The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-10
THE LONESOME MANS EASTER REVERE

in his Uttered room to think He drifted off
into a condition that rendered his thinking
more worthy the name of dreaming. The
last thing he remembered distinctly was
that Easter was coming, and in his reverie
he lived over again the boyhood experience
that had been to him 9. direct inspiration as
to the beautiful spirit Of Easter-tide. AS
a child he had ever borne & strange dislike
for churchgoing. Often the six week days
were required to contrive an appropriate
and acceptable excuse for his remaining at
home on the seventh. Many bite, tears
would he shed when discovered without an
excuse on Sunday morning, he was under
the necessity of putting on his better
clothes and attending the services at the
little white chapel, mile away Young as
he was he knew instinctively that, had he
told his parents the real reason of his re-
pugnanco for religious worship, he would
have broken their hearts and laid himself
liable to punishment.
He was a devout believer in his childish
way, in Supreme Being who was all good
and fatherly and merciful and as he had
been taught that he who permitted himself
to wonder if the Bible were all true was a
skeptic and might 70 s we'll be q murderer,
he was ofted frightened and wrought up
sorely to find himself doubling most heart
lily the stories of eternal vengeance with
fire and birthstone ordered by an alI-pow-
erful and all-cruei God. He had a little
creed all his own, though his orthodox
taught conscience would not permit him to
admit it even to himself in secret He was
puzzled over the necessity of prayer, seeing
no reason for asking God every day for the
things He gave everybody without asking.
He had enough faith in his own father to
believe he would feed and clothe .him-why
should people get down on their knees and
ask much wiser, much kinder Father to
do the things He knew We're necessary to
the creatures whose needs as we'll as them
selves He had made? He did not each
morning tearfully implore his father to feed
him for just that one day, and the reason
was that he had faith in his father-whv
should the rule be reversed in the case of
the wiser, kinder, more loving Father? 1t
was all a deep, dark puzzle to the bow.
and he dared not think of it lest he turn
skeptic, and then his mother would cry
night and day and wear her sun-bonnet
pulled down, over her eyes. 1t was a terri
BILE ordeal for the little fellow. and his
great reason for not wanting to go to
church was that each time he went some
thing still more unbelievable to him was
brought out to make him feel wicked that
he could not believe.
On this particular Easter morning he had
hurried about in the cool air and bright
sunshine to help with the milking. A heavy
rain had fallen during the night, and had
caused several panels of the cow-pasture
fence to fail. The animals would have to
be taken TO the distant pasture lot The
how 6aa 1t
the morning when till that moment, he had
failed to find a semblance of an excuse for
staying away from church. With an I'M
wonted spirit of industry he said:
Say, pap, I'll take the cows over the hill
to he clover field
We'll, it's purity near Sunday school
time an you'll hat to hurry
Alright and then as a thought struck
him, I'll get my shoes all BACKED before
take the cows, SOS I'll be ready when
yunu is"
So down on the back porch he worked
and furnished until only forty minutes re-
NAMED in which to take the cows a. quarter
of a mile away and get ready for church.
The horses were already harnessed and
watered, the chairs and hay had been put
into the big blue farm wagon, and the
Others of the family were nearly ready.
Setting his shiny shoes aside with great
show of haste, he started away with the
hungry herd. Greatly to his disappoint-
ment, the cows walked along briskly, as
| though anxious to- reach the pasture with
as little loss of time as possible. Not a
single excuse. for delay did they furnish
Up the wooded hillside. along the grassy
lane with the staked and ridered fences on
either side the cows hurried, the boy oc-
casionally shying a stone at dilatory
member of the herd. Running ahead, he
opened the gate and every COW trotted into
the fresh, luxuriant. clover, kicking up their
heels and hbahaving like lot of giddy
calves. L
The boys task was done, and there was
still, he feared time to get ready for Sun
day school, Sitting down on a stone, he
thought of the Easter story. He knew it
mechanically b. heart, but it meant no
more to him than any other historical fact.
He had heard 1T many and many time,
with no more emotion than he had heard
the "begat' chapters and those that told
of the livestock trades of Jacob and Laban.
They had all been impressed upon him as of
equal Importance and sacredness.
HE died, and then He lived again., -
unused the boy to himself. That's kind O
funny amt it? Spose it's so, though, for
it's in the Bible, an / don't dare think
nothin' else 'SpesensI did find out it was
all mistake some day, wonder if 'twould
be right then to blieve it ALL Reckon so,
though. That's what ma says
After short thinking pause the boy con-
tinued:
''Whoa-a-ap, there! Here's a teeny little
'nemone. Poor little Teller trying to reach
the sunshine Jist bobbed up, ] reckon.
Amt he purity? L think so. They growed
here last spring, an / remember seem 'em.
They was finer here an anywhere else L
found 'em. Reckon they died here by this
rock Say now! That's kind O. like that
Bible businesS-died an, lived again-ain't
that funny? Guess it - So after all. Maybe
it list takes longer for people to sprout an
come up when they're planted. If God done
this what'd He do it fur? Jist to be purity,
L reckon. 'Spose that's what He'll raise
us up for, too. This 'nemone looks list like
the purity ones that growed here last year
by this rock-bg an jist little bit, pink.
Maybe we're that away, too-purtier we are
at first, purifier Wen be next time we come
up"
1t was a sweet little thought to the boy,
and he felt as if he had found companion
ship and love there by the gray, lichened