The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1864-05-13
our MISIsTEu,s TRIAL.
by REV. W. Ii. HAYWARD.

4
almost written good-church mem
bers loved him. / am sorry to say
that few, thorned by the words
which fell from his lips when he en-
ldeavored to excite his brethren and
sisters to
"a closer walk with God"
Regarded him with other emotions
than the fruits of the spirit.
Like all other good men, he was
carefully watched by those who would
have been transported with fiend-
like delight could they have found a
flaw in his conduct.
"Well well! ~ said Mrs. Monroe,
the wheel wright's wife, to her hus-
band, as they sat at the breakfast ia
bic one morning, "suppose Mr.. Ha.
ven did kiss Fanny Lawton. She
was almost one of the family--what
in the world was the harm 7"
"But," said the wheel-wright, 81
don't believe that he did kiss her."
Fanny herself said that he did,"
replied the wife.
This seemed to be n clincher to
Mr.. Monroe. He deliberately wiped
his face with his hand -kerchief, and
with q downcast, thoughtful look, and
much slower pace than usual, went
to his shop.
He had hardly taken his shave in
his hand, and begun to ply it on an
unfinished spoke before Deacon
Brown came in. The Deacon stood
awhile chewing small fragment of a
shaving and talking about this, that,
and nothing. Suddenly he said:
brother Monroe, have you heard
about our minister?"
"Yes,' replied the brother.
Then there was not word spoken
for several minutes. The wheel
wright lustily worked on the spoke
the Deacon looked out of the window.
At length Mr. Monroe asked, in a
low tone of voice
"What is to be done?"
"Something must" was the Dea-
cons answer, "or the cause will suf-
fer"
And then he walked rapidly up the
street.
"What is this story about Mr.. Ha-
ven's improper treatment of young
ladies?' asked cynical lawyer rhomp-
son of Woodward the tavern. keeper.
"Why," said the mixer of sherry
cobblers and drawer of strong beer,
"the parson is no better than others"
"IIavc you heard of the sanity
priest Haven's fallP' was the eues-
tion of one infldel to another.
"Yes, just rs / thought it would be
---lla, la, IN =:
Something must be done," were
the words Of Deacon Brown, "and
that soon," he thought, but did not
speak.
SO from the wheel wright's he went
to the house of another Deacon--Ben-
ton johnson. lie had heard the sto.
ry, and, being an enemy, believed il
and was determined to deal with the
offender.
The dcacons called on the minis.
ter. Deacon Johnson was spokes.
man. The story in full was that Mrs
Barnard, grass widow-that is {
, woman whose husband had gone Of
) because he could not live with her,
. had heard, rs she was passing the
parsonage, Fanny Lawton say to ont
OF the children. ''You lost kiss from
your father by not being in the hous,
= when he got home this afternoon from
hn vii I
Mr.. Haven denied ever having kiss
5 ed the girl, and suggested that tn
dcacons should write to Fanny, VIII,
v was teaching school about twent,
n miles distant, and get at the truth o
the matter.
=. The dcacons did. They steppe,
d into the minister's study and wrote
In q few days there came the reply.
"You ask me if on one occasio
Rey. Mr., Haven gave me kiss
where we were, and who were pres
= ent. in answer l state: Rev. MI
: Haven did one afternoon, while wa
staying at his house and in the sitting
10 room, give me kiss. No person
but ourselves were present"
Deacon Johnson was elatcd, an
- Immediately wrote to his wife's cou;
in, Young candidate, that ther
would soon be vacant parish wher
he, no doubt, could receive call.
Deacon Brown was thunderstruc
and disappointed. Fanny Lawton
word was not TO be doubted--it W.
so plain matter that there could !
no mistake. Mr.. Haven, after al
was wolf in sheep's clothing. ST
the minister denied the charge. +
- could not such thing without beir
aware of it, and knew that he hs
never kissed the girl, or any 9th
girl but his wife, before marriage,
since, in his life.
Deacon Johnson brought the enti
matter before the church. lie w
y, excellent on such cases. The char:
a contained two distinct allegations:
dy l. Rev. Thornton Haven had be-
guilty of great impropriety, viii,
u. rendered it expedient that he shou
be dismissed from the pastorate.
2. He had lied in the matter,
Fanny Lawton was sent for, al
II the church called together. Rev. S
Ion Dickinson, the pastor Of neig
'A boring church, was present as mo
IN, orator. The meeting-house was fill
l..