, bu
then the thought came, "If it is his room
this SHOULD be- there" And so it was will
her prottiust vases, her choicest brackets
the little room on the third floor wa
q pretty little place, but the large room OF
the second floor was n quaint, bright rest
inn place, with beautiful reminders of th
hillon inner life.
NJ more was said as to whose room
this was, and the first night Lydia spen
in the new home she went to this room a
her own. She flung herself into an cas-,
char, and even rs she began to excus
heiself from any Bible reading, because
she was so tired, her hand fell on tn
large copy of the Revised Version of tn
new Testament-her fathers last gift
She opened it and her eye rested on thes
words, "A certain woman named Lydia
Aud when she was baptised.
She besought, US saying, II ye have judg
ed me to be faithful TO the Lord, come int
my house and abide there"
Lydia felt rs if this were message
reminder; she knelt and in simple word
told the Lord she would use this room q
his; if he needed it for any one she woul
gladly take the other room; and then tn
little girl. with an earnest desire to b
faithful, asked help to keep the roor
ready--tidy and nice. 1t seemed no etfoi
after that prayer to fold her clothes care
, fully, to put her soiled collar in the ba
and lay out fresh one for the morning
, Mrs. Paul, coming in for mothers Ia.
look an hour after, noted the open tests
ment and carefully folded clothes, an
felt that the guest chamber was alread
influencing her dear little daughter.
} "Oh, mammal exclaimed Lydia, abou
week after they had been settled in the
new home, Uncle Rob says one of th
telegraph operators-a young LADY,
his Office is breaking down. He wants t
know if you could find her cheap boarG
log p ace out here"
Mrs. Paul waited for moment an
then said, perhaps Mrs. Kant might tax
her lll''-
, "But, mamma, couldn't you-don't 20
= remember mamma, the guest chamber
Wouldn't she be"-
lydia could not get on, but mamm
understood, and kissed the eager face say
ing:
) yes, / think she would dcar, and
you will give the room will gladly Civ
the board"
"Ob, how nice! May write to Uncl
7 Rob to send her at once? Every thing
ready. Mamma, it is an upper room ful
nished,'" she added shyly.
Q "Meet for tho Masters uso.' Indce,
! am thankful. Run, my own Lydia. an
: ask this girl to come into your house
8 "Oh mammal You've noticed it, toe
I 10 want to be found faithful" "An
| think you are; but it is daily fight rc
member
A few days later very plain almo
Shohhilv ,lrocanI yirI ,,ontr thn hnll ot Afr