Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-09-15
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plenty that it was almost Impossible TO
keep sheep, and only now and then
'cosset' was raised as pet. A good
deacon had reared one, and as it had be-
come rather troublesome, he killed IT,.
Mutton was great treat in those parts;
so he reserved one quarter for himself
and one for the minister, and divided
the remainder into smaller portions and
distributed it among their few neigh
bors. The minister's portion was placed |
in an out building for safe keeping until |
the next day, but in the morning it was |
no where to be found some one had |
stolen it, ans the pelt in which 1t was
wrapped.
Greatly disappointed, the deacon and
his wife resolved to make some amends
for the loss to the minister, and there
fore selected their incest cheese, and
placed it in a covered basket, and sent
it, with polite note, by their two boys
1t was berry-time; and the boys made
frequent stops, both going and coming
When they returned, great was the sur
prise of the deacon to find note from
the minister cordially thanking him for
the present of a quarter of mutton, and
asking him to accept the gift contained
in the basket as an expression of his re-
gard.
Mutton Mutton 7" said the dea-
con "he was probably thinking of the
sheep killed yesterday, when he wrote
the note. But let us examine the
basket" He opened it, and there was
fiat stonel
The deacon was good man, but this
aroused his indignation, and he could
not refrain from speaking harshly Of
such treatment from one he had always
considered his friend BY the advice of
his wife, in the afternoon he called on
! the minister for an explanation, taking
with him small cut of the mutton for
a peace offering. The minister and his
| wife had Just gone out, and as the dea-
con was talking with their little girl, he
happened to look into an open pantry,
and there spied the very quarter OF NUT
ton stolen from him the night previous ::
he knew it by the marks he had made in
dressing it. without another word he
seized it, and went home in great wrath,
convinced that the minister was thief,
and determined to have nothing more to
do with him. The minister on his re-
turn was equally indignant at the con
duct of the deacon, but prudently re-
solved to say nothing of the matter.
For three weeks after, the deacon and
his wife were absent from church. Ev-
erybody wondered why; but he would
make no explanation, neither would the
minister. Finally meeting of the
church members was called. with a de
termination to have the strange actor
of the deacon explained, and he resolved
to let the whole story out. He told the
circumstance and expressed great grie
at what he considered the shameful con
.duct of the minister. The latter gentle
man then made his statement. He sale
that the deacon's boys had brought hin
a quarter of mutton in a basket and il
return he had placed there neat family
bible.
Everybody now looked at his neigh
Dor. wondering what it could mean
some thought them both crazy, other
thought of witchcraft. All was still a
the grave for some minutes, when Their
arose man formerly known as Wicked
= Will, who had lately reformed and joine
j the church.
4 Brethren" said he in a tremblin
s voice, 81 stole that quarter of muttoE
i On my way home in the night 1 wa
q chased by wolves, and climbed tire
/, for safety, where 1 had to stay till the
} went away in the morning. Bein
afraid to take the meat home by day
light, hid it in the woods; but t
make sure of it stayed near the plac'
, intending to carry it away early in tn
I evening. While there the deacon
' boys came along, and from my hidin
place heard them speak ofwhat had hal
9 pened. | also found that it was to
q warm for the meat to keep through tn
! day; and SO when they were busy gail
I ering berries, slipped the cheese out {
! the basket and put in the meat. Whe
: they returned they stopped again; an
f hearing them speak of present for tn
a deacon, | examined the basket; an
n finding a nice package there though
it might be valuable, so / took it OF
+ and put in the stone. But that is M
4 all. On reaching home safely, opene
|, the package to examine my prize. Viii
!, carelessly turning over the leaves, N
p eyes fell upon the passage-'Thou sha
r not steal > and from that moment
, found no peace until | became change
!. man.
4 Thus the whole mystery was SOLVED
o and the deacon and the minister we
/ not only reconciled, but they hearth
% rejoiced together that their Temporal
II loss of peace had resulted in SO great
n good as the reformation Of Wicked Wi
- ---Amevieaa 4grie,ltarist.
le ELECTORAL CoLLEGR.--The relati
st | .,o,,1.L 80 H. o.,to, l., H. oloo,or