River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-11-15
paused. and Dent % pick a rose OF greal

paused, and bent 70 pick rose Of great
beatty.
"If we could only be like this rose"
she said, ''as fair within as without
You forget sad Mr.. Lawton; now
very often we see worms eating into the
heart of the most beautiful roses.
us nothing true, then? Are we new.
er to be able to put faith in the outward
seeming OF anything or anyone?
Those who make the loudest probes
sions are often the most corrupt" said
the minister, land, as | was saying
moment ago, there are so many oh, so
very many, who think themselves Chris
tians because they go regularly to church,
teach in the Sunday-sehool, use no pro-
fame language, and give literally to the
missions. But they do not think it nee.
essary to guard their thoughts, 10 ill
their daily life with little acts of kind
ness. Now, you are stranger here,
and are to leave US tomorrow; SO | can
speak to you as l could not to one famls-
lar with the people who make up my
congregation. / will give you q case in
point. | have in my a church woman
of middle age who lives alone on
a farm 4 couple of miles from the viii
lage. She is very active in church af'
fairs. and is always ready to
visit the sick, so among the
poor, or give TO a charity. She has pro-
vided for the education of several hea-
then in Africa, and has taught class of
men in the penitentiary, visited the jail,
and made herself generally useful. But,
nevertheless. she is selfish, narrow and
SCrdid to a pitiahle degree She does
rothing without making a show about 1t,
so as to be well regarded among men.
For years she cherished feelings OF en-
nifty toward an only brother because,
torsoOth, he did not marry to please
her, and | was told not an hour ago that
she has declared her intention not to
help in any way that brothers. sick and
Pennies widow and children. She
speaks Of them with bitterness, and
even seems to rejoice taat at last they
are forced to appeal TO her for aid. /
was asked to speak 10 her on the subject,
but she would be highly insulted,
know, il | ventured to call her to ac-
count for her want Of charity anu natural
affection. She thinks herself q Christian
but in my opinion she Is very far from
being anything Of the kind. She will
come into church next Thursday night
and pray earnestly for the forgiveness OF
her sins, and for help to walk in the
rightway. Bat she prays only with her
lips; her heart has nothing 10 do with
it, She thinks and cares only for out
side seeming, and
At this moment little Lulu Lawton in
terrupted the conversation by running
down the path with the announcement
that tea WAS ready; and the minister
said no more.
But Miss Sarah had heard quite
enough. She was pale and trembling,
and so greatly disturbed that when she
hurried from the arbor as soon as she
could without being perceived, she left
her pail Of berries behind her.
She met several of her friends on her
way home, but she did not even bow to
them, so absorbed was she in the recol-
lection Of what the minister had said.
Reaching home she sut down in her
big rocking chair by the kitchen stove,
and, leaning her chin on her hand,
stared before her with eyes from which
the scales had fallen. And she was look
ing inward-for the first time in her life
"Only the outward seeming" she
murmured over and over under ner
breath, as if the sound frightened her,
land after all these years I've only just
found ont that haven't been Chris
Ia n.
Contrary to the expectation of Mr..
Lawton, Miss Sarah did not appear at
prayer-meeting ON Thursday night; and
when he called to see her on Friday he
was surprised to find three curly-h AIDED
children making mudpies in the front
ward, who informed MN IN loud cho-
rus that they had come to live with
Aunt Sarah forever
Miss Sarah welcomed him very cor
daily, and though she looked tired and
warm after her journey from Milford,
she seemed As happy as possible
"This is a great surprise, Miss Jen-
kins, " said the minister, rs he followed
her into the parior and took seat.
"Yes. / reckon it'll be a surprise to
most e rs. But I amt afraid but they'll
live through it"
81 think you will be well rewarded
for bringing your sister and her children
here. Your lie has been very lonely
one, said Mr. Llwton.
Yes, | recson III take considerable
satisfaction out o it, and it does seem
sort o pleasant to have em round.
they're well hammered children. Su-
sans been mighty particular about them.
Did YOU notice the hoy as you came in?
He's tee very moral o Tom"
As Mr.. Lawton walked back to the viii
iage he wondered what had walked Miss
jenkins M 10 a sense of her duty. But
tie never knew.
Early in TIA following winter Miss
Jenkins invited her pastor and his wife
to tea. The table was well supplied with
cake, pickles, and preserves. Il glass
dish OIL blackberry jam occupying a DO
silion Just before Mrs. Lawton.
81 am so fond of black berry jam"
said that lady, as she helped herself TO
the article in question, ''and put up a
great deal last summer But the very
incest / made was from some blackber-
ries my little girl found in the arbor in
our garden. We never knew who had
left item there, but took it for granted
they were meant Tor us, and so took pos
session of them, pail and all. Lulu calls
it my mystery jam | have often won
dered il the mystery would ever be ex-
planned"
But it never was.