"Is there a good fire in the little spare room Jane?" said Mr. Wade,a plain country farmer, coming into the kitchen where his good wifewas busy preparing for supper.
"Oh, yes, I've made the room as comfortable as can be," replied Mrs.Wade; "but I wish you would take up a good armful of wood now, sothat we wont have to disturb Mr. N--, by going into the room afterhe gets here."
"If he should come this evening," remarked the husband. "But it isgetting late, and I am afraid he won't be here Before the morning."
"Oh, I guess he will be along soon. I have felt all day as if hewere coming."
"They say he is a good man, and preaches most powerfully. Mr. Jonesheard him preach in New York at the last conference, and tells me henever heard such a sermon as he gave them. It cut right and left,and his words went home to every heart like arrows of conviction."
"I hope he will be here this evening," remarked the wife as she putsome cakes in the oven.
"And so do I." remarked Mr. Wade, as he turned away, and went out tothe wood pile for an armfull of wood for the expected minister'sroom.
It was Saturday afternoon, and nearly sundown. Mr. N--, who wasexpected to arrive, and for whose comfort every preparation in theirpower to make, had been completed by the family at whose house hewas to stay, was the new Presiding Elder of B--District, in theNew Jersey Conference. Quarterly meeting was to be held on the nextday, which was Sunday, when Mr. N--was to preach, and administerthe ordinances of the church. Being his first visit to that part ofthe District, the preacher was known to but few, if any, of themembers, and they all looked forward to his arrival with interest,and were prepared to welcome him with respect and affection.
The house of Mr. Wade was known as the 'minister's home.' For years,in their movements through the circuit, the preachers, as they cameround to this part in the field of their appointed labor, werewelcomed by Brother and Sister Wade, and the little spare chambermade comfort. able for their reception. It was felt by thesehonest-hearted people, more a privilege than a duty, thus to sharetheir temporal blessings with the men of God who ministered to themin holy things. They had their weaknesses, as we all have. One oftheir weaknesses consisted in a firm belief that they were deeplyimbued with the genuine religion, and regarded things spiritualabove all worldly considerations. They were kind, good people,certainly, but not as deeply read in the lore of their own hearts,not as familiar with the secret springs of their own actions, as allof us should desire to be. But this was hardly to be wondered at,seeing that their position in the church was rather elevated ascompared with those around them, and they were the subjects oflittle distinguishing marks flattering to the natural man.
While Mr. Wade was splitting a log at the wood-pile, his thoughts onthe new Presiding Elder, and his feelings warm with the anticipatedpleasure of meeting and entertaining him, a man of common appearanceapproached along the road, and when he came to where the farmer was,stood still and looked at him until he had finished cutting the log,and was preparing to lift the cleft pieces in his arms.
"Rather a cold day this," said the man.
"Yes, rather," returned Mr. Wade, a little indifferently, and in avoice meant to repulse the stranger, whose appearance did notimpress him very favorably.
"How far is it to D--?" inquired the man.
"Three miles," replied Mr. Wade, who having filled his arms withwood, was beginning to move off towards the house.
"So far!" said the man in a tone that was slightly marked withhesitation. "I thought it was but a little way from this." Then withan air of hesitation, and speaking in a respectful voice, he added,"I would feel obliged if you would let me go in and warm myself. Ihave walked for two miles in the cold, an--as D--is still threemiles off, I shall be chilled through before I get there."
So modest and natural a request as this, Mr. Wade could not refuse,and yet, in the way he said--"Oh, certainly"--there was a mannerthat clearly betrayed his wish that the man had passed on andpreferred his request somewhere else. Whether this was noticed ornot, is of no consequence; the wayfarer on this assent to hisrequest, followed Mr. Wade into the house.
"Jane," said the farmer as he entered the house with the stranger,and his voice was not as cordial as it might have been; "let thisman warm himself by the kitchen fire. He has to go all the way toD--this evening and says he is cold."
