The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1886-01-20
The Sunday-Dinner Table.


Didn't we have good sermon p in
quired the eldest son, with all the zest of
his satisfaction in his tone.
"Goodl !" echoed the father, scornfully.
bristling up as usual when the word
sermon was uttered. He took ten
minutes to prove something that we
know as well as he does, ten more"
A shade of distress fitted across
Sophy's eyes, the minister had made her
feel that she was sinner. Was not that
worth ten minutes?
And as for the prayer" continued
the head of the family, with gesture OF
Impotence, -" it was the driest pre- 1
ever listened to-
Perhaps he was not praying to you"
suggested the privileged member OF the
family.
think it was the loveliest prayer I
ever heard" exclaimed the visitor, with
rising color.
The visitor, by the way, did not enjoy
the prayers Of the head of this family.
In her own young opinion, addressing
God in long, hard phrases made him seem
high up and away off from her.
Such length Such difusiveness and
minuteness Such rambling 1t was a
talk, not prayer. He brought in every
body under the sum-" Impulsive young
visitor kept her lips shut, but she could
not keep the indignant flash out of her
eyes. The prayer in church that morn
ing had touched her as prayer rarely
had touched her before At that instant
she holly wished that she might never
have to hear the head Of the family pray
again.
Prayer is not a thing to be criticised"
suggested the eldest son, gently. al
never felt so clearly as did this morn.
ing hoaC Christ is our only hope. Our
minister made it so strong and clear"
After rambling on ten minutes about
nature u commented the argumentative
voice of the father. By this time consci-
entious Sophy has fnger-tip pressed
into each ear; that sermon was one of
growth, " And, then, the idea of saying"
The sensitive boy of fourteen, whose
mercury rises and rails with every change
in the home atmosphere, dropped his eyes
and looked troubled. All his delight in
the plain, strong sermon had been mar
red, even while listening to it, by the
dread that somebody at home would pick
flaws in it at the dinner-table. If he
might have listened with an untroubled
heart, into what ready soil the seed
would have been dropped that day
Sometimes | think that Satan takes more
delight in the Sunday dinner-table than
in any home gathering through the week.
He knows what little winds carry the
good seed away.
Somebody, anxious to interrupt the
flow of unkindly criticism, now made a
hurried remark:
did you see that lady in front of us ?
Wasn't her bonnet grotesque? Just the
shape and colors to make her hideous."
a relieved laugh went around the
table. Surely this was better than find
ing fault with the minister. But Sophy's
laugh had touch of uneasiness in it.
For several Sundays she had been trying
to school herself not to look at bonnets
at church and this morning, under the
impressive sermon, she had not even
noticed the offending bonnet almost with
in range of her eyes.
The boy Of fourteen looked up bright
ly.
We have such good lesson for Sun
day School to-day
I'm glad there's one good one"
! grumbled his next oldest brother. "I
had come to the conclusion that they had
picked out the hardest and driest parts
Of the Bible for the lessons. Your teach
er is such poke, with his melancholy
voice and solemn face, don't see how
you ever like the lessons"
Public opinion again quenched the boy
of fourteen. Coming home from church,
he had resolved to hurry through dinner
that he might give the extra minutes to
the study of the lesson but as it was the
driest part of the Bible, and his teacher
poke Why should he care for the
Sunday SCHOOL, Perhaps he ought to
be ashamed for staying after Sunday
School last Sunday to talk to the poke
about something in the lesson. OF course,
the big boys knew
"He has no more sense about asking
questions" continued the big boy.
Your superintendent Is a superior
man" observed the head OF the family.
" / noticed in prayer time this morning
how uneasy he was under that long pray
er. He couldn't keep his head down
through three sentences"
The visitor flushed again. But this
time she had almost resolved to be busy
elsewhere when the time for family wor-
ship should come tonight. The listener,