A WEEK OF PRACTICE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1699, 31 May 1884, Page 4

A WEEK OF PRACTICE.

Mr I'arkn \vn c a devoted mmist.'f of tin j gospel full of.sin'plieity and-oiivritv. Nundav ho addiviM hi.: ro J follows: —" My 'h' T friend, y-ut all know, thoiinh I did not "i'.'c. any m<!x«to that . fleit, that, iitis wk i • iho Wmi'; . ; f pvav, v. 1 hayca mind to ft-k j'«u fo it f«n th» 1 oooe a week of pr.ictieo instead, 1 think we may discover some things, sonio of tho thinge of God, in this manner that a succession of prayer-meetings would not perlwps so thoroughly reveal to us. Now, when I say this, I don't mean to have you go home and vaguely endeavour to walk straight in the old way; I want y n u to take ' topics,' as tlirj arc called (or the prayer-meetings, For iusttmce, Momiav is prnyer for toinpcrauco work. Trvall tho day to be temperate in speech, in act, in indulgence j of auy kind that is hurtful to you. The next day is for Sunday.echools; go and visit your scholars, such of jou.as are teachers, and try to (eel thati'th6y: have living souls to save. Wednesday is a day for fellowship-moating; we are cordially lPvited to attend a unionmeeting of this sort at Bantam, Few of us . can go twenty-five miles to be with our brethren there; let us spend that day in cultivating our brethren here. Let ns go and see those who havo been cold to us for some' reason, heal up our breaches of friendship, consess our shorroimines one to another, and act as if in our master's words, 1 all ye are brethren.' Thursday is tho'lay ft pravfor the family relation; let us each try to be to our families on that day in our measure what thy Lord is to His family, tho Church, remembering tho words, ' Fathers, provoke not your children to miner; ■ Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against thc-m,' These are texts rarely commented upon. I havo noticed, in our conference meetings. We are more apt to speak of the obedience due from children, and the submission and meekness our wives owe to us, forgetting that duties are reciprocal. Friday the Church ia to he prayed too. Let us, then, each for himself, try to a",t that day just as we think Christ our great Excmp'a-, wouM havo 'Cted in mir places. Let. us I yto prove to tu. selves and the world about us th..t wo Inyo not taken his name in vain. Saturday is prayer day for the heathen and foreign missions Brethren you know, and 1 know that there are heathen at our doois here; let every one of yon who will tnl;o thi« thy to preach the Gospel to some one who dues not hoar it anywhere else. I'eilwps you wi ] i lindwork that ye.know not of ]yin<! n lour midst. And let us all on Saturday evening meet, here again and ehoose some one brother to relato his experience of the week You _wli<> arc willing to try this method please to rise." Everybody rose except old Amos Tucker, who never stirred though his wife pulled at him and whispered to him imnkrin:;ly. lie only shook his grizzled head, and sat immovable.

"Let us sing tho dnxo'opy," said Mr Parkes, and it was sung with full fervor. The new iiea had roused the church fully. It was the lever point Archimedes longo'.! for and each felt ready aud strong to move a world.

Saturday church assembled again. The cheerful eageruo s had gone ivoin their faces, they looked downc ist, troubled, we.ny —as the parson expected. When the box lor ballots was pissed about, c :ch one torf a bit of paper from tho sheet placed in the hymn books for the purpose and wrote on it a namo. Tho pastor said, after ho ban counted them, "Dracon Emmons, tho lot lias fallen on you." "I'm sorry for't," said tho deacon, rising up, and taking off h» oveivoat. "I h I'll't got the beet of records, Jlr I'arkcs, now I tell ye." " That isn't wh it wc want," said Mi PaTkea. '' We want t» hnow tho whole experience of Bonn one nimngit. us, and we know you will tell.us c th<r more or less thau what you did experience." Deacon Emmons was n short, thick-sot man, with a shrewd, kind.y face and grey hair, who kept the village store, and had a well earned reputation for honesty. "Well, brethren," he Bind, "Idono why I shouldn't tell it. Inm pretty well

ashamed uf mypclf, no doubt, hut I ought to be, 1 and majbe I shall profit by what I've found out these six days b ick, I'll tell yon just as it come. Monday, I looked about t> bijiinwith. lam aimziug fond of coffee, and it *in't good for me, the doctor says it ain't; but, dear me,it does seta mump good, cold morning, to have a cup of hot. sweet, tasty dunk, and I hiven't had the

grit to refuse. I knew it made me what folks call nervous, and I cJI cross before

nijjht come; and I knew it fetched on spells and low spirits, when our folks couldn't gel a word out of me—not a good one any \v iy: bo I thought I'd try on tint to hojjiu with, I tell you it come hard? I liaukercd aftci the drink of-coffee dreadful! Seemed a?

