The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1860-12-13
THE DEACON'S DILEMMA: Or, THE
USE OF THE BEAUTIFUL.
From the N. Y, Independent. ]
BY MRS. HARRIET BEEcnER STOWE.

---
BY MRS. HARRIET BEEcnER STOWE.
From the n. Y, Independent. .....
Deacon Tilden had the SOU rest, neat
est white house that ever showed its keen
angles from the dusty cumps Of old lilat
bushes. In front Of it stood, on each
side Of the doorway, two thrifty cherry
trees, which bore bushcl each every
season. Excepting the aforementioned
lilac trees, there was not u flower or shrut
round the place. Rose bushes the Dca
con thought rotted tho house, and the
horeysuckle which his wife tried to train
over the porch, was torn down when the
paiutcrs came, and on the whole, the
Deacon said, what was the use of putting
it up, as long as it did not bear anything?
BY the side of the house was thrifty,
.welkept garden, with plenty of currant
busI es, goosebury bushes and ounce
trees-and the beets and carrots and on.
ions were the pride the Deacons heart;
but, as he often proudly said, "every-
thing ssas for use there was nothing
fancy about it. His wife put in tinior-
onSly one season for Il flower border
Mrs. Jenkyns had given hrra pctunia,
and Mrs Simpkins had brought her II
package of flower seeds from New York
and 50 bed was laid out. But tie
thrifty Deacon soon found that the weed
lug Of 1t tonk time that Mrs. Tiden
might give to her dairy, and to making
shirts Or knitting stockings; and SO it
really troubled his conscience. The next
spr',. he turned 1t Into his corntield;
aud when his wife miidiy fntfnt rtd Hcr
disappointment, said, piacidIy, "After
all twas II thing Of no use, and took
time and Mrs. Tiden. being "A weak
woman, and one of the kind Of saints WHO
always suppose themselves miserable s.n
ners, specially confessed her sin Of being
inwardly vexcd about the incident in her
prayers that nj ght, and prayed that her
eyes light be turned off from behoiding
vanity, aud that she light be quckened
in the way Of miudiug her work.
The front part Of the Deacons house
Was the most fri gid asylum OF reatness
that ever discouraged the eyes and heart
of u visitor. The four blank walls were
gnii,less of any engraving or painti.g, or
of my adjournment but an ordinary wall
paper and framed copy of the declara
ton Of lndependence--on each of the
three sides stood four chars-under the
booking glass was shining mahogany Ia
bic, with large Bible and almanac on it
and Il pair Of cold, clustering brass an.
dirons illustrated the fireplace. The
mantle shelf above hada pair Of bright
,;La1esticks with a pair Of shutters be
su VI, that was all The Beacon
nonsense abous~ .l,;, and sinnle-~no
and nothing for show--.,h;n, far use
MS VIE sometimes sighed ahLim -
round 1t, when she was sewing. AZ ;fs,
wanted something, and then sung in ~
good old psalm u
FROM vanity turn OH my ewes;
Let no corrupt design
orcovetous desires arise
Within this heart of mine
The corrupt des 20 to which this est
mabie matron had been teupted b,,
been the purchase of pair Of Pari,,
flower vaces, whose beauty had struck; :,
her heart when she went with her hp,,o,
and eggs to nei@hboring city-but rec
. oI'eetlnS herself in time, she had rcso
lutely shut her eyes to the aIlurement
and spent the money usefuIly iu buying
lOa, suca"
For it is to be remembered tina. ,h,.
Deacon AS fond of @oo,! eating. and pri.
ded himself on the bountics OF his wifi :
table. Few women knew better how to
set onc-and the snowy bread, golden
butter, clear preserves aud j.lIies, were
themes OF ndmIrat'~n at all the tea Tables
IN the land. The Deacon didn't mind =
lew cents IN pound more Tor \ nicer
ham, AID would now and then trinr j, q,
treat OF oysters from the city when thew
were dearest. These were comf1ts. he
sald-one must stretch point for the
comforts of life.
Inc Deacon must not be mistaken for
Iyrahh'cal man or Il bad husband. -
" ne" he quietly put his wife's flower.
p''ch INTO his cornteld, he thought he
ma done h-r service by curing her If
az, absurd notion for thugs that toni,
tine and made trouble aud were of no
use; and she, dear soul, never had
breathcd dissent to any course of his
loud enough 10 let him know she had
one. He laughed ia his sleeve o,tao
"nen he saw her So tranquility inittin, @,
shirt making ut those TINES she had beer,
wont to give to her poor little con.rabant
pleasures. AS for the flower vases thew
were rrpentcd ot--and Mrs. Tildcn pu, !;
handful OF spring ancmones into crack
cd pitcher and set it on her kitchen table
TIL the Deac, II tossed them out Of the
window" he couldu' bear to see weeds
growing round"
The poor little woman had kind IF
chronic heart sickness, like the puiun IF
teethins child, but she never knew ex.
actty what 1t was she wunted IF she
ever was SICK no man could be kinda,
than the Deacon. He has been kn,w,
to harness in I'll haste and rush ,o ,b.
ne'snoor'ng town at four o'clock in the
morning, that he might bring her soma
deiiaacy sue had fancy GOV gov ,h,, H.,
could see the use Of; but he cvnIl ma,
syhpafh'ze IN her craving desire to So.
Powers Greek Slave, which was exhibit.
ed IN neiehboring town. What did
Christian people want Of stua ipar, -
ne wanted to know. He thought the
scripture put that thing down-"Eycs
have they, but they see not--ears have
they. but they hear not--neither sneak
they through their throat. Thew that
hnh l.