Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1867-01-02
a GOOD STORY
THE SILENT DEACON'S OPIN-
HON.

When the next summer comes, with
it's heat, and dust, and languor, and the.
tired spirit, fainting by the way, cries
out for the wings of dove, go up to
W, among the hills made sacred
to Nature, where the hurry and anxi-
ETY. of commerce are unknown, and
the silent Sundays are never broken by
the whizzing of machinery, or defilcd
by its smoke and steam. You will see
no Newport bellies, no Belmont equip
ages, nor will you be hidden to any
Fhops'-they don't 'hop' there-but
you will be taken into holy, calm
rest, such as the pilgrim found in the
chamber which was called Peace If
you have toiled hard enough to de-
serve rest, you will find it in W /;
if not, you will seek it anywhere in
vain.
1t is the most silent place in the
world; and were it not for the farmer
turning his burrows, or casting his
seed, you might imagine yourself al
ready where 'Sabbaths never end
Perhaps it is only because Nature
reigns with such calm dignity, and
echoes back every sound so lovingly,
that W seems silent in compari-
son with other places.
Entering the neat, capacious church,
fatherly and motherly faces meet your
eye on every hand, and you will soon
forget that you are a stranger.
Yonder, in the square pew sits Dea-
con Lee; you would know he was q
deacon if he had not told you. Some
men are born deacons-what q pity
that some should enter the holy office
who are not! Deacon Lee was not a
native of W, but went there to till
a farm left him by an aged relative
some twenty years ago-about the time
Deacon Bell died, leaving sad void
in the church and the parsonage-for
he was q pillar in Zion, and a strong
arm to his pastor After seeking long
to fill his place, the mind of the church
united on the newcomer, who, by his
solemnity, piety, and zeal, seemed Gre
ated for the place. He was man of
few words, rarely ever talking; 30 that
the boys called him at first q grum
old man. But they soon changed
their opinion; for heset apart tree of
summer sweetings and one of bell-pears
for their express benefit, as they went
to and from school, and surprised them
by fine swing, which he had hung
for them in his walnut grove. So the
verdict of that and each succeeding
generation of boys was, that although
the deacon never talked, he was kind
and genial man, and lover of children.
Every boy, for twenty years back, had
been his shepherd, his Waterman, or
his assistant farmer; feeling it high
honor to hitch his horse on Sunday, or
to drive his manure cart on Monday ;
and all because they saw, through tho
thick veil of reserve, the love that
burned and glowed in his heart
Deacon Lees minister trusted in
him and the church felt her temporal
affairs safe in his hands, and the world
honored his stern consistency.
There was serpent in Eden, and a
Judas in that thrice blessed band who
walked and talked with our Redeemer
on earth, and who saw his glory ming.
led with his humanity; why, then,
need we wonder that one man. subtitle
and treacherous, hid himself in the
calm verdure of W, crawling out
ready to spring upon them with his
poisoned fangs? Upright, faithful, and
earnest as were the people, they were
not proof against fattery and decep-
ton. There came among them one
quite unused to their unostentatious
way of serving God, and ambitious, as
he said, 'of seeing them make some
stir in the world We know from