Year: 1873

way, fOr sue was Just as quick to md iaull
as to do a kindness--that was Mrs. Sands
whats this | hear about party going
And to Luthervile tavern, tool Seems
to me you might have found more re.
spectacle place You'll have to be dealt
with, all OF you or scandal will be brought
upon the decent church-mombers"


Sally was so frightened she could not
answer a word, and came back with pale
scared face, TO tell me what she had heard
| just walked straight into the kitchen


Sister Sands" SAID |, "'judge not
that ye bo not judged; we are quite as
decent church members as yourself; aud
you'd better find out the truth before you
talk about our not being respectable We
did go to Luthervillc yesterday, because il
was pleasant ride, aud the tavern where
We took supper is a genteel house of enter.
tainment, kept by Methodist, who never
sells liquor and that is more than can be
said of some church members who hold
their heads pretty high"


That struck home, for it was well known
that Noah Sands sometimes traded ia liquors,
though he dd not make a business Of IL.
This was all before any great temperance
movement, aud the church was too easy on
tipplers, though worry hard on these who
drank too much Of it.


Blackening other folks amt going to
whitewash yourself" ibe said, pretty tartly.
" You've got into hot water, aud | only
hope You may get out Of it,"


We haven't got in yet" said !, as
took up my iron. We have done nothing
unbecoming modest Methodist young women,
and you may be sure the church will look
on it in the same light that | do.


When my anger had cooled of, began
to feel little worried aud anxious and
on my way home | stopped at Edmuud's
shop, to ask him to get word TO the young
meu Of the riding-party that wanted them
to meet at my house the next evening.
got the girls together, snd on Wednesday
evening the whole company was assembled
in my little parlor


| had rented nice little frame hauss,
with four good sized rooms, and kitchen
in the " "lean-to," for which [ paid thirty
five dollars a year. took it chiefly for
the sake Of au aunt Of mine, who had
married badly. Her husband being a dan.
gerous-tempered man when drunk (which
was pretty much all the timc,) she had left
him and tried TO support herself and her
children But she could not earn much
and if she ever got a little money ahead her
husband would manage to get it all away
from her. When she lived with me he did
not trouble her, for he had no right to set
foot over the threshold of my house and
you may be sure he didn't get an invitation
1t wasn't much she could earn, having lit
tie children to care for, but she put her
furniture into the house


1t was in the parlor Of this house the lit
tie company assembled. All that wanted
was to let them know that | did not con-
slider that We had done anything sinful, and
that should make mention Of this ride in
giving in my experience at class. All
agreed with me, and it was decided to say
nothing about it at Saturday class


The class.meeting passed over quietly,
though | could see all were surprised that
nothing was said about that Monday ride.
The class was fuller than usual, some being
brought there by curiosity, but they were
disappointed.


On Monday, however, our class leader
came to see me, and he pretty soon let me
know the object Of his visit.


Sister Miucey,' be said fear that
your feet are set in slippery places"


=" | hope not, brother Burroughs, said /.


" Is not the world getting to be delight
to your eyes, and snare to your foolsteps?'


| thought it was not quite right to pre-
tend that did not know what he was aim
ing at, and so spoke out If you are
referring to our Mondays ride, confess
that the green fields, and the birds, and the
honeysuckes we're delight to my eyes"


" The green fields are at work, sister
Mincey, doing their duty in bearing food
for man and beast, and the birds and honey
suekles are as God made them, and, no
doubt, useful in various ways; but what
good or useful service was accomplished
by such a frolic as that Of last Monday ?
Is it not rather giving occasion to the enc
my, when a set Of protesting young men
and women 60 pleasure riding over the
country, and end up with a carouse in a
Luthervile tavern ~


This speech made me angry, and nn-
swered 4" Now, you know, brother Bur-
roughs, just as well as know it, that we
went on no carouse. You know all the
young folks in the party, and that there
are no steadier persons TO be found in the
church, and you know that Luke Johns is
a good Methodist, and keeps an orderly,
temperance public house


" | was hasty in my speech, Sister Min
cey, | was looking at it rather through
the eyes Of the world than through my
own, The circuit rider down thore does
speak well Of brother Johns, and believe
that you had no evil intention, and behaved
in an orderly and becoming manner but
worldly people will not so regard it, as you
know. They will think it party,
aught we know it may be reported that
you danced, but even for this | do not
care SO much as for the influence it will
have on the young people in the church.
We look upon you as a leader among them,
and that is why have come to you alone
upon the matter. Young brother Burt is a
chosen vessel, and he must not be led aside
from his high calling"


" didn't ask him to take me riding
you may be sure of that" | retorted.


Brother Burroughs's thin lips opened a
little crack in what was as near smile as
he could manage. 4" am sure" be said,
" that you will not do anything unbecom-
ing in well behaved woman only
meant that your influence over the young
people in the church is unbounded With
them, whatever Mary Mincey does is right.
1t behooves you, then, to walk circumspect-
ly and not to do anything that will cause
your weak brother or sister to offend"


AS | look back now, can see that spirit
ual pride was the weak point in my Chris
tisn armor. | was looked up to, as brother
Burroughs had said, and / knew it, and
was proud of my standing in the church
and my character for piety, and so, you
see, brother Burroughs's last dart touched
me. But the Spirit seems sometimes to
turn our very faults into helps to goodness
and the fear Of losing my place in the es.
timation Of pious people set me to thinking
whether the ride was not, after all, piece
of worldliness. 1t was undertaken with
no object whatever except our own gratif-
cation and thought with shame that, on
that day, might as well have been one Of