Part 4 (1/2)

”Well, I don't know, Charlie, just why we don't,” said mamma.

”Well, mamma, papa ought to have it. Other members do, don't they?”

”I guess papa feels a little timid about leading in prayer,” said his mamma. ”That's all the reason I know.”

”Well, I tell you, I'll do my part. I'll take my turn always, if we just can have family wors.h.i.+p every day. Won't you ask papa? I think he will.”

Sunday was the day for baptism. Two of the brethren came on a visit to examine those to be baptized, before the day for baptism, to learn if they were ready for the holy ordinance, and if they were willing to take the New Testament as the rule of faith and practice, and to walk in harmony with the church.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE STREAM BELOW THE BRIDGE.]

Charlie's answers were clear and well-defined. The brethren had quite a pleasant visit with him, and they went away feeling that children were very fit subjects for the church, ”for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”

There were thirteen baptized that day, and a large number of people witnessed the scene. It seemed, as we read about it in the Bible, like apostolic times, as one after another was led down into the stream of water near the bridge, and was there buried in baptism.

When Charlie arose from his knees, while they were yet in the water, the minister, Brother Price, greeted him with a kiss.

After the baptisms, all the people soon went away to their homes, but of all that number, thirteen went away feeling the joy of having entered into a blessed experience, which they had not known before.

That Sunday night the voice of prayer was heard in the home of the Newcomers. Family wors.h.i.+p was a daily service there from that time on.

Every evening before going to bed the little family would sing a hymn, read a portion of Scripture, and then all kneel down together and pray. And Charlie, true to his promise, and but a boy, yet a _Christian_ boy, would always take his turn, in reading, in leading in prayer, and in closing with the Lord's prayer.

CHAPTER VI.

A SAt.u.r.dAY AT HOME.

After we are once six years old, the most of us have to spend more days, as children, in the school than out of it; and whether Sat.u.r.day does us very much good, I do not know. The lessons are nearly always not as well prepared on Monday as on other days, for too much time to prepare is about as bad as too little. And then, too, we sometimes forget over Sunday, what we have studied for Monday; but, it is better not to know the lessons on Monday, than to study them on Sunday.

Sunday is the Lord's day. The best way of all, however, is to study on Friday and Sat.u.r.day nights, and then get up a little earlier on Monday morning and review before school time.

Sat.u.r.day is an off day generally. Girls have a good deal of work to do about the house and boys have a good deal to do about the barn, and sometimes they have to work pretty hard.

Charlie had finished his ch.o.r.es as soon as he could that day and was in the house.

Bessie was very busy fixing her dollies' dresses, for she had five dollies, and they always were so hard on their clothes.

”Boys will be boys,” grown up people often say, and Charlie oftentimes would give vent to his boyish nature by just teasing whoever would be teased. He teased Bessie a good deal, and mamma too. He made Dash, his dog, stand in the corner.

He would hide in the evening when his papa came home, until he would hear what he would say upon missing him, then come out from behind the stove, behind the door, or under the table, laughing heartily.

On this particular Sat.u.r.day, Charlie was through with his work, and while he was helping his mother a good deal in the house, he took to teasing her.

Presently she said, ”Charlie, don't do that, for it is not right.”

He said nothing to this correction, but went quietly out of the house.

After a little while he came hurriedly in again saying: ”Mamma, you said I was doing wrong. I went out to the barn, and crawled up into the hay mow, and I prayed to G.o.d to forgive me, for I don't want to do wrong. Will He forgive me, mamma, and will you?”