Nevada County picayune., 1890-04-02
A BUNCH OF VIOLETS.

church. The hour was nearly noon, the day Saturday. Phillips Brooks was about to deliver his last noondav Talk" to business men.
 \ small. slender built man, with twinkling, fierce, not merry, gray eyes, a hard, sarcastic mouth, clean shaven face, closcly-cropped, dark hair, liberally sprinkled with white, halted irresolutely before the open gate of the churchvard. His lips curled contemptuously. as he looked at the earnest men passing in.
 He walked past the church; he halted; retraced his steps; halted again, and then moved swiftly as if impelled by an irresistible impulse toward the door and entered the church.
 A grand sight met his curious gaze, a sight to make a loyal Christians heart glad. Mammon vs. the Great creator, or vice versa. Just then Mammon had rctrcated and God held sway.
 The small man with the sarcastic mouth had not put foot inside of church in eight years before. A queer sensation assailcd him. He had fan cied Christianity was dead among men. Simperlng women and unlct- tered boys and girls continued to cling to the gospel, but men. men of the world, well, it looked funny to sec all those faces so calm and interest ed and really respectfully deyout.- No one smiled; no one jeered. Well, how queer.
 The sheer passed from the small mans lips. He became oddly i'm pressed. The influence of his sur roundlngs had something to do with that. He had long since abandoned religious associations and the novelty of the same aroused a sudden sense of sadness, discontent, remorse and disgust within him--a realization of the meanncss of his existence, the sclishness of his aims, the lttleness of his aspirations.
 He thought of his wife, his little child. He had ridiculed her again and again because she ran to church." He had even forbidden her to fill his boys head with mon senslcal church rot" He had shown his contempt for opinions by bring ing into their home profanc asso- ciatcs who made her Sundays hide ous by drinking, and penny ante gambling.
 "Bosh, What's the matter with me-" thought he. "l'll get out of this"
 ''It is simple," said Rev. Mir, Brooks, ito have God with you. have no panacca that will throw open the windows of your soul that the spirit that surrounds you on all sides may enter. But God will come to you if you put away your sin. Every man has some sin-some trick of mind, body or soul that is foreign to Godliness. Quit stealing, quit lylng, quit lusting-if you do any of these things, Quit being domineering and overbearing, quit being cruel and oppressive, if you oppress those who are in your power. "
 These words rang through his mind and followed him through the day. He saw himself cruel, oppress- i've, overbearing, and suddenly he  beheld before him the face of his helpless, gentle, timid wife. Her eyes are filled with tears she would not venture to wipe away before be- cause he will "hully" her and call her a fool" She sighs and be- seeches no more. She merely eX- ists, because 1t is her duty to her child to bear
 A quiet wife and mother sits be- side the tea table mending a pair of stockings for little boy playing be- side her. The meal is prepared She does not look expectant, Her manner is subdued, almost hopeless of any possible joy in store.
 Put your playthings away, Willie, and sit down quietly. Your papa will he here in q little while, '" she says.
 The door opens and closes. The wife does not look up. She rises and leaves the neat dining room to bring in the evening meal for her husband. She seats herself at the table, The man has taking his place, speaking