The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-12-02
Selected storm.
In the Day of the East Wind.

ing. In one of the conf )rtable homes
of the city of Homescott the family
were ass embed for dinner, all seeming
in good spirits. Mr.. Wilkins had had
busy day trying to make go things
which d d not move very fast Just row
for any one, as a great lull was holding
the business w,rl1--a sort of reaction
from excessive excitement about
twelve months before. Mrs. Williams
had been going about the house, re-
expression, that she was carrying
burden. Indeed, just the night before,
while Mr.. Stewart was awake, he heard
her cry out in her sleep as if in intense
mental agony, haunted by the spectre
of the day in dreams in the night. Her
actions were, as she herself often re
marked, hardly responsible actions.
Her sunny expression and her hope
fulness of heart had for the most part
gone; sometimes there was reveal, a
stoical ind fer, nee or an intense anxi-
ETY.. Although her heart was full of
good thoughts for others, and sympathy
for others woe, her well-nigh constant
expression now was the one that her
face had worn when one year before
she had come with her sister to look at
the house where they were now living,
and had explained that they had left a
home of luxury and wide circle of
friends, and her husband a large, we'll
established and paying business. They
had just laid their sainted mother to
rest, and their own family WIS scattered
and on account of her husbands health
they had changed, at the advice of a
physician, from Welkin, where they
had lived for forty years, to Homescott
But here, although much better, he
found himself stranger among strang-
ers. Indeed, in the cosmopolitan city
few knew him, and the change from
knowing every body to knowing nobody
and having to be a stranger-on ',bange,
in bank, III society, in politics and even
in church-was very hard to bear
Then, too" she went on, Though we
have laid by reserve fund to live on
for awhile, there are second payments
on property, and interest to meet, and
we want to get ourselves home soon. !"
Then tears filled her eyes. :" We saw
your advertisement for small Chris
tian family to rent your furnished
house, and we applied and have been
sent here, and believe if you are will
lii g We will take it. We hope we are
Christians, at least We are try ing to be,
and we will try and make home for
you"
Mr.. Stewart had once had very
happy home-a new house, newly-fur
nished, beautiful grounds; indeed, he
had spared no effort to make it neat
convenient and attractive He was pas
tor of one of the churches of Home
scott But death had lately visited the
home and claimed his wife, as lovely a
Holy Ghost and all good works, as is
often met.
After the blessing had been asked .,
Mr.. Williams, breaking the silence,
said:
We'll, Mary, two years ago tonight
we were in Boston, and do you remem-
Der the stormy Thanksgiving morning
when we went out TO see Mrs. Wallace,
and how disagreeable it was, but what
a good time we had?"
eyes, | remember it very well, and |
should like to see her again, the good
cheerful soul"
So would l." said Mr.. Williams,
and, after pause, and l believe if
had any thing to be thankful for | would
write her."
Why, George, stop What do you
mean, speaking in that irreverent way?"
l mean just what | say have
nothing to be thankful for"
" Why, Mr.. Williams!" said Mr.. Stew
at, am surprised that any one OF
your intelligence can speak in such a
way; as | have listened to you speak
ing in almost such key of late, my
heart has trembled for you. You are
inviting Providence to lay some burden
on you that will be of some moment,
and for a man of your good sense to
throw away his faith in day of adver-
sity, is about as sensible as for sea
captain to throw overheard his anchors
when he started out to sea, because a
storm was coming up"
"Well," said Mr.. Villains, 81 have
been so completely dazed by this ques-
ton of Providence and suffering in the
world, that is about my position, /
have thrown the whole thing overheard.
1t is just this, God is either all-power.
full or he isn't, and if he is he can stop
such things, and if he is not he can't.
If he is God he will, and you have got
either to be inconsistent or quit sayin :,
believe in God the Father Almighty, ,
and say simply, believe in God, for
he is not almighty"
" Now, Mr.. Williams, you are not a
fool, and you know better than that, but
your perplexiJy is the old one constantly
arising and baflln men The Word
of God shows us that although God per.
mits these things, he is not responsible
for them"
Eyes, he is responsible if he car
override and does not"
You forget, George, that the devi
has good deal to do with such mat
ters," interjected Mrs. Williams.
And" continued Mr. Stewart, " il
is certainly the part of folly to throw
away protection when most you nee(
ii. You have by your actions said tt
the Lord you wanted him to let yol
alone and you will care for yourself, {
very striking contrast to what job die
when the burdens and calamities of lf,
bore heavy on him. He said: Though