The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-08-01
Daisy Green in the Attic.

"Where is Daisy % asked Mrs. Green,
one forenoon, of the woman who was do
ing her ironing. Mrs. Green had Deen out
to visit sick lady and had left Daisy at
home, not without some apprehension lest
she might get into mischief or trouble, al
though Daisy was not quite so mischievous
as formerly.
Cup in the attic, guess, num-" was
the womsn's reply.
So Mrs. Green went up stairs and
paused at the foot of the attic stairway.
"Daisy has company, it seems thought
Mrs. Green, as she heard the sound OF
voices. Daisy often took her playmates
to the attic, where they could romp as
much as they pleased. AS Mrs. Green
was about to turn away, she heard Daisy
say, "Now, children, let's play church"
so she sat down on the stairs that she
might hear the play.
"I'll be the choir" continued Daisy,
"and Lizzie and Maggie and Bell and
Jimmie may be the people, and Benjie
may be the minister because he Is gooder
than the rest of us but you must skip
the prayers, Benjie, for it's wicked to
pray when we amt in solemn earnest"
The choir then executed solo with re-
markable trills and shakes and quavers in
childish. soprano. Then voice which
Mrs Green recognized as that of Benjie,
little boy who lived in the next house,
commenced to read as follows:
:" And Isaiah said unto the people, Ye
have sinned and done very wickedest
things and must sit down in the ashes un-
til We have repented and made up your
minds not to do bad things any more.
And the people answered Isaiah and said,
Verify, we have tried hard to be good,
but you have been harsh with us, and we
are tolerably discouraged. But Isaiah
said unto them, You must keep on trying,
for unless you repent and be good you will
all be lost, lost, lost, so that you can never
be found any more Here endeth the
chapter"
Then the choir executed another solo
Then Benjie's voice resumed, "k will
now read the notices
GO We shall have the usual prayer meet
ings, and all the folks that come must
pray nobody must be lazy about it,
"' There will be missionary meeting
at my house on Wednesday. All folks
who like to work for other folks better
than for themselves will please come; to
make it more interesting l will tell stories
-abouA m ssionaries who have been eaten
up Tor candy balls by the heather; and
when you get tired of that, we can have
sewlng-society and talk about folks
awhile"
Oh, dearl" moaned Mrs. Green on
the stairs, "where did he get that idea 7
am glad Daisy didn't say that"
" AS soon as the choir stops giggline
and whispering l will preach the sermon,
resumed Benjie. "NIost ministers DOM
wait Tor that, but | think they ought to
line audience is asked to keep awake; i
any one sleeps out loud, the sexton will
please wake 'em up. My text is abou
AGAIN and Eve. Adam was the first man
and he was made of dirt; but Eve wa
made of one of Adams bones. Sh,
couldn't have been very good-looking with
out any flesh. I'm glad my mother ism
made of bones. The world was new ant
clean then, and Adam and his wife live
In beautiful garden where there were al
kinds Of animals there were lions tina
didn't roar and scare folks, and tiger
that never ate folks up, and dogs tina
didn't bite, and cats that didn't scratch
and there were lots of flowers that neve
wilted or dried up, and lots of fruit, an,
IL was never wormy, or rotten, or sour
and they could eat all they wanted with
out having the stomach-ache. But Their
was one tree in the middle of the garde
That God told them not to touch, but the
didn't mind him, for great hateful sci
peht made Eve eat an apple from tina
tree, and she liked it 80 well that sh
leased Adam to eat some too, and the
God drove them out of the beautiful ga
den into the wilderness and made ther
work Tor their living; and then the lion
began to roar, and tigers began to ca
loiks up, and dogs began to bite, and cal
began to scratch, and roses had thorns t
nurt folks, and flowers wilted, and apple
and pears got wormy and rotten, an
grapes got sour, and watermelon got [
giving folks collie, and everything wer
wrong. Aud that's the way it will
with you, brethren, if you eat things thu
you've been told not too. Meetings. dor
now"
Then there was rush and stampede
of rather disorderly audience passir
out
Mrs. Green on the stairs was convulse
with silent laughter. 1t is safe to So
that she had enjoyed the play as well
the children had.
"Now let's play school," said Daisy, &
will be teacher, and we will have scho
where scholars will have real good times
:" l want to be teacher" said anoth
voice.
"Now, Lizzie, that isn't kind" a
swered Daisy; "you may be teacher ne
time, II you want too"
THAT must be Lizzie Fowler" thong
Mrs. Green, cas- nearly as | can jud
there are five children up there besid
Daisy"
81 don't want to play school; |
rather play tag" said another voice.
"Now, Belle, am ashamed of you
said Daisy tag is such rude play, al
school is more cultivating
"The scholars may all take their seats
continued Daisy who had never vet se
the inside of schoolroom. 81 want v,
all to read about things that you knc
about. Jimmie, you may begin you m
read about cats"
A bOyiah voice read 40 folloua