The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1833-10-16
A CONNECTICUT DEACON.

A CONNECTICUT DEACON.
Ben Thoughtful was the SON ofpiot.
parents, ifan observance ofshe Sabbath
commencing at sunset on Saturday and
lasting till the same time on Sunday,
can be considered criterion If piety,
Indeed 90 powerful were the scruples
of Ben's father, that his cattle were
neither foddercd nor watered, nor In the
winter taken from their stale, during an
entire revolution of the earth and we
have heard II asserted that their lowing
for hay and water during Sunday, was,
by the devout old MIR. Thoughtful, re.
gsrded rs kind Of religious orlson,
breathed forth in the language Of cnttls
to consecrate the day. 1t is said shat
Ben, Twho afterwards became deacon
yielding one Sunday to the pleadings ol
nature and humanity, ventured while
his father was reading the bible, to throw
a few locks of hay 10 the hangers Of the
poor suffering cattle; and not conteE,
with this ect of mercy, he procured a
pail in order TO give 10 each of them a
few swallows Of water but as the old
gentleman looked over his spectacles
and saw Ben drawing water and carry.
ing it towards the barn, he left the good
book, hastened out OF the house, seized
large whip, and belabored poor Ben
most numerically. After returning with
his son to the house, and his holy pas
sion having subsided, he again went to
his bible, while Ben, in surly mood,
snt in the corner. But at that time, Ben's
heart was in state of nature, and he
felt compassion for the distressed, whettI-
er supported on f,oo legs or four. He nlso
could fee; desire to preserve property
on Sunday, for just before the corn was
ripe the preceding autumn, little bit of
a tornado swept along one Saturday
night and prostrated few lengths Of
fences which separated tho cornfeld
from the pasture; and when Ben discov.
cred it on Sunday morning. he did not
even think Of the decalogue of Moses,
bu', like good fellow to his fathers
interest, went and repaired the fence
purely with view TO save the corn from
the cattle, and the cattle from the collie.
This precautionary act never came TO
the knowledge of Ben's father, and con-
sequentiy be did not get a dressing doUn
for it. aH .
But to return--after Ben had sat in
the corner TIL the smarts Of the box whip
had somewhat abnted, he asked his
father if no would read those portions Of
&C, ,-;;oture which speak Of pulling cattle
nut of pts on the sabbath day. and wa
fe ring In m. T"sS ouCxPecreu request,
for a momen;, G;sconcersed the old gen.
.leman, but he e;adcd i by informing
his son that the passages 20 alluded to
nothing but iates-oga:erv IN
and commands-and conse'
quently were not binding.
At that time Revival prevailed in
the parish, and Ben Thoughtful was
soon enrolled on the list of converts. The
oil Of regeneration had powerful ef-
feet upon him. He was soon taught to
believe that the warm and generous
glow Of youth was only the effect of his
natural dtprauity y-and that in order to
be in state of acceptance, and to un-
defstand the duties Of life, all the pas
sions implanted in his bosom by natnrc
must be eradicatcd or smothered in
their dawn; Ind that even reason, un-
less he passed through the ordeal of a
ReviUal, would only serve to bewilder
and load him further into the labyrinth
Of error and destruction. This the min
lister told him-and Of course it would
be impious to doubt it. So rapid was
Ben's we ought now to call him Benja-
min, improvement in devotion, that his
future destination in the church became
a general theme. of conversation. He
had alredy exhoited and appeared in
supplication; out as his education had
been that of rustick, it would not do
to think of making minister Of him.
From certain propcnsities Benjamin
had manifested against the other sex,
it was resolved he should be a Deaeen;
and in this capacity he offiiciated for IF
teen years-paying strict attention TO
the Sabbath, but no attention ut all to
the ladies-till one Sunday, after the
close of divine service, he was seen
leading horse, csparisoned for a fe-
male rider, towards the huge horse
blockj in front Of the meeting
house. Did you ever notice the horse
blocks contiguous TO country churches
They are generally made Of butt of a
tree some Eve or six feet in diameter,
about four feet in height. with two or
three steps cut IN the side for asce nding.
While Deacon Thoughtful was leading
the horse with a side saddle on towards
a horse-block Of THE description, every
body was ANXIOUS to discover who the
rider might be. All eyes were directed
to a group oflatlies in front Of the house.