St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-05-29
Helping the Wicked One.
BY MISS ANNIE f. WILSON.

BY MISS ANNIE r. WILSON.
Walking by the wayside, home from
church, along the smooth, broad pave
ment of the city, the whole family
moves along together, the mother feel
ing very conplaceut i'll her handsome
silk and new bonnet. and the father
stepping quite proudly beside his pref
ty wife.
The young people have all been du-
tifully drilled to go to church with
their parents, unless they have some
good excuse for staying at home. So
they are all here, except the eldest
daughter, whose new dress was not
quite finished. though the sewing girl
worked hard on it until late Saturday
evening. Little tive-year- Emma
holds her fathers hand: George, next
older, walks beside his mother; while
two bright, intelligent misses of ten
and twelve, follow in their parents
footsteps. Lily, the elder, looks seri-
Gus and quiet. Some good seed, per
chance, has found a tender, moist spot
in her young heart, and may take root
and bring forth fruit to the glory OF
God.
Alas! the mothers voice breaks
heedlessly in upon the sober thoughts
of the child Don't you think Mr.
is failing very much 2 he does not
preach near so well as he did at first,
do YOU think he does There was
not a thing in that sermon to-day. |
could not keep myself awake all could
do, and You did not try, you were fast
asleep before he was half through
Both laughed as if it was a very
amusing thing to throw contempt ON IL
mans faithful, earnest Labor.
at certainly was IA poor sermon but
he may not have been feeling very
well. ! believe he was sick the other
day" remarked the father.
"Bnt ! don't think il minister has
any business to preach unless he can
do it well, so that his congregation
will enjoy hearing him. Don't You
agree with me, Mrs. -!n she added,
as AN acquaintance stepped up beside
her.
Indeed do replied her friend ;
IL wish we could find some one who
would give us good sermons all the
time"
"And YET unused Lily, che said he
had message from the King of kings,
and | thought it was meant for me-"
"But believe, after ALL continued
the mother, II would rather listen to
our own minister than to that little
fellow he had preaching for him last
Sunday his gestures were rs awkward
as school boys, and his whining
voice made me so nervous | could
scarcely sit still"
"And he thought Lily, "told us he
was an ambassador for Christ"
81 couldn't sit still either" said lit
tie Emma.
"No, YOU never do" replied the
mother carelesSly.
al liked the young preacher best,
spoke up Master George, "because he
did not preach SO long
"Wen," questioned Lily in her heart,
''if father and mother, who are Chris
tians, see no good in the sermons, why
need disturb myself; surely, if they
believed what the preacher said, they
would talk to me about it sometimes.
| reckon it will he time enough for me
to think about being Christian when
am grown"
All, whittier had the good seed
gone Had not the parents, her own
father and mother, played the part oi
the Evil One in taking away the word
out of her heart, lest she should believe
and lie saved And who can calcu-
late the number of souls that have
been lost, turned out of the way, 10y
Just such thoughtlesS criticisms on the
way home from church, or even ut any
time