The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1864-03-25
Mistellaneous.
From Iarper's Now Monthly Magazine.
THE CRUISE OF THE TWO DEAC0Ns
A TALE IN EIGHT CHAPTERS.
CHAPTER I.
A LITTLE INTRODUCTORY TASTE OF MUsKEoouE

LITTLE INTRODUCTORY TASTE OF MUsKEoGUE.
Among Patchogue, and Quoguc. and Cutch-
oguc, and the other Long Island places that
end in o-g-u.e there was once village called
Muskeoguc, and in Muskeoguc they had two
Meetings. One was the Old School Meeting,
Rev. Eeazar Stebbns. Pastor; the other was
the New School Meeting, which "sot under
Mr.. Reuben Kenworthy, Stated Supply. The
reason why the Rev. l.. Stebbins was Pastor Is
plain to the feeblest comprehension, but why
Mr.. Keuworthy was Stated Supply is an ETY.
mological puzzle, since "stated" is usually sup
posed to mean fixed for given time, and
Stated Supplies are at liberty to GO away when.
ever they get tired. However that was what
they called him, and Supply he certainly was.
of very excellent kind too, for not even the
most prominent members OF the female sewing
society, with half dozen matrimonially eligi
ble daughters, ever found his sermon too long,
too short, too practical, too doctrinal, or too
anything; albeit he married nobody except rs
a man marry his grandmothcr-to tho man who
wants her.
In Muskeogue the two Meetings read the
commandment Of st. John the Apostle with q
literal interpretation. "a new commandment
give unto you. little children, that ye love
one another;" and II an Old School Meeting
father found one Of his small boys whipping a
New School Meeting fathers little boy, be quot
ell this text to him, and gave II q practical ap..
plication with rs large shrub as he could ind
growing on the sandy South Shore; but immc'
diately after went to the Lecture Room confer
ence and cudgeled the other Meeting in aspeech
hal. an hour long. So that the Christian vir.
tues which fourished on the debatable ground
between the TWO Meetings were principally those
Of the sterner character. Sound faith, sound
doctrine, and another kind, indigenous to po-
lemic theology. sound hastings Of oil who va
ried from n certain reading of the Catechism.
Charity, tender allowance, peace with ones
neighbor, languished to great degree, or were
given over to the cultivation Of some poor ig-
norant old woman who, being too superannuat-
ell to fght, took tea with sister OF the other
Meeting and knit stockings, herb doctorcd, or
did the laying out for both Meetings promis-
cuous poor.
As to worldly advantages the two Meetings
we're about equally divided When the split
came the Old Meeting had stuck to the old
meeting house-there was prestige. But the
| New Meeting had young minister, as Deacon
Baldwin said "right spang out Of the summary
there was progress. The Old Meeting had
bell, somewhat In tone, to be sure, like ven-
erable fish kettle, and seeming OF Sunday to
saw 10 the thronging worshippers On irritable
"C;it eout git eout :" rather than ducet
evangelical "Come In come in /" But was !,
not cracked in . good cause-ringing in saints
aud sinners this many year long synel On
the other hand, the New Meeting had melo-
deon, bought, Il must be confessed, In the early
years OF the patent, when the Covenanter's term
of abhorrcnce, "a kist o. whistles, was not 50
very TAR from the truth: yet better. so the Choir
is,cr thought, than old Daddy Pringle's bare,
perhaps even thrcadbare. voice, assisted by the
feline soprano Of his thin daughter. and the cat.
.rv,ui h,ss of his spindllng son, which was the
only music they had ''oyer to tother Meet'n.
Az 10 principal men, too, the Meetings were
pretty closely matched. Old rejoiced in the
possession Of Mr.. Ebenerer Shubrick, whose IN
ther and grandfather before him had kept the
Muskeogue estore--grcatest institution Ct Muske-
ogue and all the other places that end in ogue,
next to the meeting h )use-who now kept II
himself, aud did the biggest business In truck,
plows, groceries. calico, hymn books. shoes,
everything Tor the life that now Is, that was ev
er done In any place 80 ending in ogue. And
for the life to come. Il was to be said Of him,
that when Parson Stebbins was confined to the
house by norsheastcr. he could lead the Meet.