Lewie; Or, The Bended TwigBradford, Sarah H. (Sarah Hopkins)
General
Lewie; Or, The Bended Twig
Bradford, Sarah H. (Sarah Hopkins)
Fiction
Agnes taught them many pretty hymns; and as they all had good voices,
and loved music dearly, they were never so happy as in singing, morning
and evening, these sweet hymns with Agnes. Even poor Tiney, who was
passionately fond of music, readily caught the tunes, though it was
almost impossible to teach her the words.
The very first Sunday that Agnes passed under the roof of Mr. Fairland,
was enough to convince her that the Sabbath day with them was passed
much like all other days. She was shocked to see novels, and other
light and trashy works, in the Lands of the Misses Fairland on this
holy day, and to hear them _howling_ snatches of opera tunes, as they
ran up and down the stairs. These young ladies sometimes went to church
in the morning, to be sure, especially if they had lately received new
bonnets from the city, which they wished to display for the envy or
admiration of their neighbors. Mrs. Fairland was too indolent to take
the trouble, even if she possessed the inclination, to appear at
church; and Mr. Fairland looked upon this seventh day of the week
literally as a day of rest, in which to recruit the exhausted energies
of the body, in preparation for the labors of another week. The day was
passed by him in looking over the newspapers, or sleeping in his large
chair, with his red silk handkerchief over his head; and towards
evening, he usually took a stroll over to his mills, or around his
grounds, to mark out what was necessary to be done on the coming week.
Agnes felt the importance of exerting in this ungodly family a strictly
religious influence; but, except with her own little pupils, she did
not attempt, at first, to do so in any other way than by her own quiet,
consistent example. Mr. Fairland was much surprised when Agnes
requested permission to take the children to church with her he readily
granted it, however, as he invariably did the wishes of Agnes; and from
that time, Mr. Fairland’s pew had at least four or five occupants, on
the morning and evening of the Sabbath day. Though not required by her
engagement to do so, Agnes kept the children with her on Sunday,
reading to them, singing with them, or telling them beautiful Bible
stories; and those pleasant Sabbaths spent with her they never forgot,
nor did they ever lay aside the habits they acquired under her care.
“What a pleasant day Sunday is!” exclaimed little Rosa; “I never knew
it was such a pleasant day before.”
“It’s cousin Agnes makes it so pleasant,” said blue-eyed Jessie.
“It is because you spend it as God directs, that it is a pleasant day
to you, dear children,” said Agnes; “and I wish you to remember that it
will always be a happy day, if you spend it in His service, ‘from the
beginning unto the end thereof.’”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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