Holidays at the Grange; or, A Week's Delight: Games and Stories for Parlor and FiresideHiggins, Emily Mayer
General
Holidays at the Grange; or, A Week's Delight: Games and Stories for Parlor and Fireside
Higgins, Emily Mayer
Amusements -- Juvenile literature; Children's stories; Indoor games -- Juvenile literature
Nor should we forget, on this day, the numerous attractive circles to
be found throughout our highly-favored land, gathered together for
Sunday-School instruction. Here, the voluntary system works to a charm:
both teachers and scholars, drawn together by love, assemble, with
sparkling eyes and kindly words, in their respective classes. Here, all
ages can find something to interest them: the rosy-cheeked, chubby child
runs along to its Infant School, fearing to be one moment behind the
time, and singing,
"Oh, let us be joyful, joyful, joyful,"
with a full understanding of at least that part of the duty to be
performed. And the adult walks quietly to the Bible Class, where mutual
study and conversation about some passages of the Sacred Word elicit its
meaning, and throw new light upon the holy page. And, in the ages
intermediate between these two extremes, how bright and joyous are the
groups clustered around each loving teacher! If the toil be great, how
much greater the reward! how delightful is it to see the young mind
expand, and the warm affections glow, beneath the hallowing influence of
religion! And how pleasant and how good is it to find the hearts of
adults and of children, of rich and poor, knit together by a common
feeling of interest in the common cause!
Some such thoughts arose in the minds of our party at The Grange, and
were fostered by the lovely calm of nature, which is so observable on
Sunday in the country, where the very animals seem to know that they are
included within the merciful commandment of rest. Mr. Wyndham was
religiously observant of the day, but exceedingly disliked the gloom by
which many worthy people think it a duty to lessen their own happiness,
and to throw a chill and constraint upon that of others on this joyful
festival. He thought that the weekly commemoration of the Saviour's
resurrection should fill us with bright hopes and an enlivening piety;
and that an air of cheerfulness should be thrown around it, which might
say to all who had not yet entered within the gates of Zion, "Come ye,
and taste that the Lord is gracious." People are doubtless much
affected, in these minor shades of difference, by their natural
temperaments. Mr. Wyndham's frame of mind was so kindly and hopeful, and
so open to all that is pleasant and animating, that his religion partook
of the genial influence. On Sunday, his face beamed with a more radiant
smile than on other days, and he appeared to realize that it was indeed
the foretaste of eternal joy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account