Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-08-31

Strickland" said the parson, mildly.
aThere's none so deaf as those
who won't hear" exclaimed Miss
Strickland, tartly. where's your
wife,"
"She is at home, and in bed"
"Not that one," returned Miss
Strickland, with dreadful emphasis.
l mean the poor, crazy being, that
you keep shot up here, and amuse
yourself with beating every night till
the whole neighborhood can hear her
scream, 'ah,' and 'oh,' and 'um.'"
"Deacon Pilgrove, please explain
Miss Strickland's meaning exclaimed
the rarson.
"Ahem! hemr' said the deacon,
clearing his throat, and evidently
not knowing just where to begin.
" You see, sir, we have noticed these
lights here o'nights in the winders,
and seen you come in here night after
night"
"But how in the world did you
happen to see the lights, deacon? l
selected the back chamber because it
looked upon Cedar Swamp, where no
one wo'd be likely to notice the light,
or be disturbed by it,"
saw it from my garret window,
first" said Miss Strickland. ~ was
up there to get some arbs for Frank
Gridley's wife that was sick with in
formation of the stummik; and after
that l watched-yes, Parson How.
ard, watched and seed all of your
dreadful doings."
"And now if you've got crazy
wife, let Us get view of her, said
Mrs. Sweetser. Il read in book
once about man by the name of
Rochester, that kept his marryid wife
shot up in his house, and sot out to
marry another woman, but the Lord
didn't let him be so wicked"
Il have no one here but myself"
said the parson.
Well, what upon airth are you
doing here at nights, after it is time
for decent folks to be abed," asked
the deacon impatiently.
"It's dreadful works for a minister
Of the gospel"
" | know il ia wrong" rpnlipd the
parson meekly. 1t is my weakness
my sin, if you choose to call it so.
We all have these secret sins, you
know"
Il don't" said Miss Strickland
emphatically.
"And now, brethren and sisters, l
have a confession to make" He
wiped his forehead and pulled his
coat closer around him. my sin
is"
BigotryT calculated Miss Strick-
land.
"The Lord forbid" said the par
son dovoutly.
Well, what is your sin then p
asked Mrs. Sweetser.
Smoking! | am an inveterate
smoker, and my wife detests the
smell of the weed. She objects to
my smoking at the parsonage because
it fouls the curtains. The doctor
ordered me to practice gymnasts ev-
cry day to keep up my strength, and
| told Charlotte | would have the
thing put up here, and here | would
come every night for an hour to ex.
ercise and smoke"
But dear Parson Howard" said
Mrs. Sweetser, "where did all the
abs, and obs, and ums, and the groans
come from!"
" Just try and swing yourself over
that bar sister Sweetser, and come
down on your head, as | have done
many a time, and you will believe
me when tell you l made the noise
myself. And now, ladies, if you viii
have the goodness to leave, l will
dress myself and 60 home"
There was a stampede down stairs
a wild hoop from Tom Chester, anc
the other boys who had listened OF
the landing-and the discomfted
gossips sought their several homes.
The next day Miss Strickland lef
Spruceville to visit an imaginary
aunt hundred miles, and did no
return in a hurry. She could not en-
dure the jokes Of which she was wis,
enough to know she would be mad
the butt.
Deacon Pilgrove made his atone
ment by sending the minister loat
Of potatoes, and one of Mrs. Sweet
; ser's best cheeses found its way t.
, the parsonage larder before the weel
was out.
And Parson Howard still exercise
at the Jenkins mansion, and proba
bly, INDUCES in his secret sin; but
) is suffered to 60 unmolested.