Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1854-06-23
MISCELLANEOUS.
HOa,inr A Widow in Church.


lap.s into their quiet Unitarian paths still
thew have nc obieslious To wander out OF them
in seareh Of any novelty in religion, and II
thep % not always change their belief with
every fresh importation, they a, least ray him
toe compliment Of hearing Shai he has cot to
saw.
There happened to be, Few years since
ono Of those wandering theological meteorS
blazing around Boston. snd people from every
lane and by-way focksj to see IL, not with
peei,s Of smoked glass in their fingers, bu,
with ten cen, pieces and York shillings, to
drcp into the grcen.boy, BY way Of adding
fuel To the flames. so great was the crowd
that the ordinary rules about the quiet posses
sion of pews Coz which the owuers had paid
were entirely broken down; everybody took
,hl, seat which suited him best, and those
who cane late sat down in the places lsi' To
them by those who had come early.
one pleasant, Sunday morning MaeAa' went
TO church bsumcs. took he seat ia central
pew. las, under tie shadow Of the pulpit, and
,at bolt upright, with his arms extended With
an apparent decrcc ct unnatural rlcid'N down
by his sides. lie was PrcscutIy surrendered
by halfa.doter fmaIc-, nearly all Of whom
were .,rsuc,rs To hts person, and IN a little
live the church vas lull TO o,erhuWlng. The
psalm va, sung, the prayer said, 'he sermon
delivered IN the preachers bcs; style. lie
dvelt particularly upon the requirements OF
Of the great prcccpt Of brJ,hcrly love, upon
the beauty Of universal beneyolcuec, on the
pleasure which arises only from clothing the
naked and feeding he hungry, but from alien.
ton TO the minute anj graceful cOurIcsiss ct
life by which the ihoruy path . soGcncd aud
adorned. In the language Of critics IN such
mat,sr,. "Jhcrr vss not a dU eve in The
place 3" the appeal found It's viy To the heart.
All Mackay's immediate usighbJrs wcrS scu-
sibly affected be -ep' with them the big
tear. chased each other down MS checks,
Will, every one else was busy with their
handkerchisls viplng avsy the water 'ha',he
orator. Ikea second Moses, had, BY the strokes
.fhi, elclueacc, caused 90 cush from their
finty hearts, Mackay held h,s arms sliG aud
Nraieh,, while half a glass o. liquid suluscd
his face. The dried tears OF his female lricsds
were no, slow to observe this Tor in addition
to the syiL,u, signs Of deep feeling which be
exhibited. his face vas rather a handsome
face. lie wrsclyi, fdsv,ted, and looked
esnfa.sI aud interesting, bu, raised 90 hand,
searched no kerchisf, and seemed TO be IN
deep distress. At length a widow lady, who
sat beside him, remarked that be was 90 az
ease, and-hclven bless the female heart D,
always mells At any mysterious s0rrow-ai-
ter one OF two downcas, lOok' AMI Gut'ering
pauses. she sad, in an under tonc-"Pay,
SIR. is there any thing the matter w.:h you =
You appear H. be unwell."
"Ah, madam" brcathcd Mackay, in a
whisper, 81 AN Poor Parlly,Ic, and have
lost the use ofmy arms Though my tears
have aovcd 10 answer to the touching scnii-
m,n,, of the pastor. and have not ihg power
10 wipe them away"
IN an instant ia,r hand va, thrust into a
re,iculc. and 4 white handkerchief, scented
with otto Of rose, vas applied to Mackays
ewes the tar Samaritan, seeming 90 rejoice
10 the first opportunity ofrac,ts.sr what had
been 50 recently preached, appeared lo polish
them with RICH, good will. When she had
done, MacLay looked uuuueaJlc obligations,
hut whispered tha, she would increase them
a thousand fold Il She would, as 10 wanted u
yey much. eonlcs,cnd 20 wipe his nose The
novelty ct the request va. ihoush, nothing
Of the widow ~as proud Of ,hc promP,,ude
she had displayed 90 succorIuc the distressed,
and 90 a person who has done you one kiud
seton, the sesonJ scglu, olvays easy. Her
white hand and whittier handkerchief were
raised a. Mackays cut-v0lsr, bul thc mo-
mcut that 10 Va, completely Cu,lIoqcl Joe the
folds OF cambria, be gave such a sneclc
a. made ,hr whole church rtug twas in fact
more Ike a neigh. The minister paused iu
giving out ,hc hymn, the deacous put on
ihcir specuclcs 60 see What could be- the mat
ter and IN an instant every eve Was turned
upon Mlckay and che Gtr Sanariilu, the la,.
tee OF whom, being 81 intent upon hor object,
OF 30 coniounjcj by ihs general uoiorc,y she
had acquired, sui cou,uls.,cIy grasPed the
nose.
There were hundred, Of persons iu 'he
church who knew Mackly and hi. Prorcusi-
uc', well, and a single glance vas suiIicIen,
10 convince them that a successful hoax had
been PLAYED or for theIr amusement 4 gen
Cral litter now ran round the place "uois
and beeks. ard wreaihed smiles" were the
0sder ofihe day. Men held down their head,
anil laughed outright, AMI the ladies had to
stuff the scented cambria into their mouths,
which hal bccn 50 recently applied to the
sparkling fOuU,N above. Atlcngih something
Ike order was restored, the hymn sung, and
the blessing. given, amidst stuffed noises Of
various kinds, when the congregation rosc 20
depart. The widow, up To this point, feeling
strong 10 the consciousness fhayiug perform.
o. Vir,aous ac,iou upon a good looking face
needed not the sazs of the curious, nor the
SMILES oCIbe miuhiul bot wha, was her as
Punishment when Mackay rose liom his scat
lifted 1P ous Of his paraly,ic hands and took
hes hat from a peg above his head, and with
the other, began searching M. rockets Tor his