St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1867-08-09
A Laughing Deacon.

Beecher in his new novel thus define
ates the character of laughing deacon.
Some genuine model doubtless sits for the
portrait:
How they ever made deacon out OF
Jerry Marble | never could imagine
His was the kindest heart that ever bub-
bled and run over. He was tough, elias
tic, incessantly active, and a prodigious
worker. He seemed never to tire, but
after the longest days toll he sprang up
the moment he had done with work rs
if he had been a fine steel spring. A
few hours sleep sufiiced him. and he saw
the morning stars the year round. His
weazened face was leather color. but
forever changing TO keep some sort OF
congruity between itself and his ewes, that
winked and blinked and split all with
merry good nature He always seemed
afflicted when obliged TO keep sober.
He had been known TO laugh in meeting
although he ran his face behind his hand
kerchiet and coushed. yet nobody believ-
ed IL Once, on hot summer day. he
saw Deacon Trowbridge-a sober and
fat man of great sobriety-gradually as
cending from the bodily state into that
spiritual condition entitled sleep. He
was blameless of the act He had eaten
two or three heads of fennel in vain.
AMI piece OF orange peel. He had STIR
red himself up and fixed his ewes on the
minister with intense firmness only TO
have them grow gradually narrower and
milder, If he held his head up firmly it
would, with sudden lapse fall away
over backwards Ii he leaned forward,
ii would suddenly fall on his bosom,
At each nod, recovering himself. he
would nod again, with his eyes wide
open, To impress the boys that he did so
on purpose at both times.
In what other painful event OF life has
a good man SO little sympathy as when
overcome with sleep in meeting time
Against the inSiduous seduction he ar
rays every conceivable resistance. He
stands up awhile; he pinches himself
or pricks himself with pins He looks
helple>sly TO the pulpit As if suceor
might come from thence lie crosses his
legs uncomtortably. and attempts to re-
cite catechism or the multiplication II,
hle. lie SEXES languid fan. which
treacherouSly leaves him in calm. He
tries 10 reason, TO notice the phenomena
Oh, that some one could CARRY his pew
10 bed with him what tossing waketul-
neS- what fiery chase after somnolencv
In his lawful bed man cannot sleep,
andIin his pew he cannot keep awake
Happy man who does not sleep Ill
church, Deacon Trowbridye was not
that man; Deacon Marble WAS.
Deacon Marble witnessed the conflict
We sketchcd above, and when good Mr.
TrOwbridge made his next lurch, recoy.
erin. himself with a snort. and ther
drew ont Ted pocket handkerchief anc
blew his nose with loud imitation a:
ii to LET the boys know that he had no.
been asleep, poor Deacon Marble wa
brought 10 Z sore trial But have rea
son TO think that he would have wealth
cred the stress if il had not been for &
sweet faced little boy in from; OF the gal
lerv The lad had been Innocent,
watching the same scene, and at If. eli
max laughed out loud, frank and mu
steal laugh, then disappeared into hi.
mothers lap. That laugh was Just too
much. aud Deacon Marble could NJ
more help laughing than could Deacon
: Trowbridge help sleeping. Nor could h
conceal it, Though he coughed and pu
up his handkerchief and hemmed-i
was q laugh. deacon and every boz
; in the house knew it and liked You tn
better for it-so inexperienced wer
they