Baby In Church.

Baby In Church.
416-.1

Aunt Nellie bad fashioned a dainty thing
Of Hamburg and ribbon and lace,
And mamma had said, as she settled it round
Our beautiful baby’s face,
Where the dimples play and the laughter
Hes Like sunbeams hid in her violet eyes:
“If the day is pleasant and baby ls good
She may go to church and wear her new hood.”

Then Ben, aged 6, began to tell in elder brotherly way,
How very, very good she must be
If she went to church next day.
Alle told of the church, the choir, and the crowd.
And the man up in front who talked so loud,
But abe must not talk, hor laugh, nor sing.
But just sit as quiet as anything.

And so, on a beautiful Sabbath in May.
When the fruit buds burst into flowers,
There wasn’t a blossom on bush or tree
So fair as this blossom of ours.
All in her white dress, dainty and new.
Our baby sat in the family pow,
The grand, sweet music, reverent air,
The solemn hush, and the voice of prayer
Flited all her baby soul with awe.
As she sat in her little place,
And the holy look that the angels wear
Seemed pictured upon her face.

And the sweet words uttered so long ago,
Come unto my mind with rhythmic flow:
“Of such is the kingdom of heaven,” said he.
And I know he spake of such as she.
The sweet voiced organ pealed forth again,
The collection box came round,
And baby dropped her penny in
And smiled at the clinking sound.

Alone in the choir Aunt Nellie stood,
Waiting the close of the soft prelude,
Te begin her solo high and strong.
She struck the first note clear and long.
She held it, and all were charmed but one,
Who, with all the might she had.
Sprang to her ilttle feet and cried:
“Aunt Nellie you’s being bad.”

The audience smiled, the minister coughed.
The little boys in the corner laughed,
The tenor man shook like an aspen leaf,
And hid his face in his handkerchief.
And poor Aunt Neille never could tell
How she finished that terrible strain,
But says nothing on earth would tempt
Her to go through the scene again.

So we have decided, perhaps ’tis best,
For her sake, ours and all the rest.
That we wait, maybe, for a year or two,
Ere our baby re-enter the family pew.