The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1915-04-02
A Sunday
Morning
By F.. A MITCHFL

James Weatherby awakened at q
o'clock on Sunday morning and lay
staring at the wallis of his room. On
them were IL linyy daub of a water
mill and an engraving of Benjamin
Franklin Being in II court not II ray
Of sunlight could perneate the apart
ment.
Six mornings had Weatherby awak-
ened in this room. and this was the
seventh-nol the seventh day of the
week. but the seventh day since he
had awakened in his own little home
Turning on his side, his eyes rested
On one of those framed words one
sees here and there in lieu of pictures
1t read God Bless Our Home" aud
under it Remember the Sabbath
Day" He thought of the Sunday
mornings that he had awakened at
home Little Jim climbed out of his
crib and joined his father in bed. while
Mrs. Jim went downstairs TO start the
breakfast. Big Jim. on his back.
would hold little Jim up at arms
length his feet under the child.
Then had come quarres between
Weatherby and his wife. Mrs Wealth.
erby was frugal and Jim was careless
with his money. He was hard for an
economical wife to manage. and some
times she would lose her patience with
him. At last jim declared he would
no longer stand her narrowing. as he
Jailed it. and left her
This was week ago AS lin lay
looking at the words God Bless Our
Home" and Remember the Sabbath
Day" be went over and over again in
his mind those happy Sunday mornings
he had spent mt home. After he and
little Jim had had their play he had
taken his bath. put on his Sunday
clothes. and on that morning he had
always helped Jimmie to dress. Then
the three had met at the breakfast ia
BILE. on which there was always some
thing nice provided for Sunday morn
ing.
While Weatherby was looking at the
notices on the wall and thinking of
his home the words We're having their
effect on his heart. 1t seemed TO him
that there was Il connection between
the two. God Bless Our Home" caused
him to think what home was. how diff
ferent from the lonely room TO which
no hnI nj 81
Sabbath Day" set him to thinking in a
quiet vein After all. was not the econ
omy his wife had urged necessary?
Suppose he should be suddenly taken
away. And suppose his wife should
soon follow him What would little
Jim do? His father pictured him hus-
tied off to some charitable institution
or, worse, trying at a tender age to
make his living on the streets.
The thought made Jim restless. He
got out of bed. Splashed little water
on his face. dressed himself aud went
downstairs. In his pocket We're his
weeks wages that he had received the
day before. He had been tempted to
spend it in saloon and went there to
do so. but somehow the place didn't
look as attractive as it had often look
ed when he knew that his wife would
chide him on his return home. The
full amount was intact.
He stood in the sunlight. thinking.
1t was ! o'clock. His Sunday morning
breakfast hour at home was half past
s. That home was three miles away,
but he would gladly walk it to have
his breakfast mt home. He walked
down the street, passing one restaurant
after another, trying to force himself
into one of them to get meal. But
his stomach rebelled.
II can so home" he said, "and eat
with Molly and the kid. But what use?
There would soon he more trouble
about the expenses. and every time
paid car fare instead of walking home
after a hard days work Id get scold-
ing"
Then the thought of little Jim left
on the world came to him again.
He was walking in the direction of
his home and as be thought he walk.
ed the faster. When he mad gone mile
he stopped Then he went on for an.
other mile and stopped again. third
time he stopped and stood looking at
his home short distance away.
A clock struck S Molly was get
tin" the breakfast. Who was helping
lite Jim dress himself? He could get
on his clothes. but could he get the
buttons in the holes? Weatherby could
see tue window of the boys room and
fancied him trying to button himself
up" Involuntary Jim started for
ward.