Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-10-27
From Appleton's journal.
THE DEACON'S STORY.

The solemn old bells In the steeple
Are ringin'. guess you know why.
Nor Well, then, I'll tell you, though mostly
It's whispered about on the sly.
Some six weeks ago, churCh-meetin'
Was scalled-for-nobodyk knew what;
But we went, and the parsOn was present,
And don't know who, or who not.
Some twenty odd members, calc'iate,
Which mostly was women, Of course;
Though don'f mean to say aught agn 'ein,
I've seen many gatherin's worse.
There in the front row. sat the deacons'
The eldest was old Deacon Pryor;
man countin' four score and seven,
And gin'rally tull of his Ire.
Beside him, his wife, countin' fourscole,
kind-hearted, motherly soul;
And, next 10 her. young Deacon Hartley,
good Christian man on the whole.
Mrs Parsons, a spinster OF nifty.
And long ago laid ON the shelf,
Had wedged herself next; and, beside her,
Was Deacon MunrOe-that's myself.
The mcctin' was soon called to order;
The parson looked glum as text;
We glanced at each other in silence,
And silently wondered ''What next!"
Then slowly uprOse Deacon Hartley;
HIS voice seemed to tremblc with fear,
Ar 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; bnt-you know,
NV dearly loved wife died last Christmas,
It's now nearly ten months ago.
The winter went by long and lonely,
The spring hurried forward apace;
The arm-wOrk came on, and needed
A woman about the old place.
1.-The children were wilder than rabbits,
And still growing worse every day;
No help to be found in the village,
Although was willin' to pay.
In fact was nigh bout discouraged.
For everything looked SO fOrlOrn;
When good little Patience McAlpine
Skipped into our kitchen one morn.
''She had only run in Of an errand,
But she laughed at our miserable plight;
And set to work, jist like woman.
A-putting the whole place to right.
And though her own folks was go busy,
And lily her helpin' could spare.
She'd fit in and out like sparrow,
And most every day she was there.
$50 the summer went by sort O. cheerful,
And one night, my baby, my Joe,
Seemed feverish, and fretful, and woke me,
BY crying at midnight, you know:
was tired with my days work, and sleepy,
And couldn't no way, keep him still;
So, at last, l grew angry, and spanked him,
And then he screamed out with will.
"Juet about then, heard soft rapping,
Away at the half-open door;
And then little Patience McAlpine
Walked shyly across the white floor.
Says she: 4 thought Joeey was cryin','
guess I'D best take him away.
knew you'd be gettin' up early,
To 20 to the marshes for hay;
So stay ed here tonight to get breakfast,
Igucss he'll he quiet with me-
Come Josey, kiss papa. and tell him
What nice little man you will be:
She was STOPPING low over the pillow,
And saw the big tears on his cheek;
Her face was so close to my whiskers,
I n fnf rNnv M
Her hands were both hOldin' the baby,
Her eye by his shoulder was hid;
But her mouth was so near, and so rosy
kissed her. That's just what did"
Then down sat the trembling sinner,
The sisters they murmured of 'shamc,"
And she shouldn't onghter let him.
No doubt she was mostly to blame
When straightway uprOse Deacon Pryor,
Now brethcrin 0hd sisters" he said
1--WE knowed then that sutbin was comm
And all sot still as TIE dead,
you've heard brother Hartley's confession,
And speak for myself. when I say.
That if my wife was dead, and my children
Were all CROWN worse every day;
And If nv house needed attention,
And Patience McAlpine had come,
And tidied the clnttered-up kitchen,
And made the place look more like home;
And If was worn out and sleepy,
And my baby wouldn't lie sill.
But fretied and woke me at midnight,
As babies, we know. sometimes Will;
And if Patience came in to hush him.
And twas all as our good brother scz-
think, friends-I think should kiss her,
And bde by the consequences"
Then down sat the elderly deacon,
The younger one lifted his face.
And smile rippled over the meetin'
Like light in Il shadowy place.
Perhaps, then the matronly sisters
Remembered their far away youth,
Or the daughters at home by their fircsidcs,
Shrined ca ch in her shy. modest truth;
For their judgments grew gentle and kindly,
And--Well-as | started TO say,
The solemn old bells in the stceple
Are ringin bridal to-day.
n. S. EMERSON.