The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1871-07-06

his custom when laboring under great
mental excitement-he replied: well,
Domins''-this was term he always
used upon state occasions-''ify you really
think 1 must, will do the best can"
And then he added, after moments
hesitation, II hain't got the books. I
suppose you will let me 60 into your
study to write-I'll 60 home for din-
ner.
ooh certainly" replied the Dominic,
hardly able to suppress faint twinkle
in his eyes, land my vile will be much
pleased to have you take dinner, and
supper, too, should you not get through
before meal time.
"Very good" said the deacon, I'm 60
over as soon as get my morning chores
done up.
An hour later, but yet early in the
morning, found the deacon in the.,min.
ister's study preparing for work. He
had left word at home to keep some dim
ner for him, as he might possibly not
ex pected, but still expressed the opin-
ion that as he had only to write enough
to keep him reading half an hour, he
would, il he had no bad luck, get
through by noon. ,+.a., .....
TO give the Deacon the credit due him
1t must be said that he did lave, with
all his failings, q foundation Of good
sense IN his mind, and was pretty
good judge Of what minister's sermon
ought to be. .,.,
The minister's good wife had prepared
everything to his hand. She had placed
paper and ink on the table, together
with a Bible, Cruden's Concordance
and most formidable pile of commen-
taries. @'S&''
The deacon proceeded at once to bus
iness. He stood q moment to take q
survey of the situation, and then drew
off his coat, and, throwing 1t over a
chair, rolled up his red flannel shirt
sleeves with as much energy as If he
were going to chop wood. Then he sat
down at the table, counted out as many
sheets o: sermon paper as he thought he
would use and pronounced himself all
ready. BY this time 1t was few min
utes after nine o'clock.
"Well," said he to himself, "the first
thing suppose ministers have to settle
is what text text they will select
Here he took up the Bible and glanced
through it. There were plenty of texts
there, beyond question, but which one
This was poser. Now he thought of {
certain verse-now Of another. Ht
read part Of a chapter here, and part 0
another there, and ther laid back in thu
chair and thought-the lower buttor
was suffering terribly.
Here was text that would do, bu
the minister had preached upon it lateI,
here was another that would make
splendid discourse, but the condition .
the church was not such as to warran
that kind Of . sermon. After grea
deal of reflection both these were re
jected.
Just then, to the deacon's horror, th'
clock struck II. He caught up his pei
and dipped it in the ink-but, there va
that stubborn fact, he must have a text
He wondered how ministers decide,
that very important matter. "Ah! nov
1 have it," he exclaimed. mo, tha
won't do either.'
The hour soon passed and thus endet
the first half day.
Promptly at twelve the minister
wife called him to dinner, and, although
much inclined not to, he went.
"Well, deacon how do you get on
Have you settled upon your text yet?'
said the lady cheerfully, THAT is one o
husbands greatest troubles-I hav
known him sometimes to spend Who'll
day in search for an appropriate tex
without coming to any decision"
The deacon ate dinner almost ia 81
lence. Some new and profoun
thoughts were working in his brain
aud more than once he laid down hi
knife and fork and felt for that particu
lar button.
In the afternoon he was q little NOR
successful. So much so that by nigh
he had rejected every subject that h
might possibly find interesting and use
full, but one, and to that one attached
text, and actually written several page
of the sermon-but it was night and h
must 60. The deacon's wife was yer
shrewd as we'll as good woman, All
she knew how to do what a great man
women do nOt-she knew when not
talk. And this evening; she Judge
from her husbands countenance, ws
such time. They went silently to bet
About half past twelve o'clock she W,
awakened by the deacon's asking h,
which of the two texts he repeated sh
thought best for sermon.
The next morning the deacon con
planned of q Notwithstanding th'
he had not slept more than two hou
all the night. @-a .-.s { =
Nine O'Clock found him hard at wor
, again. But alas he soon came TO full
realize what he had dimly suspectt
, during the night-that he was not +
miliar with his subject.
1t was evident to him that he must {
what he had so often heard the minist
=, talk about, he must ''read up'-mu
] 90 through that pile Of commentari
Y and post up on the subject.
8 But where was the end! Book aft
book demanded his attention, until Il
y second sun actually went down upe
/ his tired and weary head and unfinis
. | pd taak @=ar o. ffa=< .=EF ...-s. m