The Arizona sentinel., 1886-03-27
A GRUMBLE-MEETING.
Proving a Failure, It Is Turned into
 PraiseMeeting.


 Praise-Meeting.
 '1 don't see what mother wanted to go off to the praise-meeting for to- night" whined Tommy Trout, rub ping the knees of his pants before the blaze of the little sittng-room fire. "I don't see what any of us have got to praise God for anyhow. Here we are just as poor as couldn't have sled this winter cause we couldn't afford it, and mother has to pinch every way now-that- Last year" Here a great lump stuck in Tommy's throat, and made it ache, ard his eyes smart ed.
 '1 know," said grandma, from the other side of the fire, as she laid down her knitting and took off her glasses to wipe them. ''Last year there was a dear, good father to come home at night with comforts that his strong hands had earned, and who never left us in the morning without a kiss and a kind word; but he went up to Heaven Don't you remember how he told his boy, just before he went, to be sure and serve the Lord, and be comfort to mother, and get ready to come and live with father some dayp"
 Tommy wiped away the tears, but sat still without replying.
 "Pll tell you," said grandma, after a little pause; 'let's have a grumble- meeting"
 "A what?" said Tommy, looking up with wide-open eyes
 "A grumble-meeting. You don't see what we've got to praise God for; let's see what we have to grumble about. We've seen trouble this year-that's S sure; we're not the only ones, but then we feel it more than we do other peo- ple's troubles. Now, 1 know a little boy who hasn't lost his father by death as you have. Oh, no! but one cold day last week, he and his mother and little baby sister were all day with out any fire or food, because every cent that the poor, crazy thing that he calls father earns goes over the bar of the saloon for drink. Once he beat the mother black and blue, and kicked Freddy till they were afraid that he would never get over it. The neigh bors had him arrested, but he was worse than ever after he got out"
 ''Oh-h!" said Tommy, drawing long breath, and looking little fool ish.
 ''Shan't we complain little because you haven't such a father, instead of one waiting to welcome you in Heaven? No? We don't seem to get started well on this meeting. Let's take something else. We are poor; that's a fact. You can't have fine clothes, nor half the playthings you want Mother has this little home that father bought, and she has steady work, and I turn in my little income; but what is that? What did you have for supper?"
 Nothing but bread and milk" said Tommy, the whine coming back into his voice.
 "Now we've got a good start. If you only had the nice, light meal that I saw two little folks have, there might be something to be thankful for. They were standing outside an old shanty, and the older one was eating snow, but the younger one was crying bit terly 1 stopped and asked what was the matter, and she said: I'se so hungry The older one said: We've had nothing to eat since morning. I eats snow, but she don't Don't you think you might have something to praise God for if you had been in their place?"
 Tommy hung his head.
 ''Then these two little girls had on some old shoes that grown folks had worn out, and 1 saw their bare toes through the holes, and the blue skin through the ragged stockings. Now, mother don't keep you dressed in any thing but good, thick fannels and stout, warm clothes, though they are a little patched. Shan't we grumble over that?"
 .'N-no," said Tommy, faintly, and turning red, for that very morning he had fretted about those very patches.
 Then" grandma went on cheerful ly, "there's mother. It's a shame, the way she treats you. If you had some mothers, you might have something to be thankful for like Billy McGrana- hans, for instance, who lets him run the streets, and never sends him to school nor Sunday-schOol, nor mends his clothes, nor washes him, nor acts as if she loved him. Why, all the little mother does is to work all day for her little son, as bright and cheerful as though her heart wasn't sore with her sorrow, and tuck him up in a warm bed at night, with kiss and prayer, and teach him and train him so that he may grow up to be a good man. Don't you think we had better have a big grumble over her?"
 70 grandma!" and the sorry tears came into the little boys eyes.
 ''Then, there's the great, good Father, who has given you all these blessings, who knew what was best when He took father away, who loves us, and cares for us every day, who is prepar- ing home up there for us. Shall we grumble, Tommy"
 No. nor' cried he, jumping up to throw his arms around her neck and kiss her; ''don't. I don't wonder mother wanted to go to praise-meet- ingr'
 "Bless meI'' said mother, coming in