The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1861-04-05
NJ | SCEL L A NEOUS.
SPEAKING HIS MIND,

| Old Deacon Hobhouse had habit offre
| quently thinking aloud. Especially # any
matter troubled him, he had to talk il owe,
WITH hi1self before his peace O. mind could b.
restored. One day he was alone in his barn
| pitching hay from the scafIoId to the now, ssber
ms 1eigbbor Stevens went 10 find him. Ste.
| vens head voice and listened. It was The
| deacon, talking TO himself. lie was condemn
ing in the strongest terms, the extravaganza oil
the minister's wife.
"She seis worse example than Satan 10 ex-
claimed the deacon by way of climax.
And having freed his mind, be was was pre-
Parlns to come down from The loft, when Ste
vens glidsa out Of the barn, and came in again
just as toe deacon landed on The floor
''How DE dos deacon !'' cried Stevens -s'I
want TO borrow your half-bushel an hour or
two
s'Oh, saisin, sariin, said the deacon.
The measure was put into the ueighbor's 3
hands and he ieparled.
II was peaceful communicative MINIS
ter's vile was an excellent woman, notwith-
standing bef love oi 6nery, and Deacon Hob
, house wasof all men the least disposed to make
trodble in tx society. Hence the sensation
which was produced when the report circuia-
ted that be had used almost biasphemous lam
guage IN speakIng OF that amiabie lady. The
sweetest tettpered lady would not like TO hear
of grava Inluential deacon declaring that
'She sets #oIse example than Satan 20 The
minister ss4ife, whose ear was 10 due time
reached bysfhe report, felt in high degree ia
ceused, andgen. her husband TO deal with the
honrst old II,
The latteg ssonished when told Of The.
grave char sssasg gs&hsl hin.
81 neveeFSfd SO" be solemnly averred.
"1ou ar-sealte positive that you never did 2"
said tBs, fbter.
'sn-ayea abows Il is as false as can be !.''
exclaimed ilEsdeacon. "Whaieyer thoughts
may have ha4about your wlfv's extravagance-
and am noA free 10 think she has sci our
wives and daughters running after new bon
nets, shaWls3 and such vanities-whateyer
thoughts I've had though, I've kept them to
myself | Eeser mentioned 'em TO living soul,
never :"
The good rams eaynestness quite convinced
the minister ~ he had been falsely reported.
IL was therefore necessary 10 dig TO tue root OF
the scandal. Mrs. Brown, who told the mn-
ister's wife, bad heard Mrs. Jones say thdMlr.
Adams said that Deacon hobhouse said SO MIR.
Adams, being applied to stated that he had The
iepOit HOAI SteSSuS, WuO Sdld BE nae DeaTd the
deacon say so. Stevens was accordingly
brought up fer examination, aud confronted
with the deacon.
"lt's an outrageous faSehood !" said the dea-
con. ''You know, Stevens, that never open
ed my lips to you on the su?ject--nor to any
other man."
81 heard you say" remarked Stevens, cool
!y, "tnat the minister's wife sets worse exam
pie than Satan and ! can lake my oath of
10
"Wbete! where!" demanded the excited
deacon.
"ln your barn." replied Stevens, "when !
went TO borrow your halfbushe."
"There never was such lie Stevens
Stevens" said the quivering deacon--"you
know --"
"Wait till EXPLAIN" interrupted Stevens.
81 was on the barn-foor, you was up on the
scafold pitching hay, and talking to yourself.
thought it too good TO keep; so, just for the
joke, told what heard you say"
The deacon scratched bis head, looked hum
bled, aBd sdmitted that he might, in that way,
have used the language attributed 10 him. To
avoid trouble in the society, be ate: wards vert
TO apo.ogise to lhe minister's wife.
''You must cons;der," said he, ''that I was
talking TO myself; and when talk TO mys.lf,
am apt to speak my mind very freely"