The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1891-11-20
-1
Little Puritans.
BY L. j. D.

/ wonder how you little boys and girls VINO
regard catechism as bugbear, and are apt
to grow restless under sermon haitian hour
long, would have enjoyed life about two
hundred years agoP II you will think
moment you will remember how different
every thing was then from what it is now
Especially was young life different. Then
BOYS wrote letters to their fathers, "My hon
ored sir" and the little girl who failed 10
drop courtesy when meeting an older per-
son on the road, or who leaned back in her
straight, high -backed chair, was regarded
as an unmannerly, lazy child indeed.
We are apt to think of little Puritans as
sitting in meeting" dangling their legs from
high wooden seats, and rubbing their hands
together to keep them warm, and perhaps
the picture is a true one, for then life was
more serious business to child of ten or
twelve than it is now, and Sunday especially
was observed very vigorously.
1t must have been q strange sight 10 see
the Puritans assembling for worship. They
had no church-bell; instead, man stood on
the doorstep, and beat q drum to summon
the people. The men came armed with guns,
and swords, and spears, for they were in con-
slant fear of Indians, and the women and
children followed close behind. The girls
dressed like little old women, in straight,
plain skirts, and white apions, their hair part
ed in the middle and brushed as smooth as
satin, for curly or rough hair was thought
unseemly and unbecomiDg Puritan maid
ems, and the boys, like their elders, in knee
breeches, long cloaks, and sugar loaf hats.
If we were to go into the bare. cold meet
ing house, with these quaint little folk, We
would see, first, the pulpit very high up
above the congregation, and, hanging over 1t
sounding board, such as still remain in
al ol,t, md
| of you have seen.
Beside the Bible, on the reading desk, is an
hour glass, and when the minister begins his
sermon, he turns the glass and expects to
preach till the last grain of sand has run
through.
The minister is not the only one TO carry
| on the service in a Puritan church, for the
elder gives out or dictates the hymn, and the
teacher prays, and often adds an exhortation
after the preacher is through his hour-loDg
sermon.
Instead of passing round the collection
basket, the people get up at the proper time
and put their money in box which is held
by Que of the deacons. and if they have nc
money they bring goods or corn, and lay il
on the floor beside the good man.
Do you wonder that in this long service some
of the children, especially the boys, grow tir-
ed? But there is no mapping done in meet
ing. o, dear, no The tithing man Is toe
busy for that The tithing man is a parish
officer, whose especial duty it is to keep peo
ple awake in church. He carries long staff
and when any ones head would begin to nod
with sleepiness, rap would come the stat
on the "head of the sluggard."
We live in freer, happier times now, ano
are apt TO feel sorry for these little Puritans
who had so little of what we call fun. and
were expected to dig. and plant, and sew
and spin, like their fathers and Mothers
But these very little Puritans have made oul
country, and especially New England, VIVA
it is.
At work on Sundays they learned some
thing better than pleasure-seeking. They
learned to hate a lie; that 1t was better ant
manlier to work than to be self-indulgent; Il
set duty before pleasure, and they Learned
that they were to please God, and not them
selves, and you may be sure that they wer
not unhappy, after all.-Presbytertan Observer
In the Eyes Of Youth.
1t is told of Bishop Doane, of Albany, tina
while dining recently at the house of one Q
his friends be was pleased to observe that h
was the object of marked attention from tn
small son of his host, whose eyes were rivet
ed upon him After dinner the bishop al
preached the boy and said:
"Well, my young friend, you SCENE to b
, interested in me. Do you find that l am a
right?"
Eyes, SIR" returned the boy, with glanc
at the bishops kneebreeches, you're all RICH
! but say. won't your mamma let you wes
pants YETI"