Milford chronicle., 1883-04-20

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S on them sullar stairs and cried. did
I really. Seemed as though the Lord had
= turned and looked at me Jest as He did
! at Peter. Why, there was my own
{ children never seen me act real fatherly
f and pretty in all their lives. I'd growled
2 and scolded and prayed at em, and
D tryed to fetch EN- up jest as the twig is
{ bent the trees inclined, ye know, but 1
q hadn't never thought that they'd got right
r an reason to expect I'd do my part as
e well as their'n. Seemed as though l
was fndin out more about Josiah
t Emmons's shortcomings than was real
agreeable.
2 "Come around Friday I got back to
the store. I'd kind of left it to the boys
the early part of the week, and things
4 was little cutering, but I did have
sense not to tear round and use sharp
words so much as common. began to
think twas getting easy to practice after
| five days, when in come Judge Herrick's
wife after some curtin calico. I had
hansome piece, all done off with roses
an things, but there was a fault in the
weavin', every now and then thin
streak. She didn't notice it, but she was
pleased with the figures ont, aud said
she'd take the whole piece. Well, just
as 1 wrappin' of it up, what Mr.. Parkes
here said about tryin to act just as the
Lord would in our place come across me.
Why, turned rs red as a beet, 1 know
1 did 1t made me feel all of tremble.
There was I, a doorkeeper in the tents
of my God, as David says, really cheatin',
and cheatin' woman. Itell We brethren,
was all of a sweat Mis- Herrick, says
I, 4 don't believe you've looked real
close at this goods; faint thorough
wove, says I. So she didn't take it;
but what fetched me was to think how
many times before I'd done such mean,
unreliable little things to turn penny,
and all tine time sayin' and prayin that
wanted to be like Christ l KEEP
trippin' of myself up all day Jest in the
ordinary business, and l was peg lower
down when night come than 1 was a
Thursday. I'd ruther, as far as the hard
work is concerned, lay a mile of four
foot stone wall than undertake to do
mans livin' Christian duty for twelve
workin' hours; and the heft of that is,
it's because 1 amt used to it and 1 ought
to be.
$50 this mornin' came around, and
felt mite more cherk. Twas missionary
mornin', and seemed as if twas a sight
easier to preach than to practice L
thought I'd begin TO old Mis- Vedder's.
So put testament in my pocket and
knocked to her door, Says I, Good
ma'am, and then 1 stopped. {
Words seemed to hang, somehow. L
didn't want to pop right out that I'd /
come to try'n convert her folks.
hemmed and swallered a little, and fn1ly E
1 said, says I, We don't see you to
meetin' very frequent, Mis- Vedder. I
No, you don't ses she, as quick as
a wink. Il stay at home and mind my c
business. I
"'Well, we should like to hev you i,
come along with US and do ye good, says ,
I, sort of conciiatin'.
'''Look here, Deacon 7 she snapped,
I've lived alongside of you fifteen year,
and you knowed L neverwent to meetin'; t
we amt pious lot, and you knowed it; J
we're poorer n death and uglier II sin. q
Jim he drinks and swears, and Malviny y
lono her letters. She knows heap she
hadn't ought to, besides. Now what are
you comm here to-day for, I'd like to
know, and talkin' so glib about meetin' ;
Go to meetin'? I'll go or come jest as l L
larn please, for all you. Now get out o }
his I? Why, she come at me with Z
There wasn't no need ont; =
what she said was enough. L hadn't !
never asked her nor her'n to so much as = y
5hink Of goodness before. Then went :
TO another place Jest like that won't !
call no more names and sure enough
here was ten children in rags, the hull I"
IN 'em, and the man half drunk. He
yiv' it to me, too; and 1 don't wonder.
I'd never lifted hand to serve nor save II
EN- before in all these years. I'd said Il
considerable about the heather in foreign n
parts, and give some little to convert 'em, "
md I had looked right over the heads of
hem that was next door. Seemed as if
could hear Him say, These ought ye
o have done, and not have left the other K
lndone. l couldn't face another soul
,o-day, brethren. come home, and
iere I be. I've been searched through b
snd through and found wantil'. God Il
% merciful to me a sinnerl"
He dropped into his seat, and bowed
lis head and many another bert, too. q
t was plain that the deacon's expert n
nee was not the only one among the q
Mr.. Payson rose, and prayed
IS he had never prayed before; the
week of practice had fired his heart, fl
90 And it began a memorable year "
or the church in Sugar Hollow; not "
'ear of excitement or enthusiasm, but n
me when they heard their Lord say a
ng, as to Israel of old, "Go forward, r'
nd they obeyed His voice. The Sun
lay school hOurished, the church SER
ices were fully attended, every good /
hing was helped on in its way, and Il
,eace reigned in their homes and n
learts, imperfect, perhaps, as new h
rowths are, but still an offshoot Of the b
,eace past understanding.
And another year they will keep an-
ther week Of practice, by common con 81
ent. The Congratulated. il