There is a kind of magnetic intelligence in the tones of the voice.Mrs. Wade understood perfectly, by the way in which this was said,that the husband did not feel much sympathy for the stranger, andonly yielded the favor asked because he could not well refuse togrant it. Her own observation did not correct the impression herhusband's manner had produced. The man's dress, though neither dirtynor ragged, was not calculated to impress any one very favorably.His hat was much worn, and the old gray coat in which he wasbuttoned up to the chin, had seen so much service that it wasliterally threadbare from collar to skirt, and showed numerouspatches, darns, and other evidences of needlework, applied longsince to its original manufacture. His cow-hide boots, though whole,had a coarse look; and his long dark beard gave his face, not a veryprepossessing one at best, a no very attractive aspect.
"You can sit down there," said Mrs. Wade, a little ungraciously, forshe felt the presence of the man, just at that particular juncture,as an intrusion; and she pointed to an old chair that stood. nearthe fire-place, in front of which was a large Dutch oven containingsome of her best cream short cakes, prepared especially for Mr.N--, the new Presiding Elder now momently expected.
"Thank you, Ma'am," returned the stranger, as he took the chair, anddrew close up to the blazing hearth, and removing his thick woolengloves, spread his hands to receive the genial warmth.
Nothing more was said by either the stranger or Mr. Wade, for thespace of three or four minutes. During this time, the goodhouse-wife passed in and out, once or twice, busy as could be inlooking after supper affairs. The lid of the ample Dutch oven hadbeen raised once or twice, and both the eyes and nose of thetraveller greeted with a pleasant token of the good fare soon to beserved up in the family. He was no longer cold; but the sight andsmell of the cakes and other good things in preparation by the lady,awakened a sense of hunger, and made it keenly felt. But, as thecomfort of a little warmth had been bestowed so reluctantly, hecould not think of trespassing on the farmer and his wife for a biteof supper, and so commenced drawing on his heavy woolen gloves, andbuttoning up his old gray coat. While occupied in doing this, Mr.Wade came into the kitchen, and said--
"I'm afraid Jane, that the minister won't be along this evening.It's after sun-down, and begins to grow duskish."
"He ought to have been here an hour ago," returned Mrs. W., in atone of disappointment.
"It's getting late, my friend, and D--'s a good distance ahead,"remarked the farmer, after standing with his back to the fire, andregarding for some moments the stranger, who had taken off hisgloves, and was slowly unbuttoning his coat again.
"It's three miles you say?"
"Yes, good three miles, if not more; and it will be dark in half anhour."
"What direction must I take?" required the stranger.
"You keep along the road until you come to the meeting house on thetop of the hill, half a mile beyond this, and then you strike off tothe right, and keep straight on."
"What meeting house is it?"
"The D--Methodist Meeting House."
"You are expecting the minister, I think you just now said?"
"Yes. Mr. N--, our new Presiding Elder, is to preach to-morrow,and he was to have been here this afternoon."
"He is to stay with you?"
"Certainly he is. The ministers all stay at my house."
The man got up, and went to the door and looked out.
"Couldn't you give me a little something to eat before I go," hesaid, returning. "I havn't tasted food since this morning, and feela little faint."
"Jane, can't you give him some cold meat and bread?" Mr. Wade turnedto his wife, and she answered, just a little fretfully, "Oh, yes, Isuppose so;" and going to the cupboard, brought out a dishcontaining a piece of cold fat bacon that had been boiled withcabbage for dinner, and half a loaf of bread, which she placed onthe kitchen table and told the man to help himself. The stranger didnot wait for another invitation; but set to work in good earnestupon the bread and bacon, while the farmer stood with his handsbehind him, and his back to the fire, whistling the air of "AuldLang Syne," while he mentally repeated the words of the hymn of"When I can read my title clear," and wished that his visitor wouldmake haste and get through with his supper. The latter, after eatingfor a short time with the air of a man whose appetite was keen,began to discuss the meat and bread with more deliberation, andoccasionally to ask a question, or make a remark, the replies towhich were not very gracious, although Mr. Wade forced himself to beas polite as he could be.
The homely meal at length concluded, the man buttoned up his oldcoat and drew on his coarse woolen gloves again, and thanking Mr.and Mrs. Wade for their hospitality, opened the door and looked out.It was quite dark, for there was no moon, and the sky was veiled inclouds. The wind rushed into his face, cold and piercing. For amoment or two, he stood with his hand upon the door, and thenclosing it he turned back into the house, and said to the farmer
"You say it is still three miles to D--?"
"I do," said Mr. Wade coldly.
