Middletown transcript., 1902-03-29
How They Went To Church.
Rx zELrA AARGAREr WALTERS:


big jack rabbit hopping leisurely past IN
house. 81 s'pose they do lay them, mos
likely. Don't you think eof' she asked
ssNo, / don'tr' said Tom.
"Well, we found whole nest OF then
ont in the grass where the rabbits i've
argued Madge, "and all our chickens ar
shut up in the chicken yard"
sPoohl Who believe rabbits lay eggsf
said skeptical Tom.
"Do they, mammie?" demanded
Madge.
ssThat would be telling, honey" sait
mammie, laughing. "You got yours al
right, didn't you, whatever laid themY'
aYes," said Madge, and she turned tc
look over her treasures again in some
what puzzled frame Of mind.
81 don't care for Easter eggs very
much,n said Tom; .'they're for babies. "
But he felt ashamed at once when he
caught mothers provoking look.
eI lust wish we lived where you did
when you were little girl, Mammle'
then we could 90 to church and hear the
songs and see the lilies and things" be
went on in explanation. "Then guess
I'd like Easter eggs too"
"Ohl so do want to 60 to church on
Easter" cried Madge.
To these two lonely children in the lit
tie prairie cabin church-going seemed the
height of bliss.
ssWelI," said the mother, "since the
nearest church is sixty-five miles away /
think we'll have to be content without
going. But are we to make our Easter
disagreeable and unhappy just because
we can't have what we want?"
ssNo. nol'' cried Tom and Madge to-
gether very quickly.
'sThen chase away the clouds from
those two faces and get the sun shining
there again at once"
Two smiling faces turned toward her,
and she smiled in answer, saying heart
ily, s'That's my brave little pioneers"
The children loved to be called pio-
neers, and to think that they were like
the brave men and women they read
about in history who smoothed the way
for others in the wilderness.
sTll tell you what let's do" said
Madge. 'tMammie can tell US all about
how she used to go to church and then
we can play church."
"All rightr' said Tom, and they
brought their little stools and sat down
on each side of mammie's chair.
'fWell," said mammie, ''of course you
know that / lived in the city. The
church was big stone one-you've seen
the picture lots Of times. On Easter
morning we all got ready to 60 to church
even our old grandmother. who couldn't
90 very often, went on Easter Sunday"
"And you wore new bonnet, didn't
you?' interrupted Madge, who was very
much interested in feminine vanities.
"Yes," said mammie, I'VE all wore
new bonnets and gowns, and my brother
Away had new suit Of clothes. And
how we wished for pleasant, sunshiny
day."
"Not like to day." said Madge.
''No;" said mammie, glancing out at
the rapidly-falling snowfakes. "This is
going to be a white Easter. As was
saying, the whole family went OH that
day if no other. AT the church door the
perfume of the lillies would greet US, and
when we got inside we would see the
chancel full Of the tall white beauties,
and back of them green palms, and the
sunlight would be coming through the
stained glass windows and the great pipe
organ would be playing softly. l think,
children, that very wicked person
would have felt like saying his prayers il
he had come in then. I know l always
said mine very earnestly and resolved to
be better the rest of the year."
Il guess you were, too" said Tom,
"cause you're SO awful good now"
Mammie smiled and patted his hand.
'1Then the minister would read lesson,
perhaps the same that we read this MORN
ing. The Easter anthem by the choir
was beautiful, but in our church we al
ways had solo beside, and to me that
was the crown of the day. remember
once in particular a beautiful young lady |
with sheaf of white lilies in her arm
sang song with a refrain Of He is risen.
can almost hear it yet"
Madge sighed just little. ''Do you
s'pose we'll ever 90 to church on Easter?"
she asked, wistfully.
''Of course we will" cried mamn,ie,
brightly. "Why, We might go to visit
grandma in two or three years if the
crops are good this summer"
cts showing awful hard" said Tom.
81 can't even see to the barn."
$50 it is," said mother, anxiously. II
wish your father was home"
It was indeed white Easter; for two |
hours the snow fell SO thickly that it was
quite dark iu the house. A strong wind |
was blowing, and drifts were soon piling |
up about the house and out-bnildines. |
The children watched for their father
eagerly, for sometimes people get lost in
those dreadful snow storms and never
find their way home. Being late in the
year, ii did not grow very cold in spite |
of the heavy snowfall The father came |
in about noon looking like big snow
man.
'Come, Alice" he called to his wife,
t'get on the boiler and make all tile hot |
coffee you can. the westt-bound pa<sei1-
ger train is stopped right ont here. and 1
reckon some hot coffee would be welcome"
"Why did that happen?" she asked, in
surprise.
"a freight train is stuck down in the
gdleh. The snow ia piled a. high as
q house there they sent back and tagged |
the passenger train out here"
Mrs. Page hurried about and saon had |
the coffee boiling. She brought out her |
loayes OF fresh baked bread 10, and rolis