Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-24

evening the family circle gathered
about an open fire of blazing logs. sew
Ing. reading and studying, and at the
close of every evening the great family
Bible was brought out, a chapter read
and prayer offered.
The quiet monotony of life in that
home would be marked contrast to
our present-day rush and hurry from
one engagement to another. There We're
no clubs to attend. no rushing to the
city for shopping, and back to some
strenuous social engagement. There
was time to watch the trees and the
sky, to hear the birds and breathe
in the perfume of flowers, and time to
! think. Fidelia was an unusually
| thoughtful child. She began school
when she was but four years old. the
| schoolhouSe being but a few rods from
her fathers house. She was quick to
learn and never satisfied until she knew
| her lessons perfectly. She was never
| willing to be helped over hard places.
but wished to master them herself.
| While very little she began to take
great delight in reading. though most
of the books in her fathers house were
treatises on religious subjects. Some
times her father would bring home
books for his own reading from the
Social Library in the village, and
though they were selected for his own
| taste he soon found his little daughters
were interested in them and would let
| no book be returned if they could help
it without having read it Fidelia read
Mathers Magnalia" when but six years
old, slipping unobserved into the par
| Tor and reading hour after nour. 1t
was the cause of making her very timid
after dark for a long time, and when
asked why she did not like To go into
a dark room alone. she replied that she
was afraid of witches. 1t was some
time before her fathers explanation
could rid her of the fear that the days
of witchcraft might return.
At eight years old she read Dwight's
Theology" through twice. and even as
a little child developed marked moral
qualities, though she was not all sweet
ness always, but was often rebelliOuS and
seif-willed Her father and mother,
however. were firm and as Fideha be-
came older she grew into sweet,
obedient girl
Familiar With Bible.
The father talked with them much about
the Bible, even when they were very
young so that it was very familiar to
them Once when the little girls asked
him for q new French bedstead he said:
We'll / will see about it, but have read
in a certain book about a king who had
an iron bedstead Can you tell me the
name of that king" And the two little
heads were soon bent over the Bible hunt
ing for the account of the iron bedstead.
Fidelia was shy and reserved about her
own religious feelings, and once when the
minister came to their house and was
talking with the family about their re-
ligious state she slipped out of the room
lest he would speak to her. but soon re-
turned because she could not bear to
miss a word of what he was saying. AS
he turned to leave he took Fideia's hand
and said: Mrs. Fiske, / think salvation
will soon come to this house" The little
girl took the remark to herself. and she
thought deeply. and was troubled. When
she was eleven years old her Sunday
school teacher asked her class how many
of them were willing to accept Christ as
their Savior. and all but Fidelia raised
their hands She went home greatly dis
tressed about the matter but kept her
trouble to herself for long time. until
one day she came to her mother -.eep-
ing and exclaimed: Mother, I'm a lost
sinner
Her mother soon helped her to find
peace in Christ and in 1881 she united
with the Congregational Church and soon
after was given class in Sunday school.
She taught in the common school of her
town for a number of years. occasionally
ENJOYING a brief period of stusy herself at
the Franklin Academy in Shelburne and
al Select School, in Conway. But in
1920 she entered the middle class in Mount
Holyoke Seminary at South Hadley and
came into contact with Mary Lyon who
was to influence her life so remarka bly,.
She had hoped to remain and complete
the course in two years. but al the close
of the first year malignant typhoid fever
broke out in the school and Fidelia had
but just reached home for her vacation
when she came down with 1t. lying SO low