"I said so to you when you first stopped, and you ought to havepushed on like a prudent man. You could have reached there before itwas quite dark."
"But I was cold and hungry, and might have fainted by the way."
The manner of saying this touched the farmer's feelings a little,and caused him to look more narrowly into the stranger's face thanhe had yet done. But he saw nothing more than he had already seen.
"You have warmed and fed me, for which I am thankful. Will you notbestow another act of kindness upon one who is in a strange place,and if he goes out in the darkness may lose himself and perish inthe cold?"
The peculiar form in which this request was made, and the tone inwhich it was uttered, put it almost out of the power of the farmerto say no.
"Go in there and sit down," he answered, pointing to thekitchen, "and I will see my wife, and hear what she has to say."
And Mr. Wade went into the parlor where the supper table stood,covered with a snow-white cloth, and displaying his wife's set ofbluesprigged china, that was only brought out on special occasions.Two tall mould candles were burning thereon, and on the hearthblazed a cheerful hickory fire.
"Hasn't that old fellow gone yet?" asked Mrs. Wade. She had heardhis voice as he returned from the door.
"No. And what do you suppose? He wants us to let him stay allnight."
"Indeed, and we'll do no such thing! We can't have the likes of himin the house, no how. Where could he sleep?"
"Not in the best room, even if Mr. N--shouldn't come."
"No, indeed!"
"But I really don't see, Jane how we can turn him out of doors. Hedoesn't look like a very strong man, and it's dark and cold, andfull three miles to D--."
"It's too much! He ought to have gone on while he had daylight, andnot lingered here as he did until it got dark."
"We can't turn him out of doors, Jane; and it's no use to think ofit. He'll have to stay now."
"But what can we do with him?"
"He seems like a decent man, at least; and don't look as if he hadanything bad about him. We might make him a bed on the floorsomewhere."
"I wish he had been to Guinea before he came here," said Mrs. Wade,fretfully. The disappointment, the conviction that Mr. N--wouldnot arrive, and the intrusion of so unwelcome a visitor as thestranger, completely unhinged her mind.
"Oh, well, Jane," replied her husband in a soothing voice, "nevermind. We must make the best of it. Poor man! He came to us tired andhungry, and we have warmed him and fed him. He now asks shelter forthe night, and we must not refuse him, nor grant his request in acomplaining reluctant spirit. You know what the Bible says aboutentertaining angels unawares."
"Angels! Did you ever see an angel look like him?"
"Having never seen an angel," said the husband smiling, "I am unableto speak as to their appearance."
This had the effect to call an answering smile to the face of Mrs.Wade, and a better feeling to her heart. And it was finally agreedbetween them, that the man, as he seemed like a decent kind of aperson, should be permitted to occupy the minister's room, if thatindividual did not arrive, an event to which they both now lookedwith but small expectancy. If he did come, why the man would haveput up with poorer accommodations.
When Mr. Wade returned to the kitchen where the stranger had seatedhimself before the fire, he informed him, that they had decided tolet him stay all night. The man expressed in a few words hisgrateful sense of their kindness, and then became silent andthoughtful. Soon after, the farmer's wife, giving up all hopes ofMr. N--'s arrival, had supper taken up, which consisted of coffee,warm cream short cakes, and sweet cakes, broiled ham, and broiledchicken. After all was on the table, a short conference was held, asto whether it would do not to invite the stranger to take supper. Itwas true, they had given him as much bread and bacon as he couldeat; but then, as long as he was going to stay all night, it lookedtoo inhospitable to sit down to the table and not ask him to jointhem. So, making a virtue of necessity, he was kindly asked to comein to supper, an invitation which he did not decline. Grace was saidover the meal by Mr. Wade, and then the coffee was poured out, thebread helped, and the meat served.
There was a fine little boy of some five or six years old at thetable, who had been brightened up, and dressed in his best, in orderto grace the minister's reception. Charley was full of talk, and theparents felt a natural pride in showing him off, even before theirhumble guest, who noticed him particularly, although he had not muchto say.
"Come, Charley," said Mr. Wade, after the meal was over, and he satleaning back in his chair, "can't you repeat the pretty hymn mammalearned you last Sunday?"
Charley started off, without further invitation, and repeated, veryaccurately, two or three verses of a new camp-meeting hymn, that wasjust then very popular.
