The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-03-06

ged resolution TO stick to the colors he
had SO suddenly adopted, and the elders
left, angrily threatening to church"
him if he did not appear in his accus-
toned pew on the following Sunday.
''Dey kin church an be hanged to
'em"' said MIR. Baxter. angrily, as the
door closed upon their rctreating fig
ures. Does dcy t'ink Use goin to glib
up my 'ligion what Use jes' got lax
dat? No, sab! Eff Use got to suffeh
fer my ligion, Ill jes' show 'eln dey
| cayn't make me backslide."
The week went by in perfect domes-
tic harmony: yet for some reason Mr..
Baxter did not seem to be quite easy in
his mind. Like his own herds, he
shifted the brewing storm while the
sky was yet blue.
Saturday came and Aunt Hannah OBJ
| served firmly as they arose: Dis be-
in yo' Sunday, Sam, in course YOU
kun in wen de critters is fed an read
yo' Bible"
''In course, Hannah replied Mr..
Baxter, little sheepishly.
A little later in the morning the door
burst open and Mr.. Baxters flock OF
woolly heads burst in with: "Maw,
| dey'se goin' a-nuttin' on Bramble hill
Kin we'se go? Whar's my hat and
other ordinations of similar charac-
ter. Aunt Hannah held up her hand
sternly.
''Chilluns, Use s'prizcd at yo'!!' she
| said, solemnly. "Didn' yo heah yo' daddy
say dat dis was dc Sabbuf, an yo' want
in to 80 a-nuttin'! Yo' kun in an larn
yo' Sunday-school lesson, now; an yo'
be quick about gettin' in, too, err yo'll
get de wus' trolloppin' yo' eber had n
al yo bon days.
There was no gairsaying this, and
when Mr.. Baxter came in from water
ing the critters" he found silent and
studious family awaiting him. Dinner
time came and passed, but Aunt Han
nah did not move.
''Yo kin fin dc col lunch in de pam
try" she said. yves got to be berry
keerful how we monkey wild de Sabbuf
day to keep it holy" she remarked,
placidly.
The children went to bed with visions
of a long and lonely play-day before
them on the morrow, minus the Sunday
dinner that was a landmark in their
week to them. After Mr.. Baxter had
eaten his cold lunch off the pantry
shelf out of the remains of his cold dim
ner, he still fingered near the fire,
wrapped in deep contemplation. At
last he broke the silence.
Hannah, is yo' goin' to keep termor-
rer, too?" he asked, timidly. Long
fasting had broken his resistance and
Aunt Hannah saw her advantage.
Keep Sunday. Sam BaXter?" she
! asked, belligerently; COURSE is, fer
yo' an me too"
''Ain' we goin' to hab no Sunday din
ner?"
'Deed we ain! ain goin' to do no
| wu'k eff I'm keepin' Sunday fer bofe on
| u.s."
There was long pause. Finally Mr..
Baxter broke out: Hannah, mebbe I
wuz wrong. Ennyway, faint right fer
thar to be feelin's in the family, an eff
| yo' say SO, I'm willin' to glib up my
'ligion an go to church wild yo' termor-
rer." te '7.
Elder Simpson was in the midst of
the long prayer the next morning as
Aunt Hannah triumphantly entered
the little white-washed meeting house.
As he caught sight of them over the top
of his gigantic handkerchief he broke
forth INTO loud ordinations.
''Bress &c Lawd fer de br'ack sheep
wat was gone astray an am now come
back into de fol'-bress de Lawd"'
Mr.. Baxter thought of the plowed
and seeded ten-acre lot and of the Sun
day dinner even then stewing in the
pot, and smiled broadly to himself be-
hind his hymn-book Possibly it was u
smile of triumph that he had vanquishcd
the tempter who hid led him astray.
= BATE,A BEADLxE.