Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-07-20
lIiSCEE.L NJ .
Diary of the Rev. solomon SpittIe.
(C0htnucd)

Ned,,esday, Jan. 3. Rose with an unac-
countable feeling of diminished sclf-respect
| Wind, probably. on my stomach. Almost
sorry that | ever signed the pledge of absti-
nence from distilled spirits Smoked one of
Lundy's and felt greatly relieved, | cannot
think Sproule is right, though have more
dyspepsia, than | used to have, and feel
quite twitchy. and nervous, and apprchen-
sive of undeinable evil. ! wonder if it is
not hypochondriasis. My wife told me at
break nst that Mrs Macintosh was diving and
asked if had been to see her. Very un-
pleasant for a minister Of the gospel to be
obliged, before his wife and daughters, to eX-
plain such matter, and state the truth that
a dying parishner cannot bear the smell Of
her spiritual guide, and is obliged to send for
clergyman from a neighboring town. My
wife and daughter were much grieved, for
they feared it would be talked Of in the par
i,h.
Twist brought me the note this morn
ing, and, as | feared, it contained nothing
but my text, signed with my name, Corin-
thians, VI. 5. lie said it had perplexed him
very much ! explained as well as | could,
and told him to be careful how he sent me
any more such pigtail. | told him it had
well nigh destroyed u member of my family.
I did not tell him the particulars. Last
month Mrs. Jones' a member of my church
sent out six hundred invitations for party.
| was thunderstruck so were my wife and
all the serious people or the parish. 1t
rrievcd my soul SO worldly, SO inconsis-
/ tent and sinful, in a professor, who had sol
| emnlv renowned the world, the flesh, and
/ the devil | resolved to do my duty |
| conferred with the most devOut and engaged
members of my flock, and found but one opn-
ion. among those who We're not invited
/ They all reioiced in being thus exempted as
it were, from the very suspicion Of such sin
| lune,s. Captain Lundy, who has very just
view, OF such things, urged me, by all means
to rebuke such unchristian conduct. So !
am resolved that such wicked practices
shall not grow up in my parish, through my
negligence Of mind.
AncRoon. Well have called on Mrs
Jones, and done my duty, talked for an
hour, most faithfully, The thing which dis
turbed me most was her perfect silence.
Not one word did she utter. When
stopped. she ordered cake and wine attended
me to the parlor door, and bade me good
morning. Not very encouraging my wife
agreed with me that the behavior Of Mrs
Jones was inexplicable.
In the afternoon, DIR Sproulo dropped in
to look at Solomon and, while he was witt
us, a note was brought home from Mr.. Jones
the husband Of the lady, on whom | haC
called in the morning. | opened it with ;
little anxiety. \ very poli-e billet, Yer.
courteously worded, thanking me, in TIN
most cordial terms, for my visit expressin,
the deepest regret that he was from hom
when | called hoping would repeat my Wis
it, as often as | found it agreeable; ussurin,
me that he always listened to the discourse
of such faithful preacher and consistent ex
emplar, with admiration and closing witt
a wish that | would take an carly occasion t
preach from "A text, which he should de
light to have explained and illustrated b.
such deep scholar, and selfdenying Chris
tian The text referred to- he said was i
Job, ch XII yer, 20.
Thanks to him who giveth the increase,
exclaimed, 'my morning has not been sper
in vain" In the pride of my heart, ros,
rather exultingly, and handed the note to m
wife, who read it with evident satisfaction
and passed it to my daughters, who SCENE
equally delighted. . My husband, said IN
wife, addressing the doctor, " has been, tn
morning, to remonstrate with Mrs. Jone
who is professor, you know, upon the rol
she had last month, and they have taken
! in a Christian ana proper manucr.' " Yes,
said |, rubbing my hands with pleasure
d - they will never again bring censure upo
: the church by such sinful exhibitions I'll
> Joneses will have no more such unseen
gatherings. | have put u stop to that. -
. The Joneses have no more parties :" erie
the doctor, with n laugh why, the
cards are out, tins moment, for mOnstrol
ball - " Impossible :" said l. - 1t is iu
a. certain, " said the doctor, ''as that mama
not tobacco" " Well, said " their ear
may be out but the ball will surely be Civ,
Fl. up please, sir, to read the note from NJ
Jones' The doctor wiped his spectacle
and read the note three times, with II pr
yokingly insidious smile upon his feature
which increased with every pcrusal and 7
turning to me, requested Bertha, my eide
daughter, to hand him the Bible. VIII
J., the text Mr.. Jones is SO anxious to he
!, You preach upon '' sLld he, - Job. ch Y
yer. 20. ! replied. ell, here it is
D., said he "Out of his nostrils goeth smoh
l. ns out of II scethinspot or caldron.
II wife and daughters hung their heads, a
~ the docter, scarcely ablo to suppress |
- laughter, beckoned me into the study, "a
m then told me that there was not a man in t
parish, who animadycrtcd upon my use Of
hlccu, 50 constantly and 50 very contempt
ousy as Mr. Jones, The doctor urged
10 give it up, for the sake of my health, t
comfort Of my family, nay own repectabllit
any professional character and usefulness
promised him to think Of it. 1t is "a very
witching habit, ! am sure Locked
"' door after the doctor had prayers light
g.. one Of Lundy's, and ltbured for an hour u
'' on a sermon ye4ed aud ngitated by 50 ma
notifications, brought little to pass thr
hy the sermon burnt my mouth badly wi
the fiery end u my cigar, by mistake W,
t. bed.
IhurSdog, Jan, Bad headache and so
II hiccough, smoked u cigar, and felt better,l
o fdgety. The milkInau says that Mrs. Mac
tn tosh is dead. In doubt what steps | Oug
ed to take about the funeral. She was a 5
p, gular lady-hud no near rehtions-consid
~ able property Often todd me she should
- member me in her will squire Google t.