Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1883-07-09

rem, / was all of sweat. Mis-
Herrick,' says I, i don't b'lieve
you've looked real close at this
goods; 'tan't thorough wove, says 1.
So she didn't take it. But what
fetched me, was to think how many
times before I'd done such mean, un-
reliable little things to turn a penny,
and all the time sayin' and prayin'
that / wanted to be like Christ. |
KEEP a trippin' of myself up all day,
jest in the ordinary business, and l
was peg lower down when night
come than l did Thursday. I'd ruth
er, as far as the hard work is con-
cerned, lay mile of stone wall than
undertake to do a man S livin' Chris
tian duty for twelve working hours
and the heft of that is, it's because /
amt used to it and ought to be.
$50 this mornin' come round, and
/ felt mite more. ehirk. Twas
missionary mornin', and seemed as
if twas sight easier to preach than
to preach than to practice. | thought
I'd begin to old Mis- Vedder's. So
l put Testament in my pocket and
knocked to her door. Says I, Good
mornin', ma'am, and then stopped.
Words seemed to hang, somehow. 1
didn't want to pop right out that I'd
come to convert folks. / hemmed
and swallowed a little, and fn'lly |
said, says [, 'We don't see you to
meetin' very frequent, Mis- Vedder.'
"'No, you don't?' says she, as
quick as wink. 4 stay at home and
mind my own business
"Well, we should like to hev you
come along with us and do ye good,
says I, sort of concilliatin.
- Look a here. deacon ? she snap
ped, 'Pve lived longside of you fif-
teen years, and you knowed 1 never
went to meetin' we amt a pious lot
and you knowed it; we're poorer'n
death and uglier'n sin. Jim he
drinks and swears, and Malviny dono
her letters. She knows a heap she
hadn't ought to, besides. Now what
are you a comm here to-day for, I'd
like to know, and talking so glib
about meetin'? I'll 60 or come jest
as please, for all you. Now get
! out of this! Why, she come at me
with a broomstick. There wasn't
no need ont; what she said was
enough. | hadn't never asked her
nor hel n to so much as think of
goodness before. Then / went to
another place just like that won't
call any more names and sure
enough, there were ten children in
rags, the hull on 'em and the man
half drunk. He give it to me, too !;
and / don't wonder. I'd never lifted
a haud to serve nor save 'em before
in all these years. I'd said consid-
eT'ble about the heather in foreign
parts, and give some little to convert
'em, and / he'd looked right over the
heads of them that were next door.
Seemed as if [ could hear him say,
'These ought We to have done, and
not left the other undone.' | could
not face another soul to-day, breth-
ren. 1 come home and here l be.
I've been searched through and
through and found wantin'. God be
merciful to me sinner"
He dropped into his seat, and bow
ed his head; and many another bent
too. 1t was plain that the deacon 5
experience was not the only one
among the brethren. Mr.. Parkes
rose, and prayed as he had never
prayed before the week of practice
had fired his heart, too. And it be-
gan a memorable year for the church
in Sugar Hollow; not year of ex-
citement or thusiasm, but one when
they heard their Lord saying, as to
Israel of old, 'sGo forward" and
they obeyed his voice. The Sunday
school fourished, the church services
were fully attended, every good thing
was helped in its way, and peace
reigned in their homes and hearts, i'm
perfect perhaps as new growths are,
but still an offshot of the peace past
understanding.
Another year they will keep an
other week of practice, by common
consent. Rose Terry Cook, IN Con-
gregationdlist.