The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-05-28
Ihe 9ireside.
This Is SO.

have lately produced able and quite dis
eliminating editorials in regard to the de-
plorable state of morals existing among
the low, ignorant families who live in the
backwoods in our New England towns,
where many of the disgusting crimes that
have so frequently, of late, shocked the
public are perpetrated; but no mention
is made of the scores of well.to-do, intel
ligent families in our rural communities,
of so-called good morals, that are living
to-day utterly regardless of the life, claims
and teaching of Jesus Christ.
spent Sunday lately in one of the
most lovely and fertile regions of the Con-
necticut river valley. was DESTROYS of
attending church, but Just at that time l
felt unable to walk the two miles that in
tervened, over the grassy, country roads.
was not at all reticent in regard to my
wishes, but my hostess had no horse, and
in reply TO my inquiry, Gould convey
snce be hired in the vicinity ?" she said
"No one goes to church from this
neighborhood, up or down for two or
three miles. In the forty or fifty families
there are not five church members, nor
are there many who attend church regu-
larly."
My interest and curiosity were alike
stimulated, and as the neighbors ran in
and out that day, for it was a very social
place, and they all tried to make the time
pass pleasantly for visitor, asked :
(which church do you attend 2" In
variably the answer was given with a
boastful air:
ooh, we don't go anywhere very often"
a IS
the way of it." ave don't get up early
enough" One said: az have not been to
church for a year, and don't expect to go
for year to come" Another said 81
have been twice within the last six
months once when got my winter hat,
and again when l finished my spring suit
shall 60 again when my silk dolman is
completed, and wear that so the village
folks will not think I have nothing to
wear, and set the sewing society to work
for me-"
"My efforts to secure a conveyance
were unsuccessful. The teams belonging to
the livery stable near by had been pre-.
viously engaged for Sunday junketing,
and the farmers in the vicinity had vari-
Gus projects for business or pleasure in
hand consequently their horses would be
in reduisition for their own use.
On this Sunday morning, as the distant
church bells began to ring, 1 took hymn
book and rockingham out under the
blossoming apple trees in the front yard,
thinking to join in worship with the
robins. Soon little girl from the next
house came dancing up the gravel walk
with her doll.
ave are butchering the old, fat OK at
our house to-day" she announced. cit
will be sent off to the market tomorrow,
and that will be done with. Papa always
likes to have meat engaged for Mondays,
and then it can all be got out of the way
Sundays, and he and mamma can begin
the week all right Monday morning "
and this pretty midget Of descendant of
the Puritans complacently placed her doll
on the rustic seat near me.
"My papa is going after seed corn"
said another little girl, whose family was
of old American stock, and who, very
much dressed up, and with her Sunday
doll had joined the first one "and l am
going to ride with him, and so is mamma
Another neighbor, with wife and chill.
dren, drove to the next town to pay visit
A party of young people went off four or
five miles to q certain hillside, ostensibly
to gather wild flowers, but really to look
after the sheep and the fences, where they
were "to make day of it," with emo end
of fun and frolic." One or more members
of nearly every family in the vicinity took
stroll to the back pastures to salt the
stock. Two or three women picked
green's for the next days dinner, and on
this particular Sunday some dozen fami.
lies drove miles to point on the Con-
necticut river to see a jam of logs at
the bridge piers, and where l was told
hundreds of people congregated during
the day. One young woman sat up late
Saturday night to finish dress to wear
to the " jam on Sunday.
The music of piano hoated over the
fragrant air from the parlor windows OF
a neighboring farm-house-quadrilles
waltzes, polkas, Pinafore," and accom-
paniments to popular songs. l fancied
before that the robins had been singing
little softer than usual; but they gave
up all efforts to keep up Sunday after
that, and piped up with might and main
offered one young lady who came in
bundle of religious papers, but she said
cts no use for me to take them. |
should not read them, and there isn't any
one in our house who would. And if the
neighbors should see me carrying them
home, or should notice them lying on the
table, they would make no end of fun Of
me, and would call you missionary, and
all sorts of dreadful names so l would
rather not take them"
Now, it must be understood that these
people are well-to-do, thrifty Yankees, Of
good morals, CD owning fully and in fee
simple every broad, fertile acre they oc
cupy large, convenient barns, handsome
wellfurnished dwelling-houses, horses
carriages, pianos, etc. Passably we'll edu
Gated are these men and women, many o.
them having taught in the public schools
"Sunday is no different from any othe
day." one of these women said, wheI
kindly demonstrated with on account O
her careless, goddess life-and she Inca
descendant of one of that noble May
flower band
Can this be true ?-some one may ask
Indeed, it is, every word and every letter
How far such state of things exists il
other localities in New England, tn