Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1860-01-05
PHARISEES AND SINNERS.

He was saint of the family, and the mod
ell man of the neighborhood. There was not
a charity that he did not subscribe to, not a
deputation that he did not entertain--and
they were hungry fellows generally, who
knew the comforting virtues of his choice Ma
deira-he founded Sunday schools and Cha
pels ofEase as other men would build barns,
aud he was the public purse Of all the ten
parishes round. The poor called him a real
gentleman, and the ungodly fine fellow /;
while the elect looked solemn, and spoke of
that pious man, Jacob Everett :" through
their noses for the most part. No one had
an ill word for him u; excepting the landlord
of the Grapes, who declared with a mighty
oath that he was the "pest Of the place, and
would ruin all Green Grove if he was left to
do as he liked" Notwithstanding this BAG
chic judgment, Jacob Everett was good
man weak, perhaps, but lovable in his very
weakness sincere, gentle, generous, merci-
full, puritahc in principle, but--as his young
err brother, the archdeacon, once said in full
vestry, when Jacob opposed him about the
penance Of HANNAH Brown-"sadly latitude
marian in practice" Jacob, however, who
loved mercy and hated condemnation, went
on bis own way, opening wide door Of for
gvcness to all sinners ; closing to q narrow
chink the yawning gates of destruction which
his brother swung back wide enough for all
mankind, saving the small band OF the elect
to which he and his belonged.
The family was proud of Jacob. He was
an old bachelor and rich and the Everetts
albeit of the rigdest-liked wealth and
honored pedigrees. They were grand people,
who practised humility in coaches, and self
abasement in velvet who denounced the
lusts OF the flesh at state dinner parties, over
champagne and pine apples but who belle
we'd that eternal punishment was the doom OF
all who entered a theatre or ballroom.
They went to morning concerts of serious mu-
sic, and patronized oratories. They thought
it sinful to be in love, and called it making
idols--so they married their children com
fortably among godly families with money,
and told them that esteem was better than
romance. Miss Tabitha Everett was once
suspected of tender Partially for young Mr.
Aldlidge of Aldridge Park but the family
hnshed it up as a scandal, for unconvcrted
Mr. Aldridge kept pack of hounds. After.
""aoo WV llultiCu " tuC hcCtOE vi
Green Grove, the Honorable and Reverend
Humdrummle Hilbert, eldest son of the
Dean, and heir to an un-apostolic fortune -
The Everctts were exceedingly undemonstra.
tive. Miss Tabitha accepted her husband
and, concealing her feelings, made a very
good wife. For marriage was not their forte
Not an Everett was ever known to stoor
down to kiss husbands forhcad as he sal
before the lire reading not an Everett was
ever known to talk nonsense in the nursery
neither to ride a-cock-horse, nor to bcwai
the fate OF Humpty Dumpty, neither to rock
a-by-baby ON tree top, nor to perform q
monody in A minor, all about "Kiddlie, Coo
sic, Coca song once heard from deal
young mother, and which thought the most
beautiful of songs. The Everetts were moi
given to any such follies excepting Jacob
who loved children as they would be loved
and who used to play at bo-peep with thu
cottagers' babies.
Some years ago-,just at the time wher
pretty Anna Fay, the Sunduy-school mis-
tress, so suddenly left Green Groves strange
alteration took place in Jacob Everett. Hi
cheerfulness, which had been his stronges
characteristic, was exchanged for the mos
painful depression. He talked frequently o
his sins, and gave more literally than ever t.
missions and charities His friends could moi
understand this depression which, at last
became habitual. He gave them no clue t.
it; but, with scarcely days warning, b,
left home to travel in the south of Europe
He had been looking i'll and more than eve
harrassed of late and every one said, it wa
the best thing he could do, great as would b,
every body's loss. His sister Tabitha alon
OBJECTED on the score of the Jesuits. How
ever Jacob went discharging all his serv
ants ana shutting up the beautiful old Hall
10 the INFINITE surprise of everybody he open
ly and unblushingly took from the peiphbor
ing village certain Betty Thorne. q fin
handsome, Roman looking woman, o farmer
sister, aged about forty. And Betty Thorn
travelled with him in his own carriage
. Five years passed away, and Jacobs lei
tiers became rarer and more rare. He wrot
: ever in. the same depressed condition of mind
r spoke often of agood Betty Thorne, who ha
been such blessed comfort to him." an
limited vaguely at some nnforgiyen sin. The
Tor two years more no letters came, even
answer to business inquiries; and all trace
the traveller was lost. His yery bankers di