"Now let us hear you say the Commandments, Charley," spoke up themother, well pleased at her child's performance. And Charleyrepeated them with only the aid of a little prompting.
"How many commandments are there?" asked the father.
The child hesitated, and then looking up at the stranger, near whomhe sat, said, innocently,--
"How many are there?"
The man thought for some moments, and said, as if in doubt--
"Eleven, are there not?"
"Eleven!" ejaculated Mrs. Wade, looking towards the man in unfeignedsurprise.
"Eleven!" said her husband, with more of rebuke than astonishment inhis voice. "Is it possible, sir, that you do not know how manyCommandments there are? How many are there, Charley? Come! Tell me;you know, of course."
"Ten," said the child.
"Right, my son," returned Mr. Wade, with a smile of approval.
"Right. Why, there isn't a child of his age within ten miles whocan't tell you that there are ten Commandments. "Did you never readthe Bible, sir?" addressing the stranger.
"When I was a little boy, I used to read in it sometimes. But I'msure I thought there were eleven Commandments. Are you not mistakenabout there being only ten?"
Sister Wade lifted her hands in unfeigned astonishment, andexclaimed--
"Could any one believe it? Such ignorance of the Bible!"
Mr. Wade did not reply, but he arose, and going to one corner of theroom, where the Good Book lay upon a small mahogany stand, broughtit to the table, and pushing away his plate, cup and saucer, laidthe volume before him, and opened that portion in which theCommandments are recorded.
"There!" he said, placing his finger upon a proof of the man'serror. "There! Look for yourself!"
The man came round from his side of the table, and looked over thefarmer's shoulder.
"There! Ten;--d'ye see!"
"Yes, it does say ten," replied the man. "And yet it seems to methere are eleven. I'm sure I have always thought so."
"Doesn't it say ten, here?" inquired Mr. Wade, with markedimpatience in his voice.
"It does certainly."
"Well, what more do you want? Can't you believe the Bible?"
"Oh, yes I believe in the Bible, and yet, somehow, it strikes methat there must be eleven Commandments. Hasn't one been addedsomewhere else?"
Now this was too much for Brother and Sister Wade to bear. Suchignorance on sacred matters they felt to be unpardonable. A longlecture followed, in which the man was scolded, admonished andthreatened with Divine indignation. At its close, he modestly askedif he might have the Bible to read for an hour or two, beforeretiring to rest. This request was granted with more pleasure thanany of the preceding ones. Shortly after supper the man wasconducted to the little spare room accompanied by the Bible. Beforeleaving him alone, Mr. Wade felt it his duty to exhort him onspiritual things, and he did so most earnestly for ten or fifteenminutes. But he could not see that his words made much impression,and he finally left his guest, lamenting his ignorance and obduracy.
In the morning, the man came down, and meeting Mr. Wade, asked himif he would be so kind as to lend him a razor, that he might removehis beard, which did not give his face a very attractive aspect. Hisrequest was complied with.
"We will have family prayer in about ten minutes," said Mr. Wade, ashe handed him a razor and a shaving-box.
In ten minutes the man appeared and behaved himself with duepropriety at family worship. After breakfast he thanked the farmerand his wife for their hospitality, and departing, went on hisjourney.
Ten o'clock came, and Mr. N--had not yet arrived. So Mr. and Mrs.Wade started off for the meeting house, not doubting that they wouldfind him there. But they were disappointed. A goodly number ofpeople were inside the meeting house, and a goodly number outside,but the minister had not yet arrived.
"Where is Mr. N--?" inquired a dozen voices, as a little crowdgathered around the farmer.
"He hasn't come yet. Something has detained him. But I still lookfor him; indeed, I fully expected to find him here."
The day was cold, and Mr. Wade, after becoming thoroughly chilled,concluded to go in, and keep a look-out for the minister from thewindow near which he usually sat. Others, from the same cause,followed his example, and the little meeting house was soon filled,and still one after another came dropping in. The farmer, who turnedtowards the door each time it opened, was a little surprised to seehis guest of the previous night enter, and come slowly along theaisle, looking from side to side as if in search of a vacant seat,very few of which were now left. Still advancing, he finally passedwithin the little enclosed altar, and ascending to the pulpit, tookoff his old gray overcoat and sat down.
