Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1866-04-27

would howl through his nose " They wer'
all very cross. A for the Deacon he locke
around as innocent as a lamb, and though
he had sung as well as any Of them.
Immediately after meeting the choir leade
called on the minister. .'Sir." said he,
"this must stop If Deacon Goodman
sings again, do not.
"Oh know it," sand the minister, -
have long felt the difficulty; but what car
We do Deacon Goodman Is a most excel
lent man; but his only faults are that he i
rather sat IN has ,c0y and WH sing IN meet
ing."
but Deacon Goodman Ii reasona
bic man, SAID the choir leader.
''On most occasions, = replied the minister
/ "Do 20 and see him, sir for my mind l.
made up If he Sings m meeting, DO not. ~
deacon Goodman said the minister
Il have come on a delicate Grand; ] have
come to present the respectful request of the
/ choir that YOU will not again sing N
I mosfiRg.'
The Deacon was thunderstrUck But he
soon recovered, " Singing is praying said
/ he - They may just as well ask me not to
I pray | shall sing M HeefiHg- And on
/ the next Sunday. sure enough he dIi loud
/ er, and If possible, more inlarmonious than
/ ever. The men singers looked dagscrs at
{ him the girls hid their smiles behind their
music books. Little Mary was not there
/ =. This shdE stop, said the choir leader.
| &c will 20 and ste tim myself.
" Deacon Goodman. We all most high.y
respect YOU. q you must well know Bnt
YOU hare iiof the musical voice. and 1t Is the
earnest wish of the choir, and many "i thc
congregation, that you do not again 9Hg M
mating" The Deacon WAS again Thunder
struck, but soon recovered 90 Singing l.
uraying." said be-. .' aud they might rs We'll
tell me not to pray. ! shall s'Hg in '''f''Hg.
Tire good Deacon Was drcdiuly " set in
hi- wav." and 80 10 went on again week
after week. IN the same old way.
But an incident occurred. which contrib
utcd much to bring this singular ease u a
crisis Ab0u, two miles from the Deacon :
comfortable dwelling, there WAS wretehed
hovel, which imperlectly sheltered the
wretched wife and children of a still more
wretchcd drunkard.
On one Of the most inclement evenings Of
a New England January, the Deacon started
out. What did he care for the storm ''
am going on Gods GRAND. said he to him
self. Il am going 70 visit the worse than
widow and fathorless." The next thing he
said was, " Oh. get out That he meant
for the promptings of hs own proud heart.
Misery, misery. indeed did he find In
that most miserable dwelling. The poor
wretch himself. was drunk on the floor The
poor pale woman was sobhIng her very heart
out. TIE children were clamor0us: and
but few were the wOrus OF their clamor.-
e. am cold. - am hungry and that
was all The Deacon brought in wood and
made un a FIRE. lighted a candle, and
omptied the bag and basket Of food be had
brought The p0or pale woman wcpt and
sobhed her thanks. "Oh, you yarmint,
said the Deacon. rs he looked At the husband
and father; and broke of piece of bread
for the children. The general coUmotiOn
aroused the 20 T wretch from his drunken
stupor lie looked up and recognized the
Deacon.
.Hullow. old music, said be, ''are you
here? give Us a stavc. old nightingale. Sing
as you do in meeting. Sing and scare the
rats away "Why, what on earth does
the critter mean?'' said the Deacon. The
poor, ualc. grateful woman smiled through
her tears. She could not help 1t. She had
Nttll a rlliENA III iAA ANNNN-
also heard the Deacon sing.
| do not record these incidents merely be-
cause they are honorable to Deacon Good
man. but because they are particularly con
nected with NV story In this crrand OF
mercy the good Deacon caught very serious
cold il affected his throat. and his nose,
and even his lungs and gave TO hls voice
tone of a cracked bass viol alternating with
the shrek Of clarionett powerfully but
unskilfully blown. - Now Deacon, SAID
Mrs. Goodman. you are dreadful hoarse :.
you ronf sing tomorrow, will you =
.sSipging is uraying-and-' and he dropp d
asleep. And sure enough he did - sing to-
morrow and it surpassed all that had gone
I before. sThis is the last Of it, said the
/ choir leader 81 have done. In the alter
noon. the choir was vacant, some OF the
singers absent and others scattered about IN
/ the pews. The Minister read three verses ol
| a psalm: and then observed, ''the choir be-
/ ing absent. singing must necessarily be
/ omitted But Deacon Goodman saw no
1 such necessity. He arose. and sung the
three verses himself He stopped SIX times
! TO sneeze and blew his nose between the
verses. by way of symphony The next
| day he was slck abed. \ parish meeting
was hastily called, and a resolution unanl-
mously passed, that "Whercas the solemnity
and decorum of public worship depend
much on the character OF the music re-
solved that hereafter, no person shall aAg ''i
meeting. IN this parish, without the apIro-
bation of the choir" Rather a stringent
measure but what could they do? The
Minister called on Deacon Goodman, and
handed him the resolution. lie read it over
three times. He then calmly folded up the
naner and handed it back to the Minister
This is a free country yet, | hope.
shall sinq in meeting" lie said those very
words. He was dreadfully "set in hi
way. "a.
STben Deacon said the Minister, .
have a most PAINFUL duty to perform; .
am instructed to tell YOU, that You
connection with the society must cease
The Deacon started from his seat. HaC
the full moon snlit into four pieces, AM
danced auadrille in the heavens; Orlol
SINGING. and the Northern Bear gr0wllni
bass. he could not have been more astoupied
He was silent. Emotion after emotion role
, over his heaving spirit. "At length tear
, came TO his relief" as they say in tn
novels. He spoke, but almost inarticulate
= IL. IL know am poor unworthy creature
= but hope they will take me IN somewhere;
: The Minister wept himself. How could b
! help it? The Deaeon's cold was nearl
: cured and about an hour after the intel
; view. he was seen mounted on old MAJ
! heading due north. Four miles in that d
rection. lived the worthy Minister Of anoth'
parish. The Deacon found him in his stud.
: where also was his daughter copying musi
} She was a proficient in the art, and playt
: the organ in her fathers church. She ha
1 heard of the DeacOn's musical troubles, an
had also heard him sing. SSH, SAID he
5 the Minister, ''there has been little diihcu
d ty in our parish, which makes me feel 1t l, n
.s duty to withdraw and come to ask g
privilege of uniting with yours, At tn
D.; moment the young lady vanished IRON U
ie room.) Il much regret the difheulty IN yo
parish" said the Minister, ''and hope II W
/; be amicably settled. But If you hnai
h conclude to withdraw. We shall be most ma
Z py to receive you; and when it shall plea
E. the Lord to take good old Deacon Grimes
~ himself fand n verv few davs muet now q