The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-08-18
from Aprlcton's Journal.
THE DEACON'S STORY.


The solemn old bells in the stccplc
Are ringin'. l guess you know why
No? Well, then, IN tell you, though mUStl
Its whispered about on the sly.
Some six weeks ago,-a,chgreh mceGns - /
Was called-fer-nObody knewsYhat;i , =
But We went. and the parSOn was present,
And | don't know who, or who not.
Some twenty odd members, calc'latc.
Which mostly was women, OF course;
Though 4 'doh t moan to say aught ag Il 'em,
I've seen many eatherin's worse.
There in the front row, sat the deaconS'
The eldest was old Deacon Pryor;
A man countin' tourscore-and-seven,
And gin'rally full Of his ire.
Rei5o him. ,,,t / ifc, g ScOuntin' 1foaurslosl.
a kind-hearted, motheTly soul;
And, next 10 her, young Deacon Hartley.
A good christian man on the whole.
Miss Parsons, q Splnster of fifty,
And long aSp LAID On thefhelf, Al
Had Wedged herSeE next; and, beside her. l.
Was Deacon MunrOr-that's myself.
The mectin' was soon called to order;
The parsOn looked glum rs n text;
We gazed at each other in silence,
And silently wondered ny hat mex
Then slowly uprose Deacon Hartley
: His voice seemed to tremble with fear.
A ; he said Boy and man you have known me
My good friends, for nigh forty year.
"And YOU scarce may expect confession
OF error from me but-you know.
Nv dearly-loycd wife died last Christmas.
I lts.now nearly ten months ago,
The winter went by long and lonely,
! The spring hurried forward aPaCC;
The farin-wUrk came on, and knccdcd
A woman about the old place.
aThe children were wilder than rabbit.
And still growing worse every day;
No helpte be found in the village,
Although was wlllin' to pay.
In fact, l was nigh bout discouraged.
Fnr everything looked so fOrlorn;
When good little Patience McAlpinc
SkipTed into our kitchen one morn.
"Shc had only run in on an crrand.
But she laughed at our mis- 'TablC plight.
And set TO work, just like woman,
A-putting the whole place TO hight,
And though her own folks was SO busy.
And lily her hclpin, could spare,
She d lit in and out Ink u sparrow,
And most every day she was there.
,sSSo the summer went by sort + cheerful.
And one night my baby, my Joe,
seemed feycrish, and frCtiul, and woke me
nv CRYING, at midnight, you know,
wa tired with my day's work, aud SLEEPY.
Aud couldn't, no way. keep MIN sull;
- at last, / grew angry, and spanked him.
And then he screamed out with Will.
Just about then ! heard a soft rarpiu=, -.5
Away at the half-oIcn door; i. .....
And then little Patience McAlplnc
Walked shyly across the white l1ur.
Saws She: i thought Joscy was cTyiu'.
1 Eucss I'd best take him away.
| knew you d be gettin' ur, carly.
To 20 10 the marshes Tor hay:
50 l stayed here tonight to get brclkf..t
guess he II be quiet with mc-
Come JysCy, kiss papa, and tell nam
What a nice little man you viii Nr ~
She wls STOPPING low over the pillow.
And saw the big tears on his chcck.
Her face was 30 close 10 Hsy ~hrkcrs, .....
Ilars Mt move, scarcely. Or sTCaE'
Her hand were both holiin' the baby.
Her eye by his shoulder was hld'
But her mouth was so near. and -" I"-H.
kissed her. That just what l dId.
Then down sat the trembling sinner.
Tho sisters they mUrmurcd OF shane.
And she shouldn't cughtcr let him.
NodOubt she was mostly 70 blame.
When strairhtway up-rosc Deacon Pryor.
Now brCthCrIr 0tt sisters, he SAID
We knowod then that sumthin, was comm
And all sUt a. still as the dead.
You've heard brother Hartley confession.
And speak for myself, when say,
That If my wife wa dead, and my children
Were all CROWN worse every day;
And II my house needed attention,
And Patience MCAlriae had CONC.
And tidicd the CluttCTCI-ur kitchen:
And made the place look more like home
Andif was worn out and sleepy,
And my baby wouldn't lie still,
But frettel and woke Inc at midnight,
4 babies. We know, sometimes Will
And IL Patience came IN 10 hush him.
And twas all a our good brother scr
l think friends-I think should kIss her
And 'bide by the consequences.
Then down at the elderly deacon,
The younger one lifted his face.
And a zmilc riVplCI over the mCltu
Like IIEht ia = hadUwy place.
T,rhaTa. then. the wG'r1nly sister
Remembered their i0r away youth,
Ut the daughter al hnug - their Ire l,tL.
~ilrinod each in her shy, modest truth
For their judgments grew gently and kinds
And-wClI las started 90 3y,
The solemn old bell m the stcCPlc
Are TIurI4' q bridal to-day: