Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-11-16
Misfellanecns.
THE DEACON,S COURTsHIP.


BY A. EMERY.
The handsomest and richest woman in
all that countryside was the widow Ad-
ans. The reigning toast and belle at six
teen, bride at eighteen, q widow at
twenty, endowed with the largest and
best farm in the upper parish, with outlay
In pasture and woodlands, and thousands
in bond stock, little wonder that though
her Grape had not diminished one iota, and
her rosy cheeks and bright eyes were still
shrouded in the widow veil, that manly
eyes and manly hearts should be directed
towards her; less wonder that when a
sleighing party from the Port should
visit her on bright moonlight evening
that the pretty widow should look her
best aud be toasted as never before over
her Thanksgiving cake, sweet cider and
choice old Jamaica; or that when the
beaux and bellies the next evening were
congregated in the schoolhouse on the
screen, to practice choir singing, which
was just beginning to supercede the old
fashioned "deaconing out" that the hand
some widow and her surroundings should
become matter for discussion.
Deacon Cluff at the ''Pines, had holy
horror of this new style Of singing. Though
a man only little past forty he held in
sacred disdain any infringementofh his sab
atical privileges. 1t made him person
of mark to stand in the deacon's
seat before the pulpit and read two lines
of the psalm for those in the singing gal
cry to turn into melody. So the deacon
that evening had determined to go over to
the schoolhouse to stop the disorderly pro-
ceedings. Six weeks widower, dare
not aver how strongly other reasons urged
the step. Let no one infer that the de-
funct Mrs. Cluff was forgotten, on the con-
trary she was remembered every hour in
the day. He was lonesome, his house
was at skies and sevens, his children un-
ruly. Then he was conscious of q strange
sense of freedom-the feminine world was
again open to him; it was pleasant to
gaze at the lovely maidens of the society.
He was high in the social scale; last year
overseer of the poor, this selectman of the
town, spoken of as being likely to be sent
to the high and mighty General Court on
the following. With his standing in the
church, surely he might aspire to the fair
est and richest of the land
A huge fire of green logs was sput-
tering and sizzling in the wide stone fire.
place of the rude half-tinished temple of
learning; the tallow candles, stuck into
square blocks, Whitfield from pine stick,
cast weird light over the clumsy desks
and seats, hacked and disfigured by their
various occupants, casting ghostly shad-
ows over the time-stained and smoke-em-
Drowned walls. Grouped around the
smoking fire. and perched hither and
thither upon the benches and desks, were
some thirty lads and lasses, singers at the
"Green," and few friends, come to as
sist in the requirement of sacred harmony.
Deacon Cluff was no artist fear he
scarcely understood the full meaning Of the
the term-still, as he pushed aside the
clumsy outer door and stood in the little
yestibule, the picturesqness of the scene
arrested his steps, and caused him to stand
unobserved in the half open entrance to
the larger room.
A merry laugh rang round the group as
the deacon paused; a curly-haired, blue
eyed miss, perched upon the front desk,
exclaimed:
"Elbridge" Clifton expects to marry the
rich and handsome widow we visited last
night; but the lady is good Godfearing
Fcderalist, and would not look twice at
such Tom Paine infidel and Jeffersonian
Democrat. Now John Pike has chance.
Cheer up John; if the school-marm did
give you the mitfen, l heard the Widow
Adams ask you the price of salt hay"
Another uproarious appeal was the re-
sponse TO this sally.
"Who is this Widow Adams ?" inquired
young man throwing down the bellows
with which he had been coaxing the fire.
My cousin, Mrs. Bessie Adams, the
fairest AMI wealthiest dame in the country
replied the damsel on the front desk.
"Where does she live?"
"On splendid farm in the upper parish.
It's a magnificent place. Don't you wish
to be introduced? Very likely You could
cut out Clifton"
''And what would Miss Near do if he
did9" querried a distinguished looking
young man who was leaning against the
teachers desk.
''Marry Deacon Cluff. Girls, you've
chance l saw him peeking round the
meeting house Sunday. His wife is cold
in the ground by this time, and he is still
young and good-looking; has lots of the
ready, is big man-intends to be bigger;
has only six responsibilities. Girls, there's
a chance! Hurrah vote for the deacon
the boys may have the widow. Bring
on your books, let's proceed to business"
Before the preceding had half spoken
Deacon Cluff had retreated across the en-
try. At its close, fogetting his mission,
he fairly bolted and ran, never stopping
till past the pond and green, when wiping
the perspiration from his brow, he began
to gather up his ideas. Yes. the little
mink was right, he was still young and
good-looking, rich, and man of note.
Who was this widow Adamsp He must
learn! To be sure it was rather quick
after his wfe's death, but then, some OF
those young fellows would obtain her, and
doubtless she would prefer an older. more
staid man like himself At any rate, it
could do no hurt to introduce himself.
He needed some pigs; Of course on such
a farm there would be an abundance of
porkers, at least pigs could be an excuse
to call. He would ride up to the upper
parish the next Thursday lecture, and as
certain where the lady resided, and have
look at her. if nothing more. The
Thursday afternoon lecture was great
institution with our forefathers. A half
holiday to the schools, it was as regularly
attandad as the Sabbath sarvicac and fhoss