Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 3, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 December 1859 — A Heathen out West. [ARTICLE]

A Heathen out West.

1 A gentleman from Boston,traveling at the West, chanced to stop over the Sabbath at ! a little town scarce a year old, on the bank of the Mississippi river. You may be sure no : bell called him to church; but wishing to see I if there was such a thing, he strolled out, and presently came upon a low log-house, in which there appeared to be a congregation jof some sort. Entering he found a Sabbath j school. The superintendent he found, was a former friend of his, who, on seeing him invited him to speak to the school. Now since lie had lived in Boston, where no one is supposed to be ignorant or simple, he had heard much of the rude, untaught state of the settlers of the Western States. “I will see what they know,” said he to himself, and accordingly he began to talk to the children, and to ask them questions. “What is the eleventh commandment, ■.children!” asked he. A bright little girl, though brown, and roimhlv J.'' instantly rose and ansiVereclT “A comi.?’ ir^lnent £ lve I unto you, that ye love onC another. The gentleman was It little surpr l - 3 at this, but before he got through iiC heard tu? saw enough to convince him that the school was as well taught and as intelligent as any he had ever visited. He returned to Boston; on going to call on a friend, he met near the house, a boy playing on the sidewalk, whom he recognized as his friend’s son. “Ah, my boy, how do you do! is your mother at home!” “No sir; she has gone to the circle” “The circle! what circle!” “Why the circl? sir, where they sew for the heathens out West.” “Ah!” said the gentleman, and he smiled as he thought of the Sunday schobl in the log-house. Next day being Sunday, he walked into | the large and well dressed Sunday school belonging to Dr. T’s church, in street. After recitations were closed, having been invited to speak he rose and asked as before: “Children, tell me, what is the eleventh commandment:” No one answered; and as some scholars were seen bending to ask their teachers, the visitor interrupted them by telling them the story of the Western Sabbath school; and then added: “I see a boy here who told me yesterday that his mother had gone to a circle to sew for the Aeaf/tews o:?Z IVe.'L' I would advise him and the rest of you to keep a sharp lookout after your Bibles and your Sunday school lessons, or these Western heaihens will soon be sending missionaries to B<jS4un.—lndependent. .