By this time Mr. Wade was by his side, and with his hand upon hisarm.
"You mustn't sit here. Come down, and I'll show you a seat," he saidin an excited tone.
"Thank you," returned the man, in a composed tone. "It is verycomfortable here."
"But you are in the pulpit! You are in the pulpit, sir!"
"Oh, never mind. It is very comfortable here." And the man remainedimmovable.
Mr. Wade, feeling much embarrassed, turned away, and went down,intending to get a brother official in the church to assist him inmaking a forcible ejection of the man from the place he wasdesecrating. Immediately upon his doing so, however, the man arose,and standing up at the desk, opened the hymn book. His voicethrilled to the very finger ends of Brother Wade, as, in a distinctand impressive manner, he gave out the hymn beginning--
"Help us to help each other, Lord, Each other's cross to bear; Let each his friendly aid afford, And feel a brother's care."
The congregation arose after the stranger had read the entire hymn,and he then repeated the two first lines for them to sing. BrotherWade usually started the tune. He tried it this time, but went offon a long metre tune. Discovering his mistake at the second word, hebalked, and tried it again, but now he stumbled on short metre. Amusical brother here came to his aid, and let off with an air thatsuited the measure in which the hymn was written. After the singing,the congregation kneeled, and the minister, for no one now doubtedhis real character, addressed the Throne of Grace with much fervorand eloquence. The reading of a chapter from the Bible succeeded tothese exercises. Then there was a deep pause throughout the room inanticipation of the text, which the preacher prepared to announce.
Brother Wade looked pale, and his hands and knees trembled;--SisterWade's face was like crimson, and her heart was beating so loud thatshe wondered whether the sound was not heard by the sister who satbeside her. There was a breathless silence. The dropping of a pinmight almost have been heard. Then the fine, emphatic tones of thepreacher filled the crowded room.
"A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another."
Brother Wade had bent to listen, but he now sank back in his seat.This was the ELEVENTH COMMANDMENT!
The sermon was deeply searching, yet affectionate and impressive.The preacher uttered nothing that could in the least wound, thebrother and sister of whose hospitality he had partaken, but he saidmuch that smote upon their hearts, and made them painfully consciousthat they had not shown as much kindness to the stranger as he hadbeen entitled to receive on the broad principles of humanity. Butthey suffered most from mortification of feeling. To think that theyshould have treated the Presiding Elder of the District after such afashion, was deeply humiliating; and the idea of the whole affairgetting abroad, interfered sadly with their devotional feelingsthroughout the whole period of the service.
At last the sermon was over, the ordinance administered, and thebenediction pronounced. Brother Wade did not know what it was bestfor him now to-do. He never was more at a loss in his life. Mr.N--descended from the pulpit, but he did not step forward to meethim. How could he do that? Others gathered around and shook handswith him, but he still lingered and held back.
"Where is Brother Wade?" he at length heard asked. It was in thevoice of the minister.
"Here he is," said two or three, opening the way to where the farmerstood.
The preacher advanced, and extending his hand, said--
"How do you do, Brother Wade? I am glad to see you. And where isSister Wade?"
Sister Wade was brought forward, and the preacher shook hands withthem heartily, while his face was lit up with smiles.
"I believe I am to find my home with you?" he said, as if that werea matter understood and settled.
Before the still embarrassed brother and sister could reply, someone asked--
"How came you to be detained so late? You were expected last night.And where is Brother R--?"
"Brother R--is sick," replied Mr. N--, "and so I had to comealone. Five miles from this my horse gave out, and I had to come therest of the way on foot. But I became so cold and weary that I foundit necessary to ask a farmer not far away from here to give me anight's lodging, which he was kind enough to do. I thought I wasstill three miles off, but it happened that I was much nearer myjourney's end than I had supposed."
This explanation was satisfactory to all parties, and in due timethe congregation dispersed; and the Presiding Elder went home withBrother and Sister Wade. How the matter was settled between them, wedo not know. One thing is certain, however,--the story which we haverelated did not get out for some years after the worthy brother andsister had rested from their labors, and it was then related by Mr.N--himself, who was rather eccentric in his character, and,like numbers of his ministerial brethren, fond of a good joke, andgiven to relating good stories.
THE END.
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