Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-04-22
WENT TOcHURCH,
augusta Man Resumes Habit Of
Attending Services at Church..
'A''' "s'ee' and Astounds The Disniiied Collec.
ton Box Superintendent.

some genius who has thai rare ,ift
'i"h story and telling 1t we'll
'he whose bump of humor is well de-
|.opc" ana VINO can always see the
Sh.' sunny side of life: a ludicrous
'e 'hdt scatters the blues to the four
"ihuS. me journal scribe was wan
around town, the other day.
N'''e across this Encyclopedia of good
"'oileS and with nose for news"
"'aue Il Few cuff notes for the benefit
oi us readers. And here they are with
o"t establishment or trimmings:
som" time ago as the story goes.
long before the ice trust refused to ,ut
any concealed water in the State of
Maine. prominent citizen of tn.
capital city made up his mind that he
would turn over new leaf. or whole
chapter. and hold down Il cushion for
a few hours in the family pew. The
following Sunday. long before the bell
mad ceased ringing. calling sinners to
repentance. our hero hat in hand. was
chasing the usher down the broad aisle
| Everything looked nev. ana stranp,. IN
| him as it had been many a long Ch,is-
tian sabbath since he had entered the
sanctuary. 1t was like visit to some
/ land. At last with the aid Of the usher.
h" found the family pew and moved
in.
| The morning service commenced with
! singing by the choir which secInet! To
MN IKE angel voices coming down
from Heaven. Those old familiar
! hymns recalled his boyhood days. when
ne was regular attendant at church
| ana was looked upon as q boy wonder
IN the Sunday School where he spoke
! pieces by the yard. That was long
| long years ago when he came witn
aunty as an escort. The musical notes
OF the organ. that hushed subdued
restful feeling. the droning of the in
sects just outside the window. the
warm sunny summers day with down
cushion 50 restful all tended to make
our embryo Christian 4 little drowsy.
The church notices had been given
out from the pulpit. including the an
nual meeting of the sewing circle-or
gossip society. the minister had com
menced his discourse. when our hero's
eyelids gradually closed and he was in
the arms of Morpheus. lie dreamed Of
his boyhood days. how punctual he was
at Sunday School. just before the
church society had its Christmas tree.
ana in the summer time. when the an
nuai picnic was about to take place
how he bounded his mother almost in
to fit for fear Of being late. He had
no selfish motive. oh. no; only Il relig-
ious microba had struck him. and how,
after one of these two yearly events OF
his life had passed, he backslid for n
few months until the other came
around. How in later years lie got TO
be too old. or thought he was. and
stayed away entirely. or strayed along
as an occasional visitor at church.
sort of a church tramp with no relig-
ious home. Then all interest wanei
and he sought religion in nature in her
fields and woods. Then his dream
varied n little ana he dreamed of the
pleasant SeanCe the night before, and
chips that pass in the night. and how
he counted the funny stripes on the
tiger. Just then something touched
him on the leg: il was the ancient sex
ton who was passing the contribution
box, collecting a few shekels to send
to the naked heather in Patagonia a
liberal supply of clothing in the shape
of beads and earrings to protect them
from the suns blistering rays.
But our hero. who had been touched
before. in his drowsy way. thought ii
was one Of his boom companions OF the
previous nights card party passing the
cigars and 50 family murmured in a
stage whisper: mo thanks. don't care
TO smoke" The old sexton passed on
to more fertile fields and the doctor
who attended him says he thinks he
will ultimately recover but he will al
ways feel the effects of the shock as
long as he lives.