Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1861-01-22
From the New York independently
THE DEACON'S DILEMMA.
BY MRS. HARRIET BrEcurR srowr.

THE DEACON'S DILEMMA.
BY MRS. HARRIET BEEcHEk STOWE.
Deacon Tilden had the squarest, neatest
white house, that ever showed its keen
angles from the dusky clumps of old lilac
bushes. In front Of it stood on each side
of the doorway, two thrifty cherry trees,
which bore bushel each every season
Excepting the aforementioned lilac trees,
there was not shrub around the place
Rose bushes the Deacon thought rOtted the
house. and the honey-suckle which his wife
tried to train over the porch was torp down
when the painters came. and on the whole,
the Deacon said, what was the use OF put
ting it up, so bong as it did not bear any
thingi
BY the side Of the house was thrifty,
well kept garden, with plenty Of currant
bushes, ounce trees, and the beets and
carrots and onions were the pride Of the
Deacon's heart; but, as he often proudly
said, everything was for USE" there was
nothing fancy about it. His wife put in
timorously one season for flower border
Mrs. Jeukyns had given her a petunia,
ard Mrs. Simpkins bai brought her a pack
age Of flower seeds from New York-and
so bed was laid out. But the thrifty
Deacon soon found that the wedding of It
took time that Mrs. Tilden might give to
her diary, or to making shirts and knitting
Stockings; and so it really troubled his
conscience. The next spring be turned it
into his cornfeld; and when his wife
mildly intimated her disappointment, said
placidly, latter all, twas thing of no
use, and took time )" and Mrs. Tilden,
being a meek woman, and one of the kind
of saints who always suppose themselves
miserable sinners, specially confessed her
sin Of being inwardly yexed about the
incident in her prayers that night, and
prayed that her eyes might be turned of
from beholding vanity, and that she might
be quickened in the way of minding her
work.
The front parlor of the Deacon's house
wac the most frigid silence Of neatne>s that
ever discouraged the eyes and heart Of a
visitor. The four blank walls were guilt
less OF any engraving or painting, or Of any
ndOrDment but an ordinary wall paper and
framed copy Of the Declaration Of Inde-
pendence-cn each of the three sides stood
four chairs-under the looking glass was
shining mahogany table, with large bible
and almanac on it-and pair of cold
clustering brass andirous, illustrated the
fireplace. The mantel shelf above had a
pair OF shutters between-and that was all.
The Deacon liked Tit was plain and
sImple-no nonsense about it-everything
for use and nothing for show-it suited
him. His wife sometimes sighed and
looked around it, when she was sewing, as
If she wanted something, and then sung in
the good old psalm
From vanity turn of NY eyes;
Let no corrupt design
Or cOyet0us desire arise
Within this heart Of mine
The corrupt design to which this estima
BILE matron had been tempted had been the
purchase Of a pair of Parian flower vases.
whose beauty had struck to her heart when
she went with her butter and eggs TO the
neighbOring cjty-but recollecting herself
in time, she had resolutely shut her ewes
to the aliurement, and spent the money
usefully in buying loaf sugar.
For 1t is to be remem bered that the Dea.
con was fond OF good eating, ard prided
himself on the bOunties OF his wifc's table.
Few women knew better how TO set one
and the snowy bread, golden butter, clear
preserves and jellies, were themes nf admi.
ration at all the tea tables in the land
The Deacon didn't mind few cents in a
pound more for nicer ham. aud would
now and then bring in rreat Of oysters
from the city when they we've Dearest
These were comforts, he saId-uae must
stretch point for the Goa. f0.is f life.
The Deacon mast GOT be aken f,r a
tyrannical man %. u cau hu-Lqra Whap
he quietly put hi ", e's fuu er e,cu i,,to
his corDteld, be tho ht be d goo 4, her
service by curing h"f o. ar ,b,il i .,p. on
for things that took tim- aat nj ,5iauble
and were of no use aua she, tear soul,
bad never breathed dissent to any course
OF his loud enough to let him know she bad
one. lie laughed in his sleeve often when
he saw her so TRANQUILITY krit,ing or shirt
making at those times she had been wont
TO give TO her poor little cOnraband Plea
sures. As for the flower vases, they were
repented of-and Mrs. TIlden puta handful
offspring anemones into carcked pitcher
and set it on her kitchen table, till the
Deacon tossed them out Of the window
he couldn't bear to see weeds growing
around"
The poor little woman had kind of
chronic heart sickness, like the pinng of
teethlng child; but che never knew exactly
what 1t was she wanted. If she ever was
sick no man could be kinder than the
Deacon. lie had been KIN .wn to harness
IN all haste and rush to the neighboring
town a. four O'Clock ia the morning. that
ne might bring her some delicacy she had
fancy fOr-ior that he could see the use
of; but he could not sympathize in her
craving desire to see Powers Greek Slave.
which was exhibiting in a neirbborinp
town. "What did Christian people want
of stun images ?" he wanted 70 know He
thought that the Scripture put that thing
down" Eyes have they, but they see not
ears have they, but they hear not
neither speak they through their throat
They that make them are like unto them
80 Is every one that trusteth in them -
There was the Deacon's opinions of arts
and Mrs. Tilden only sighed, and wished
she could see it, that was all
But it came to pass that the Deacon,s
eldest son went to live in New York, and
from that time strange changes began To
appear In the family that the Deacon didn't
hke but as JethrO was smart, driving
lad, aud making money at great pace he
at first said nothing. But on his mnther's
birthday, down he came and brougbta box
Tor ais mother, which, being unpacked,
contained Parian statuette Of Paul end
Nrginla-a lovely, simple little group as
ever told its story in clay.
Everybody was soon standing around
It IN open mOuthed admiration, and poor
Mrs. Tilden wiped Der eyes more than once
as she looked on it. 1t seemed a vision of
beauty in the desOlats neatness of the lest
room.
Very pretty, 'spose" said the Deacon,
oonblfuil y-for like most fathers of spirited
twenty three olders. he began to feel a lit
Tic awe OF his SON" but, dear me, what a
sight OF money to give for a thing that after
all is of no use !"
think, said Jethro, looking at his
mothers sufused eyes. i. is Que of the
most useful things that has been brought
into this house this maly day"
don't see how You're IT,. make
that out, said the De. .rgrr /, sppre-