Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-03-25
A SABBATH DAY.
Rest and Quiet Was Anticipated Eul Fate and
Stoycpipe Forbade.

| was taking my beauty nap the
other Sunday morning and in my
drowsy way thinking what IA blessed
institution Sunday holiday was: how
the overworked business man or wo-
man could lay aside ali care and wor-
~ and in that tranquil Sabbath morn
lie and dream and snooze could
hear my wife in the adjoining room as
she prepared the morning meal. Way
in the distance | could hear the chimes
of the Sabbath bells as they called the
sinners to repentance and the sinful
and good to worship Even the birds
outside in the trefs were singing their
lays in more subdued tones. They
seemed to realize that it was the Sab
bath morn From my chamber Win
dow 1 could see my friends and neigh
bors as they wendell their way to early
service. / could not help but thinking
what 4 Contented peaceful air they all
had.
As l lay there mentally figuring in
the time it would take me to make my
morning ablutiOns and do justice to
my old fashioned new England break
fast and Yet arrive at the church in
season for the forenoon service, my
wife appeared upon the scene and
aWoke me from my lotus-eating
dream by informing me that there was
some trouble with the stove. The
smoke positively refused to proceed by
the proper channel but would persist
in coming out into the room instead of
proceeding peacefully up the chimney
as the law directs.
carpet slippers. | proceeded to the
scene of the disaster. The smoke had
arrived first evidently for the kitchen
reminded one Of ham house and
tears as big as Concord grapes stood
in my eyes while | hypnotiZed that
stove funnel Wherever a joint showed
| unjointed ii until my kitchen looked
like a second hand junk shop and | re-
sembled leading character in Tn
Gle Toms Cabin"
After | had completed the devasta-
ton. my wife called me from labor to
refreshments and like Dewey at Ma
Mia we ceased firing and gathered
around the festive board. With the
aid of an old oil stove and a blessing
We worried through the frugal repast
and returned to the attack. In the
meantime / had lost the combine
ton and did not know how the funnel
went together. | will say one thing
and that is, my wife was a great help
to me All through the trying ordeal
she would stand some distance from
the scene of ruin and destruction and
with her eagle eye focused on me
watch for the approaching storm and
when she thought the sulphur storm
was about TO break in all it's fury. she
would anxiously say like Mrs. Brows-
er: Remember the Sabbath, George,
and don't swear. dear.
Several times | caught myself think
ing of un-Godly words but the calm.
serene look on my wife's face kept me
from smashing the commandments in
several places. Long after the good
people had returned from Divine wor-
ship and the Sunday school had been
dismissed. | was still tinkering stove
funnel and when the shadows of that
peaceful Sabbath day heightened into
the twilight. | was striving to repair
what damage 1 had done in the morn
ing.
| made up my mind while annoint-
ing my lacerated hands with benZOinc
that many a man who is now wearing
a zebra suit at Thomaston might have
been a bright and shining ornament
to society, beloved by his fellow men.
and stood a good chance of getting a
harp in the world to come, if his wife
mad not set him to work trying to hew
a channel through some ancient stove
pipe for the smoke to make its exit. AS
a last resort | sent for a plummer who
agreed to come in the morning. / gave
him a first mortgage on my house and
retired to my downy couch. The beau
tiful tranquil Sabbath was a thing Of
the past and my views on the subject
we're somewhat wrapped and changed
and when the tickle GODDESS was WOO
ing me to sleep could see in my mind,
like Belshazzar. the hand writing on the
wall: six days shalt thou rest and on
The Sabbath do all thy work
George Weeks. the market gardener
or the River road, East side. about
10