though I couldn't eat m.y breikfasfc vithou

it, I f«el to pity a -man that loves Vqnoi morn'n I ever did in my life before; but 1

leel sure they can stop if they'll tvy, lor I've stopped, and I'm goiti' to stny stopped, " Weil, corao to dinner, there was ano her fight, Ido set my pie the most of anyilf ■>. I was 1 fetched up on pie, as you may say. Car folks' always Iwd it three times 11 day. and the doctorlie'a bnen tti'kin" and ta'kin' to mo about eatin' pie. I have the dyepepsy likeoveryihmg, and it, makes meant o'.iablc aa a weather-cook. An' Dr Drake lie says them won't nothing help mo but to die',. I was readin' the Bible that morning while I eat waiting for breakfpst, for 'twas Monday and wife was kind of set back wi'h washi'i' and ail, and I cimie aeroit tint pari, when' it Bays that the bodies of (hristians am temples of the Holy Ghost. Well, iliin':s I, we'd ought to take care of tlum if tliey lie,

and see that they're kep' cltan and p'ea ant like the Church, and nobody can be clean or pleaaait that has the dvspepsy. But, come to pie, 1 felt'as though 1 couldn't! and, lo ye, I didn't I I (al a piece rightagiins; my conscience; facia'what I knew 1 i<> do, went and dor o what I ought not to, I to' I you conscience made music of me conBider'blo, and I said tbeu 1 wouldn't sneer at a drinkin' man no moro w'icii lie slipped ur. I'd feel for him an' help him, for I just sjc bow it was. So that day's practice giv' out and it learnt me a g, od deal mor'n I knew before,

" I startsd out next day to look up my Bible-class. They haven't really Icude lup to School as (hey oirjbt to along back, But'l was busy here and there, awl there didn't seem to be a real chance to get to it. Well, it would take the evenin' to te'l it all,'but I found one real tick, been abed lor three-weeks, ami was S'> glad to smo mo that I felt fair ash ;med. Sormwl as thmi-iti I heered th'. Lord fur ihu tiist time uyin', ' Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of I'w least of theso, ye did it rot to me.' Then another man's old mother says to me, before he came in from the shod, says sh 1 ;, 'He's been sayin' that if thav practiced ulut th-<y preached you'd ha' come round to look iiim up aforo now, bat ho reckoned von kinder looked down on mill hands. I'm awful |>h(l you crime,' Brethren, so was! I toll you thatdayg work dono me good, I got h puor opinion of Jo?iah Emn.ons now, I 101 l ye, but I learned moro about the Lord's wisdom than a mouth o' Sundays ever showed mo " A smile he could not snprcss parked over Mr,Parkea'earnest f ice, Tiie de-icon had lorgolten all external issues in coming so close to tlio heart of things; hut the ninile passed as ha said, *' Brother Kmuious, do you remember what (ho mister sail!, 'lf n man will do his will, lie shall know of the dootrine, whether it lie of God, or whether I speak of invLelf ?'" "Well, it's so," answered tho deacon; "its so ri'jltf along. Why, I never tliougt so much ot my bihb class nor took s) iiiucli int'rest :n em as Ido today,—nor siuco i begun to teach, I b'heve they'd come more reg'hr now, too,"

"Nowcumc fellowship day. I thought tliat that would be J plan sailiii' LCsmcd m though 1 <1 got wui mod up till [ felt pleasant towardst everybody, so I wtnt around eeein' folks that was neighbors,, uid '*w;is easy • but when Icomehome at noon spoil, Philury say®, says sirf, 1 (squire Tucker's black bull is in th' orehord a tiarin' round, and lie's knocked two lnugths of fence dowu flat 1' Well, ttie old Adam liz up tken,.y,iu'<l batter believo, Th'it blank hull lus been a breakin 1 into my lots ever .cenue we j;ot in th' aftermath, and it's Squire Tucker's fence and he won't make it bull strung, as he'd ougliter, and tnat orchard was a young otte jujst .comin' to bear, and all tiu now wood onsp as- orackljn's with frost, lou better

