Laicus; Or, the Experiences of a Layman in a Country Parish.Abbott, Lyman
Religion
Laicus; Or, the Experiences of a Layman in a Country Parish.
Abbott, Lyman
Christian fiction; New York (State) -- Fiction; Parishes -- Fiction
except one Sunday when Miss Sophie was sick, and for three weeks in
the Fall, when she was away from home.
Such was the condition of the church at Wheathedge when I bought my
house.
Last spring Miss Sophie was married. There were more tears and less
radiance than usual at that wedding. Mr. Line said that he never
could supply the place in the Sunday-school. Mr. Work came up from
New York to marry them. His voice was tenderer than usual when he
pronounced the marriage ceremony. The first Sabbath after that
wedding the pulpit was without flowers. Was there any who did not
miss them, and in missing them did not miss her? It took the last
ornament from our church, which thenceforth looked desolated enough.
When Maurice Mapleson came the bouquet came back. But it was made
mostly of wild flowers. I think his wife began it. Perhaps it was
this which suggested to Miss Moore's fertile brain the idea of a
church-garden.
At all events one Wednesday after prayer-meeting Miss Moore and Mrs.
Biskit came to me. "We want a dollar from you," said Miss Moore.
"What for?" said I. Not that I thought of questioning Miss Moore's
demand,--no one ever does that; but because I naturally liked to know
what my money was going to do.
"We are going to start a church-garden," said she. "The trustees
have given us the ground, and we want to raise about ten dollars for
a beginning."
I gave her the dollar and thought no more about it; indeed, I should
have accounted the scheme quite chimerical if there had been any one
at the head of it except Miss Moore.
However, the next week, as I was passing the church, I saw Miss
Moore and Mrs. Biskit at work in the churchyard. A little plot had
been spaded up at one side, one or two walks laid out, and they were
busy putting in some flower seed. I thought of offering my services.
But as my agricultural education was neglected in my youth, and as
my knowledge of gardening is very limited, I passed on.
My chance came pretty soon. When Miss Moore has anything to do for
the church every one gets an opportunity to help.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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