Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1861-02-21
THE DEAC0N'S DILEMMA;
or,
The use Of the Beautiful,


The use Of the Beautiful.
Deacon Tilden had the squarest neaiest white
house that ever showed its keen angles from the
dusky clumps Of old lilac bushes In front of
II stood. on each side Of the doorway, two thrift
ty cherry trees, which bore a bushcl each every
season. Excepting the aforementioned lilac
trees, there was not flower or shrub round the
place. Rose bushes the Deacon thought rotted
the house, anl the honeysuckle which his wife
tried to train over the porch was torn down when
the painters came, and, on the whole, the Dea
con said, what was the use of puttInS it up SO
long as IL did not bear any thing
BY the side of the house was a thrifty, we'll
kept garden, with pleanty Of currant bushes,
gooseberry bushes aud ounce trees--and the
beets and carrots aud onions were the pride of
the Deaeon's heart; but. as he often proudly said.
"every thing was for use"-there was nothing
fancy about il. Ills wife put In timorously one
season for a flower border-Mrs. Jenkyns had
given her a petunla, aud Mr.. Smpkns had
brought her package of flower seeds from New
York.-and so n bed was laid out. But thrifty
Deacon soon found that the wedding of II took
time that Mrs. Tilden might give to her dairy,
or to making shirts and knitting stockings, and
so II really troubled his conscience. The next
spring he turned it into his corn field; and. when
his wife mildly intimated her disappointment,
said placidy, "After all, twas thngo no use,
and took time"--and Mrs. Tilden, being meek
woman, and one of the kind OF saints who al
a.. Il
specially confessed her sin of being inwardly
vexed about the incident in her pray that night.
and prayed that her eyes might be turned of from
beholding vanity, and that she might be quick
ensd in the way Of mindng her word.
The front parlor Of the Deaeon's house was
the most frigid asylum OF fneatness that eyerdis-
couraged the eyes and heart OF visitor. The
four black walls were guiltless of any engraving
or painting, or OF any adornment but an ordinary
wall paper aud 4 framed copy OF the Declaration
of Independence On each of the three sides
stoo.l four chairs-under the looking glass was
a shining mahogany table, with n large Bible and
an almanac on it--and pair of gold, glistening
brass andirons illustrated the fireplace. The
mantleshelf above had pair of bright brass
ciadlesticks with pair of snuiiers between
and that was ALL The Deacon liked tit was
plain and simple mo nonsense about it--eyery
thing for use and nothing for show--it suited him.
His wife sometimes sighed and looked round it,
when she was sewing, as if she wanted some
thing, and then sung in the good old psalm
"From vanity turn of my eyes:
Let no corrupt design
Or cOvetous desires arise
Within the heart of mine
The corrupt design to which this estmable
matron had been tempted had been the purchase
of pair of Parian flower vases, whose beauty
had struck to her heart when she went with her
butter and eggs to the neiehboring city--but
recollecting herself in time, she had resolutely
shut her eyes to the allurement, and spent the
money usefuly in buying loaf sugar.
! For it is to be remembered that the Deacon
was fond of good eating, and prided himself on
the bounties of his wiie's table. Few women
knew better how to set one--and the snowy
bread golden butter, clear preserves and jellies,
we're themes of admiration at all the tea tables
! in the land The Deacon didn't miEd few cents
| in pound more for a nicer ham, and would now
and then bring in treat of oysters from the
city when they we're dearest. These were COM
forts. he said.-one must stretch point for the
comforts of life
The Deacon must not be mistaken for tyran-
nical man or a bad husband. When he quietly
put his wifc's flower patch into his corn field, he
thought he had done her service by curing her
Il. .lot
and made trouble, and were of use; and she
dear soul, never had breathed a dissent to any
course of his loud enough to let him know she
had one He laughed in his sleeve often when
he saw her so TRANQUILITY knitting or shirt making
at those times she had been wont to give to her
poor little contraband pleasures. As for the
flower vases, they were repented of-and MIS-
Tilden put handful of spring anemoncs into a
cracked pitcher and set il on her kitchen table
till the Deacon tossed them out of the window
'she couldn't bear to sec weeds growing round
| The poor little woman had kind of chronic
heart sickness, like the pining Of teething
child. but she never knew exactly what she
wanted Ii she ever was sick, no man could be
kinder than the Deacon, He has been known to
harness in all haste and rush to the neighbor-
ing town at four o'clock in the morning, that he
might bring her some delicaces she had fancy
for-for that he could see the use OF; but he
could not sympathze in her craving desire to
see Powers's Greek Slave, which was exhibiting
in neighboring town. 'What did Christian
people want of stun imagesl' he wanted TO
know He thought 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: so is every one that trusteth in
them" There was the Deacon's opinion of the
arts; and Mrs. Deacon 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 like; but as Jethrc
was smart, driving lad. and making money
at great pace, he at first said nothing. But or
his mothers birthday, down he came and
brought box for his mother, which, being un
packed, contained Parian statuette of Paul and
Virginia. lovely, simple little group as eycI
told its story in clay.
Every body was soon standing round it ir
open mouthed admiration, and poor Mrs. Til
den wiped her eyes more than once as she look
ed on IT, II seemed a vision of beauty in the
deso'ate neatness of the best room