St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-07-06

! pN"i "hh all lut new WOOu crisp as
cracklin's with frost. You'd better
b'lieve | didn't have much feller-feel-
in with Amos Tucker. | Just put
over to his house and spoke up pretty
free to him, when he looked up and
says, says he, Fellowship meetin' day,
amt it, Deacon ? I'd ruther he'd ha'
slapped my face. | felt as though
should like to slip behind the door.
| see pretty distinct what sort of life
I'd been livin' all the years I'd been ii
professor, when | couldn't hold on to
my tongue and temper one day ~
"Breth-e-reu," interrupted slow,
harsh voice, somewhat broken with
emotion, "IU tell the rest ont. Josiah
EmmOns come round like man an a
Christian right there. He asked me
for to forgive him, and not to think
twas the fault of his religion, because
twas his'n and nOthin' else. think
more of him to-day than | ever done
before. | was one that wouldn't say
| I'd practice with the rest of We. |
thought. twas everlasting nonsense.
I'd ruuiier go to forty mine prayer
meetin's than work at bein' good
week. l b'lieve my hope has been
one of them that perish it ha'nt
worked, and | leave it behind to-day.
| mean to begin honest, and it was
scein' one honest, Christian man,
fetched me round tot"
Amos Tucker sat down and buried
his grizzled head in his rough hands.
"Bless the Lord - said the quay
ering tones of il still older man from
a far corner of the house, and many Il
gliStening eye gave silent response.
$50 on, Brother EmmOns.n said
the minister.
"Well. when next day come, | got
up To make the fire, and my boy Joe
had forgot the kindlin's. I'd opened
my mouth to give him Jesse, when it
came over me suddin' that this was
| the day of prayer for the family rcla
ton. thought | wouldn't say moth
ing. jest fetched in the kindlin's
myself. and when the fire burnt up
good | called wife.
"'Dear me = says she, I've got sech
a headache, 'Siah, but I'll come in Il
mint didn't mind that, for women
are always havin' aches, and was Jest
il goin' to say 50, when | remembered
the tex about not bcin' bitter against
'eni, so | says, 'Philury. YOU lay abed.
| expect Emmy and me can get the Wit
ties to-day declare, she turned
over and give me such look why, it
struck right in. There was my wife,
! that had worked for an waited on me
| twenty odd year, most scarf because
| | spoke kind of feclin' to her. | went
out and fetched in the pail o water
she'd always drawed herself. and then
| | MIXED the COW. When came in,
Philury was up fryin' the potatoes, and
the tears Il Shimin' on her white face.
| She didn't say nothin', she's kinder
still, but she hadn't no need to. felt
Il little meaner'n did the day before.
| But 'twan't nothing to my condition
when | was goin', towards night, down
the sullar stairs for some apples, SOS
| the children could have Il roast, and
| heered Joe up in the kitchen say to
Emmy, Il do b'lieve, En-, pas goin' to
die why, Josiar Emmons, how you
TALK well, | do he's so evcrlaStin'
| pleasant ~ Il,ood nutcrcd | can't bat
think he's struck with death
Il tell ye, brethren, | set right down
on them sullar stairs and cried. did.
reely. Seemed as though the Lord had
turned and looked at me, jest as he did
at Peter. Why, there was my own
children never see me act real tathcrly
and pretty in all their lives. I'd growl-
ed and Scolded and prayed at 'cm, and
tried to fetch 'em up just as the twig is
bent the trees inclined, We know, but
hadn't never thought that they'd got
right an reason to expect I'd do my
part as well as their'n. Seemed as
though | was findin' out more about
Josiah Emmons' shortcomings than
was real agreeable.
"Come around Friday, | got back to
the store. I'd kind OF left it to the
boys the early part of the week, and
things was little cluttering, but 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 ITcrrck's wife after some curtin
calico. | had II hansomc piece, all
done off with roses an things, but
there was fault in the wcavin', in ev-
cry now and then IL thin streak. She
didn't notice it, but she was pleased
with the figures ont, and said she'd
take the whole piece. Well, just as |
was wrappin' of it up, what Mr.. Parlles
here said about tryin' to act jest us the
Lord would in our place, come acrOst
me. Why, | turned as red as beet, |
know did. 1t made me all of il trem-
BILE. There was |, a dOOrkceper in the
tents of my God, as David says, really
cheatin', and cheatin' IA woman. | tell
We, brethren, was all of a sweat.
Mis- Ierrick,' says |, Il don't b'lieve
yO've looked real close at this goods
'tan't thorough wOve,' says |. 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 Il penny, and all the
time sayin' and prayin' that | wanted
to he like Christ. | KEEP a trippin' OF
myself up all day, jest III the ordinary
business, and | was Il peg lower down
when night come than | was Il Thurs
day. I'd ruther, as far us the hard work
, is concerned, lay Il mile of four foot
stone wall than undertake to do Il
mans livin', Christian duty for twelve
wOrkin' hours and the heft of that is
it's because | amt used to it and
ought to he.
$50 this mornin' come round, and
felt Il mite more chirk. Twas mis-
, siOnary mornin', and seemed us if twas
II sight easier to preach than to prac-
tice. thought I'd begin to old Mis-
, Nedder's. So put Testament in my
pocket and knocked to her door. Says
|, Good mornin', ma'am,' and then
f stopped. Words seemed to hang
somehow. ! didn't want to pop right
out that I'd come to try'n convert
folks. | hemmed and swallared a little
and tin'lly | said, says |, 'We don't see
you to meetin' very frequent, Mis- We'd
! der
, NO, you don't.' says she, as quick
2 as wink. i stay at home and mind my
business