Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1869-10-01
LOV.E,S ESTATE.
How a New England Deacon Broke
the Sabbath.


A curious incident of Sabbath break
ing occurred in the parish of Hampton.
Conn.,, in the good old time. A certain
Jolly farmer, who lived several miles from
the meetir g-house, was astonlshed to
observe one Sunday morning his near
neighbor, a pious deacon, hard at work
in bis bayfield,, with his sons and his
hired men," But the truth was soon
OWNED; the deacon, who took no daily
paper and owned no almanac, IN
short not literary man,-had mistaken
the day of the week, and his well-ordered
family had adopted his error. lam sorry
to add that being more of wag than
saint, our farmer declined to enlighten
the innocent Sabbath breaker, but drove
on, chuckling, toward the sanctuary =
The deacon looked after him, and, pau
sing in the midst of the broad swath he
was cutting, exclaimed: "Ef there ANT
neighbor DoolittIe, and Mrs. Doolitte.
and all the children, dressed up and goin'
visitin' Saturday mornin, in the midst OF
havin' time. That beats ALL"
The next morning the deacon and the
deacon's wife, his sons and daughters,
his hired man. the hired girl, and the
bound boy" all arrayed it their Sunday
best, set out for the meeting in good or
der---the eldest son on horseback, with
the eldest daughter mounted behind on a
pillon; the deacon, with the rest of the
family, in the big farmwagon, drawn by
n pair of stout roans, who logged along
with their meekest Sunday look on
The family delusion extended even to the
yellow dog, who trotted in the rear Of
tue decorous turnout, without secular
frisk, or bark, or gambol.
On the way to the village the deacon
was surprised and shocked to sec several
of his fellow townsmen at work on their
fields. He invariably stopped to rcprove
them; but the joke Of bis own Sunday
work had spread through the neigbbor-
hood, and was SO much relished that no
Que cared to undeceiye him. Each farm
er's excuse for bis impiety was the nee
essity Of getting in his hay before a
shower, which he pretended was immi
nent, though the sky was cloudless. -
REPRESENTATIONS and replies were some
thing after this sort:
why, Uncle Zebulon! this here is q
fine day, with no appearance of rain"
"Jes' so, deacon; but the winds little
unstiddy, and l believe in takn' time by
the forelock."
"But uncle, it is the Lords time"
"Yes, deacon; but intend to send a
load of this here hay to Parson Mosely,
and that'll make it all square, guess"
"Why, neighbor Barlow, where under
the canopy do you find signs of rain to
day?'
"In the corus, deacon. When they
begin to shoot look out for damp
spell; and it always comes, sooner or
latter"
"Why Ephraim Pettingin; am beat
You horse shoeing on Sunday!'
"Why, you know, deacon, "a marciful
man is marciful to his beast"
After each specious response the dea-
Con shook his head moarnfully, and drove
on. lie reached the village, drove up to
the meeting house steps, where he and
bis hired man handed ont the "women
folks" and chldren-his son and daugh-
ter had already dismounted at the horse
block-and together they marveled much
at the closed meeting house doors, and
the vacant wagon she'd There they
waited, more and more amazed, till sew
eral loungers from the village store gath
cred around them, laughing and quizzing
till terrible small boy called out, ''what
are you doin, here Monday? Did you
sleep over Sunday, or did you forget to
put your beans into the oven Saturday
night?"
Upon that hint they went riding and
driving homeward at quite festive rate
Of speed, albeit in deeply mortified and
penitential state of mind.-Independent
1t was in Massachusetts village that
an old scissors grinder, calling on a min
lister, mado the usual query, Auy scis
sors to grind e.
Receiving negative answer, it was the
minister's turn, which he took by asking
" Arc you a man of God 2"
| do not understand you."
care you prepared to die?"
The question struck home Gathering
up bis kit and scrambling for the door
lie exclaimed terror stricken:
80 Lord o Lord you amt going tc