Part 13 (1/2)
CHAPTER XIII.
”CROSS PURPOSES.”
When people start out with the express design of having a good time, irrespective of other people's plans or feelings--in short, with a general forgetfulness of the existence of others--they are very likely to find at the close of the day that a failure has been made.
It did not take the entire day to convince Eurie Mitch.e.l.l that Chautauqua was not the synonym for absolute, unalloyed _pleasure_. You will remember that she detached herself from her party in the early morning, and set out to find pleasure, or, as she phrased it, ”fun.” She imagined them to be interchangeable terms. She had not meant to be deserted, but had hoped to secure Ruth for her companion, she not having the excuse of wis.h.i.+ng to report the meetings to call her to them.
Failing in her, in case she should have a fit of obstinacy, and choose to attend the meetings, Eurie counted fully upon Flossy as an ally. Much to her surprise, and no little to her chagrin, Flossy proved decidedly the more determined of the two. No amount of coaxing--and Eurie even descended to the employment of that weapon--had the least effect. To be sure, Flossy presented no more powerful argument than that it did not look well to come to the meeting and then not attend it. But she carried her point and left the young searcher for fun with a clear field.
Now fun rarely comes for the searching; it is more likely to spring upon one unawares. So, though Eurie walked up and down, and stared about her, and lost herself in the labyrinths of the intersecting paths, and tore her dress in a thicket, and caught her foot in a bog, to the great detriment of shoe and temper, she still found not what she was searching for. Several times she came in sight of the stand; once or twice in sound of the speaker's voice; but having so determinately carried her point in the morning, she did not choose to abandon her position and appear among the listeners, though sorely tempted to do so. She wandered into several side tents in hope of finding something to distract her attention; but she only found that which provoked her.
In one of them a young lady and gentleman were bending eagerly over a book and talking earnestly. They were interesting looking people, and she hovered near, hoping that she had at last found the ”children” who would ”play” with her--a remembrance of one of her nursery stories coming to her just then, and a ludicrous sense of her resemblance to the truant boy who spent the long, bright day in the woods searching for one not too busy to play.
But these two were discussing nothing of more importance than the lesson for the coming Sabbath; and though she hovered in their vicinity for some time, she caught only stray words--names of places in the far away Judean land, that seemed to her like a name in the Arabian Nights; or an eager dissertation on the different views of eminent commentators on this or that knotty point; and so engrossed were they in their work that they bestowed on her only the slightest pa.s.sing glance, and then bent over their books.
She went away in disgust. At the next tent half a dozen ladies were sitting. She halted there. Here at last were some people who, like herself, were bored with this everlasting meeting, and had escaped to have a bit of gossip. Who knew but she might creep into the circle and find pleasant acquaintances? So she drew nearer and listened a moment to catch the subject under discussion. She heard the voice of prayer; and a nearer peep showed her that every head was bowed on the seat in front, and one of the ladies, in a low voice, was asking for enlightenment _on the lesson for the coming Sabbath_!
”What wonderful lesson can it be that is so fearfully important?” she muttered, as she plunged recklessly into the mud and made her way in all haste up the hill without attempting any more tents. ”Who ever heard such an ado made about a Sunday-school lesson? These people all act as though there was nothing of any consequence anywhere but Sunday-schools. I guess it is the first time that such a _furor_ was ever gotten up over teaching a dozen verses to a parcel of children. I wonder if the people at home ever make such a uproar about the lesson? I know some teachers who own up, on the way to church, that they don't know where the lesson is. This must be a peculiar one. I wonder how I shall contrive to discover where it is? The girls won't know, of course.
With all their boasted going to meeting they know no more about lessons than I do myself. I would really like to find out. I mean to ask the next person I meet. It will be in accordance with the fas.h.i.+on of the place. Think of my walking down Broadway of a sunny morning and stopping a stranger with the query, 'Will you tell me where the lesson is, please?'” And at this point Eurie burst into a laugh over the absurdity of the picture she had conjured.
”But this is not Broadway,” she said a moment afterward, ”and I mean to try it. Here comes a man who looks as if he ought to know everything. I wonder who he is? I've seen his face a dozen times since I have been here. He led the singing yesterday. Perhaps he knows nothing but sing.
They are not apt to; but his face looks as though he might have a few other ideas. Anyway, I'll try him, and if he knows nothing about it, he will go away with a confused impression that I am a very virtuous young lady, and that he ought to have known all about it; and who knows what good seed may be sown by my own wicked hand?”
Whereupon she halted before the gentleman who was going with rapid strides down the hill, and said, in her clearest and most respectful tone:
”Will you be so kind as to tell me where the lesson for next Sabbath commences? I have forgotten just where it is.”
There was no hesitation, no query in his face as to what she was talking about, or uncertainty as to the answer.
”It is the fifth chapter, from the fifth to the fifteenth verse,” he said, glibly. ”All fives, you see. Easy to remember. It is a grand lesson. Hard to teach, though, because it is all there. Are you a teacher for next Sunday? You must come to the teachers' meeting to-morrow morning; you will get good help there. Glorious meeting, isn't it? I'm so glad you are enjoying it.” And away he went.
Every trace of ill-humor had vanished from Eurie's face. Instead, it was twinkling with laughter.
”The fifth chapter and fifteenth verse” of what? Certainly she had no more idea than the birds had who twittered above her head. How entirely certain he had been that of course she knew the general locality of the lesson. _She_ a teacher and coming to the teachers' meeting for enlightenment as to how to teach the lesson!
”I wonder who he is?” she said again, as these thoughts flashed through her brain, and, following out the next impulse that came to her, she stopped an old gentleman who was walking leisurely down, and said, as she pointed out her late informant:
”What is that man's name, please? I can't recall it.”
”That,” said the old gentleman, ”is Prof. Sherwin, of Newark. Have you heard him sing?”
”Yes.”
”Well, that is worth hearing; and have you heard him talk?”
”No.”
”Well, he can talk; you will hear him, and enjoy it, too; see if you don't. But I'll tell you what it is, young lady, to know him thoroughly you ought to hear him pray! There is the real power in a man. Let me know how a man can pray and I'll risk his talking.”