Mi . vu I didn't have muoii fillowl feeling with Ainns Too'ier. I. jest put ,over to his luiuso, ami spoke up pretty free to him, when, lie iookol up, and snj's, aavsho, 'Fellowship mei'lin' day, ain't it, deacon?' 'l'd rather' luml da' flapped my face. I felt as though t b-houLl like to slip bohind the door. I Bee pietty distinct whit sort of life. I'd beoa a profesor, when I couldn't hold on to ray' tongao and temper for one day I"- - i , ' '• Breth o-rou," inteirupted a slow, harsh voice, somewhat bioken with emotioij ;,',TU ( tell the rest on't; Jaaiah Emmonq come, around like a man an' a Christian right' there, He asked me for to forgive him, and' no' to think 'twas the fault of his-religion, because 't'.vus his'n and nothin'.else.. I.think more of him to-duy than I ever dono before,. I was one that wouldn't say I'd praetice. wiili the rest of ye. I thought|it vm\ everlasting nonsense. I'd . rathor ; go ; to forty ninu prayer mcetin's than work, .fit bciri" good a week,' J b'lieve my hope has, been one of them porish; it hadn't worked, awl Ileavo it bohind to-day. ' I mean to begin honest, and it was seein 1 . ,ono honest Christian man fetched, me iround to't." Amos Tucker sat down and b'iried his grizzled head in his rough hands, i ;• ■ "Go on, Brother Emmons," said the minister. 'i.';... " x Vo!l, when next day come I got [up .to; make the fi.ro, and my-buy Joe had forgot the kiudlin's, I'd opened roy mouth to give,him Jessie, when it eame over me euddin' that

this wits tho day of prayer for tho family relation. I thought I wouldn't say nbthin, I jest fetched in the kiudlin's myself,- and when the fire burnt up good I called my. \file, ' Dcr.r me I' says she 1 I've got such a head 'Sitih, but I'll come in a mmiiit.' I didn't mind that, for women are always bavin' aches, and I was jost a goiu' to say 80; when [ remeinbtred tho tex'-about.'not j being bitter agin 'em ; so 1 says' 1 Philury, }ou lay ahed. I expect Emmy and mo can get tho vittlea to-day,' I declare she turned over and gave me sech a look j : why, it struck right in. There was my wife, that worked for an' waited on mo twenty-odd year, 'most scar't because I spoke kind of fcelin" to her, I went out and fetched ,in the pail o 1 water sho'd always drawed her? se f, and then I milked tho cow, Wh?n I came in Philury was up fryin' the potatoes, and the tears a thinin' on her white face. She didn't say uothin'. she's kinder still, but she hadn't no need to. I felt a; little me nier'n [ did the day before. But 'twiui't notliiii' to my condition when I. was goto 1 , toward nifjlit, down the sullar stairs for some apples, so's tho children could have a and 1 lteered Joe up in the kitchen say to Emmy,' Ido believe, Em., pa's goin' to die.' " Why, Josiar Eminjns, bow you talk!' " Well, I do; lie's 60 evorlastiu' pleasant and goudnatcred, I oan't but ihink lie's struck with death'.' , " I t'.ll >'•!, brethren. I sat right dow.n on :hem setiiir stairs, and cried. I did, reely . denied l;s though the Lord had turned, and Imlied at me jest as he did Peter. Why, there was my own children never see me act real fatlurly and pret '.y in all their lives. I'd srowlcd and scolded and prayed at; 'em, and tried t ■ fetch 'em jest as the twig ia beut the tree is inclined, ye know; but 1 hadn't never thought .that they'd get'right au' n ason to expect I'd do my part as well as their'n, Seemed as though I was fmdin 1 out more about Josiah Emmons's sliort-coniings than wa- real agreeible. , , , " Como around Friday I got back to the store. I'd kind of left it to tho bbj'g the early part of the week, aud the th ! nga were a little cuttering; but I did have sense not to .ear round and nse sharp words a; much' as eiiimnnn. I began to- th'nk 'twere getting e isy to ptactke after five days, when in come tlerrick's wife after some curt'in calico. I had a han'some pieoe, all done off with roses au' things, but there was & fault in iho weavin', every now aud then a thin •streak. She didn't notice it, bnt she was

