The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1864-07-01


Y Of modification, that, for time, he omitte
| to attend church OF Sunday. Not only wa
: he satsfsd that every one in the con greea
, ton knew about the ring, but he could clear
, !y perceive change in the manner of hi
most intimate acquaintances who were mem
: bers of the church.
I Grant was not man entirely sold TO sci
tishneSs. He was not deliberate wrong
deer, hiding his evil purposes and acts unde
hypocrijical exterior. He had con nscience
and at times its voice was loud and distinct
lie vas, rterefprc, troubled ahou, the ring Al
fact indicating the state ot his aft ctions
as well IS troubled about the cond.mnator,
Judgment of his brethren. There were auc
] luatons ot state, Of course, as there are witt
: all OF Us. Sometm, he was n state O
humiliation on account of the evil he hat
done, and sometimes in state of ipdigna
: ton at Harrison for having been so eager t,
! publish MS fault rom the hou>e-top.
Gradually. however, the p, ,er-recurrino
5 new purposes and Interests Wnlch come tc
all In passing through life, threw the pas,
With It's influences into the shade and the re-
! turns OF states of modification on accoun,
: of the ring were less and less frequent. Mr.
: Grant resumed his attendance al church. AID
Mingled, as of old, with his b. ethren though
, in rather more subdued and less confden,
/ spirits. That affair of the ring could not be
entirely forgotten.
: In due course Of time the minister on the
station had to leave. and new one was ap-
!, pointed by the Conference to take his place.
The Rev. MIR. C arrived early in the
week, and during the eried that elapsed
between that and the Sabba;k. visited good
deal among the brethren. During that time
az evening was spent at Mr.. Harrison's but
no one brought him around to introduce him
TO Mr.. Grant. The jeweller felt this, and
his mlad, IN searching ABOUT for reasons
rested very naturally upon the affair of the
gold ring, and he did not doubt but that the
occurrence had been fully related to Mr..
Under this feeling Mr.. Grant went to
church. His first sight Of the new preacher
was wnen he arose in the pulpit to give out
tie hymn. His counlenance did not make a
very favorable impression, bat his voice,
when he commenced reading the hymn, had
a tone and moduiatioa that were pleasing
The subject of the discourse which followed
! was practical, and had reference to mans
conduct towards his fellow man in the COM
mon affairs of life. From general PROPOSE
! tons, the minister, after entering upon his
sermon, came down to things in particular
He dwelt upon the love of dominion so deep
, ly rooted III the humon heart, and showed IN
various ways, how it was exercised by indi-
vidua!s in ali the grades of common society.
a more deeply rooted evil than this he
went on to sar, is theft. We all inherit, in
, i greater or less degree. the desire to possess
our neighbor's goods and, with the earliest
development Of the mind comes the activity
ct that desire. Il is seen in the child when
he appropriates the paythirg of another
child, ard in the so called good and honest
citizen when, in bargaining, be secures an
advantage at the expense of his brother
Descending. gradually, to the introduction
of p4iticuiar forms OF ovegreachirg as prac-
tictd in trad,> all of which Mr. C desig-
mated as instances of theft, he finally brought
forward all instance So nearly resem ling TIE
one in which Mr.. Grant had been engaged.
that the latter ielt himself, as has been seen.
particularly pointed out and left the church
at th- close of the service in state O. ex-
element and Indignation. To have that old
matter, about winch he had already suffered
enough, 'rahed over as he said, 'and ex
posed to ligh, again was a little more than
ne was disposed to submit to with patience.
~ las De,n seen, he dix! not conceal what
,lS in his mind.
On Mo"Iay, a brother member OF the
churcn dropped in - see the j"we'ler.
How 90 ,ou like Mr.. C" WAS the
natural inquiry.
Not al ALL replied Mr. Grant, in a posi-
tive tore.
You didn't? Why, | was delighted with
him WHAT Is your objection? -
He vas personal in his di>Corcse'
Il perceived nnthin. p-r>o,,l'
Though did. ard u, Jue crosses: kind.
How VAS it possible for stranger Ike
Mr. C t. be personal? He kncws moth
ing of tn charac' rrs or conduct of indiiyd-
uals here
Strangers generally have quick ears, and
there ale alWavs plenty of new,-venders TO
fill them. iie's been with the Harrisons, and
W. all know wh9t the are
TO whom did he refer ?? was asked.
Gle referred to me-
TO you?'
Certainly he did Ard doa't ike it at
all. That's not NE wav 10 preach the gos-
pei. This running eff with one side of a
story, and taking al for granted. holding a
man up 20 public odiunI, is not, as conceive,
following in the footsteps of our Great Mas
ter.
q am sorry you have taken up such an
impression,' was replied to this. 81 cannot
believe that Mr.. c. really intended to
held you up 10 public odium. He couldn't
have meant to designate YOU
'He must have meant me. Don't know p
SO another and another objection was made
to Mg. C un the same ground; and be-
fo.e the week was out it was pretty widely
known that the new preacher had INDUCED
in reprehensib!e personalities. Some said
this was an error in the preacher; others.
that ne was highly hlamabe; while others
affirmed that there must be some mistake
about the matter.
On the following Sunday Mr.. Grant was
absent from his usual place in the church
, 1t would do him no good to sit under the
ministry OF Mr.. C.
During the week that followed, two of the
official members called upon the jeweller to
make inquiries about the alleged personal-
ties. Grant was, by this time, pretty sore
on the subject, and when allusion was made
to it, he gave his opinion of the preacher in
10 very choice language.
In what did this personality. consist p ask
! ed one of the visitors.
Its hardly necessary to ask that question:
replied Grant.
1T is for me. No one, whom l have yet
seen has been able to give me any informa-
I Il.