Evening star., 1908-01-18
HOW BENJAMIN WENT TO
CHURCH.

He had always wanted to go to church,
this small Benjamin. aged four. He took
it very much to heart that he. a son of a
privilege when he felt sure he knew how
to behave and how to dress and how to
enjoy this wonderful going to church. =,
what does daddy do9" he asked his
mother.
He tells people how to be good mother
replied
Don't big folks know how to behave
without being told?" Benjie.s eyes grew
big and round.
Not all people smilingly answered his
mother.
''Umph.' shifted the four-year-old
rWhat's the good of being good If you
don't. have 'to?'' But this conversation In
spired Eeniie to new efforts. s . rss-
The idea Of big people, who could do
whatever they pleased. actually going to
his father to- be told what to do was very
interesting. He had to be called in a
stern voice to face those commands to
duty; to go right into the face of danger
when no one compelled one was as
curious thing as Beniie had ever heard.
But the desire grew to go and see his
father delivering orders and rebukes to
those meek people. and Benjie planned
how he could escape the watchful eye OF
Mary Ann some Sunday morning and slip
away to the little ivy-covered church. But
Mary Ann was not easy to elude. She
seemed to be suspicious Of Benjie. and his
deepest plots failed to deceive her.
why don't YOU take 4 nap. Mary
Ann?" he asked one Sunday. You look
so tired. I'll watch the kitchen door and
answer the bell should 1t ring
oh! go long wid yer.' laughed Mary
Ann. Il only got UP at s. 'Tis mischief
yer up to-
Ben1ie sighed. It was bitter hard to
face so disbelieving nature as Mary's.
Mischief indeed. He only wanted to go
to the best place on earth.
Next Sunday he tried again.
Mary Ann" he said. III you go pick
the peas Will shell them"
Ann, land I'll help you with the she'll
ing. 'Tis too fond Yer are Of eating green
peas to have me eye OF yer when their
pods is of them!
Oh. sly Mary Ann!
But the third Sunday outside help came
1t was 1890 and Mary Ann and Benjle
were talking together In the Kitchen.
when the local fire department went tear
ing by. and as Beniie ran to the door he
spied Patrick Flynn. great friend of
Mary Ann. hauling on the rope:
III,
Patrick. and maybe he'll be killed.
This upset Mary AIMS nerves and put
her off her g1lard.
BE a good child. Benjie.'' she pleaded.
"an' I'll just run to see Pat and give him
a word Of cheer With that she was on
and Benjie had the Sabbath chance be-
fore him.
He paused not to consider or ponder.
The first thing to do was to dress ap-
propriately and WELL and then in solemn
- ,afs yn dn
cided to dress as old as possible. Per-
haps they would not know him II ale put
on manly things and acted really grown
up. They might even take him for one OF
those comica1 grown-ups who went up to
be told what they ought to do when they
choose. All this Benjie thought p he ran
upstairs.
1T was the work of five minutes to get
into daddyS spring overcoat and soft felt
hat. Poor Benjie's identity was lost sight
Of in these garments, but, uncomfortable
as they were. they might serve him well.
BY slamming the hat far back on his
curls he managed to see and when he
once got going the tails of the coat took
a backward movement. which helped: he
seized big umbrella that had particu-
larly manly look and so he went.
Down the, sunny village street he ran.
All the people seemed to have gone TO
church to receive instructions. for no one
WdEldlu. beHlte WoTQ OF lduSH. 1ne
church doors stood open and through them
Benjie saw the misguided backs of the
congregation.
Wherefore l pray and beseech you, as
many as are here present, to accompany
me with a. pure heart''--that was dear
daddy's voice! Benjie was delighted. He
ran up the aisle and the amazed people in
the rear of the church held their breaths.
and the rector. who was facing his people,
held his. An awful silence filed the
church. and then in rippling tones Benjie's
laugh echoed to the rafters.
"Oh. Oh! daddy he rppled. "Oh
daddy. What are you doing up there
with your nigftie on?'
Again the laugh filed the vibra ting
space. The rector could not 90 on. He
tried to and failed. The congregation en-
deavored to act as if nothing had hap
pened. but young Tommy Jones broke
down and putting his handkerchief over
his face swayed back and forth. Then the
laugh began on tale back seat and worked
its way up to the fore and Benjie's led the
way
The service was hastily concluded and
amid varied emotions Benjamin was led
home.
He had conference with his father in
the library later on--a heart to heart
conference: but the father was not over
stern, he had not forgotten how it felt TO
be a curious boy.