pleased with the figures on't, and said she'd lake lbs whole piece. Well, just as I was wr.ippiu' of it up, what Mr Parkes here said about tryin' to act just as tho Lord would in- our place camo acrosi me, Why, I turned as red as a beet, I know I dil. It nude me all of a ticmbte. There was I, a doorkeoper in tho tenti of my God, as Daridsaid, really cht atin', and chciitin a woman, I ■ tell ye, brethren, I-was all of a sweat, 'ilia' Hcrrick,' says I, '1 don't believe you've looked real close at this goods; 'taint ilioi'Mii-h wove,' said I, So she didn't take

it; but what fetched me waa to think how many times before I'd done suoh moan onreliable ii, tic things to turn a penny, and all the time sayin' and prayiu' that I wanted tu be like Christ. I kep* a trippin' of myself ii|) alt day jest in the ordinary business, and I w;is a peg lower down wnen night came tli: n I was a Thursday. I'd rather, so far us the hard work is concerned, lay a mile of

four-fo ited stone wall than undertake to do a man's liviu' Christian duty for twelve working hours; and the h- ft of that is, its bee use I liiu't used to it, and I ought to be. . • ; ....

" So this raornin' camo around, and 1 felt

it little more clink.- 'Twas missionary moram' and seemed as if 'twas a sight easier

to preach than to pr.cticc. I thoaght I'd b.gin to old Mis' Yeddor's. So put a Testament in mv pocket and knocked at her

door. Says I, ' Good mornin' ma'am,' and then Iftopped. Words seem to hang some-

how. I didn't wan't to pop right out that I'd come to tvy'n convert her. folks. I hemmed and' awa'lereda little, and fiu'ily I said, says I,' We oon't seo yju tomeetiu' very frequent, Mis' Vedder.' 'No, you don'i, I' says she, as quick as a wink, t 'I ;tiy at home an 1 m>nd my businessi 1 'Well; we should line to liov 1 you come along,with us and do ye good,'says I, sort ofcsncilatin', ' Louk a litre, deacon I' she snapped, 1 I've

lived alongside of you fifteen year, and you knowed I never went to meeting'; we ain't a pious lot, and you knowed it; we poorer'n death, and u;;lier'n sin. Jim he drinks and swears, and Maiviny none her letters. She knows a heap she hadn't ought to, besides. Now, what are you a coram' here to-day for, I'd like to kn nv, and talkin so glib about in: o in' ? Go to meetin' I I'll go or como just as Ida n please, for all you, Now get <iut o' this I' Why, ahe came at me with a broon stick, There wasu't no need on't' what she said was enough. I hadn't never i'»ke<l her nor lier'n to bo much as think of

goodness before. Then I, went to another, pace-I won't cr.ll no more sure enough there was ten children 'in rags,the bull on'em, ; nd the man halt dronk,

lit! give it to mo too; and 1 don't wonder. I'd never lilted a hand tJ serve nor Bavel'em I efore in all these yen, I'd said considerable about the heathen in foreign parts, and give

S'uiie little for to convert 'em, and I had tioked r giit ever tlw head of them that was nexi door. Seem as if I could hear Hun say, 'This on^litye lohave done, and not have lift the other! undone.': 1 couldn't face another soul to day, brethren, I come home,' and , here I.bej • I've been' so.uciied tlnoiigh®and through, and found wantin'. Go Ibe merciful to me a sinner 1" lio dropped into his seat, and bowed( his hca:l; and many another bent. too. It was plain that tlio deacon's experience was notthe only one among, the brethren, Mr P, rose aod prayed as lib had never before prayed; the wetk of practice had fired-his heart, too, And it bespn a memorable year of excitement and euthusiasm, but one when they beard their Lord saying, as to lsreal of old, "Go forward," and they obeyed'his voice. Tho Sunday school flaiirished, ,tbo church services were fully attended, every good tiling was helped on its way, and peace reigned in their homes and hearts, perhaps imperfect, as neiv growths are, but still an

ullslioot oi the peace past understanding, ' And another year they will,keep another wick of practice,- -by common consent.— Ui>n 6 i'o,4'Uiona)ist. .