CHAPTER IX.OPPOSITION.
ACCORDING to promise, the missionary was at Mr. Wilson’s house, and he, together with the family, went to the school-house. The words of his text were, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Prov. xxii. 6. He approached his subject with caution, for the people before him were restless and excited; but he gradually unfolded the solemn truth contained in the text. He addressed himself to the parents, especially to the mothers. His apparent sincerity and great earnestness overcame the prejudices of many, but still a large majority were opposed, or cared little about the matter.
The ’Squire got up and denounced the speaker, Sunday-schools and Temperance societies. He was frequently cheered; and those who had been won by the earnest eloquence of the speaker, were now carried away by the majority, and were inclined to “follow the multitude to do evil.” The ’Squire then called upon the people to decide by a vote, whether they would have a Sunday-school or not, shouting out: “All who are in favor of a Sunday-school here, rise to your feet.” Mr. Wilson and Mr. Mason sprang to their feet like heroes, their intrepidity encouraging some of the timid and wavering, who, together with their children, made quite a respectable vote. After these were again seated, all who were opposed to a Sunday-school were called upon to rise. Instantly several of the most bitter opposers, who were waiting for the word, were up; others, soon followed, while the ’Squire was urging the fearful and lukewarm with, “Up! up! Iknow you are opposed; show your colors!” and in this way succeeded in getting many to rise, who did not really intend to have anything to do with the matter. He then declared the majority opposed, and in triumph took his seat.
Mr. Mason arose and asked the majority to concede to those who desired it the privilege of holding Sunday-school in the school-house undisturbed.
This very reasonable request was opposed by the ’Squire; but upon the vote being taken, the privilege was granted. This was something gained, and the missionary was thankful for it, although he and his little band were openly subjected to sneers and abuse. But they had the comforting assurance that “all things work together for good to them that love God.”
On Saturday morning, the missionary started for Clear Creek Settlement. On his way he met a little boy and two little girls.
“How do you do, my young friends?” kindly began the missionary.
They all smiled pleasantly, but did not say anything.
“How old are you, my son?” continued he, addressing the boy.
“Ten, next Christmas; my birthday comes day before Christmas,” ingenuously answered the boy.
“These little girls are your sisters, I suppose?”
“Yes, sir,” responded the boy.
“Can you read?”
“Yes, sir, I can read in the ‘Introduction,’ very well; my sister Jane can read too; and little Betty can spell and read easy words,” answered the boy, with some feelings of pride.
“Did you ever go to Sunday-school?” inquired the missionary.
“No, sir!” answered the boy, emphatically. “We don’t go to school on Sundays; we goon week-days.” This direct answer caused the missionary to smile; he continued, however, with the question, “Would you like to, if there were a Sunday-school?”
“No, sir!” again replied the boy. “We play ball, pitch horse-shoes, or go a fishing on Sunday, and I like that better than going to school.”
“Don’t you think it is wrong to do such things on Sunday?”
“No, sir,” again responded the boy, “father and all the neighbors do that on Sunday.”
The parents then were the examples; and the children followed. How many parents thus unwittingly take their children by the hand and lead them down to death!
“You all go to meeting sometimes, don’t you?” continued the missionary.
“Yes, sir, once in a while.”
“Don’t the preacher talk against such things?”
“Sometimes; but nobody cares. Some goto the grocery and pitch horse-shoes for whisky; and some go to the tavern to play checkers or such, for a dram, or for fun,” replied the boy.
“Don’t the preacher talk against drinking liquor and lying about at the grocery on Sundays?” seriously inquired the missionary.
“No, sir,he likes it himself.”
“It is a bad thing to drink whisky,” said the missionary.
“Yes, sir,” quickly responded the boy; “last night they had a spree at the grocery, and Bill Jones liken’d to’ve killed Tom Miller with his knife; and Ace Ross knocked Old Butt’s eye out. Father says they have a law suit to-day.”
“What a pity!” said the missionary, shaking his head. “Do you live far from here?”
“About a mile,” answered the boy.
The missionary then gave each of the children a card, and explained to them, asfar as they were capable of understanding, what a Sunday-school was like; and they then said that they would like to go to such a school. He told them of an appointment for Sunday afternoon at 3 o’clock, in the school-house near Mr. Wilson’s, and invited them to come and bring their parents along; he then said “Good-bye,” and left them.
Having detained himself longer than he supposed, he was compelled to hurry on, as he had quite a distance to go before he would reach Mr. Brown’s. As he was passing through a lane, after coming within the bounds of Clear Creek Settlement, he found two men lying in a fence-corner, drunk! He tried to rouse them, but failed in so doing, for they were past consciousness. Continuing on, he soon came to the grocery. Happily for the missionary, the crowd within was all excitement over a “drinking game;” that is, several engaged in playing cards for a treat of the whole company. Before he had passedout of hearing, a great shout and uproar at this den of sin, told him that the game was up, and the treat was being given. In his heart he then resolved that a Temperance society should be established in that place, and he prayed God to help him in the undertaking. After arriving at Mr. Brown’s, he could not but compare the revolting scenes he had left behind him, with the pleasant, social intercourse he was now enjoying.