The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1872-08-22
Laughing in Meetin'. .

Laughing in Meetn'.
A REMlNIsCENCE BY Mrs. RrrCmHR rowE
We were in disgrace. we boys, and the
reason of it was this: We had laughed
out in meeting time To he sure, the
occasion was a trying one, even to more
disciplined nerves. Parson Lothrop had
exchanged pulpitS with Parson Summpral,
OF North Wearem. Now ParSon Sum
neral was man in the very otftSet likely
To provoke the risihlcS of unSpiritualized
juveniles. He was thin. wirv. triskv
little man, in powdered white wig. black
tights and silk stockings. with bright knee
buckles and shoe buckles, with round
dark, swapping eyes and curious high,
cracked, $quraking voice, the very tone
of which made all the children stare and
gig4le. The news that ParSon Summer
nj was going to preach in our village
spread abroad among Us as a prelude to
something funny. 1t had a flavor fike the
charm of cilcuS acting; and on Sunday
morning ot Our story we went to the house
of God in "A very hilarious state, all ready
to he set off into laugh on the sli irhtest
provocation.
The occasion was not long wanting
| parson Lothrop had tavorite dog yeepeh
"trip. whose behavior in meeting was mo-
torouSly far from that edifyinm pattern
which BELTS n minister's dog on Sundays
Trip was a nervous dog, and a dog that
could never be taught To conceal his emo
lions or To respect conYenlionalities. II
any thing about the performance in the
singers seat did not please him, he was
apt to express himself in II lugubriouS
howl. If the sermon was longer than
suited him. he would cape, with such a
loud creak Of his laws as would arouse
everybody's attention. It the flies dis
tulbed his afternoons nap, he would give
sudden snarlS or snaps; or if anything
troubled his dreams. he would bark out
IN his sleep in a manner not only to dis
pei his own slumbcrS. but those Of Ger
tain worthy deacons and old ladies, whose
sanctuary repOSe was thereby SOrc1V
broken and troubled. For all these
reasons. Madam Lothrop h d been forced.
as a general thing, to deny Trip the usual
sanctuary privilege of good family dogs
in that age, and Shut him up on Sundays
to private meditation. Trip, of course,
was only the more set on attendance, and
would hide behind doors, Jump out of
windows, sneak through byvays and
alleys, and lie hid till the second bell had
done tolling. when suddenly he would
appear in the broad aisle, innocent and
happy and take his seat rs composedly
rs any member OF the congregation.
Imagine us Youngsters on the qui ViVe
with excitement. ut seeing Parson Sum
neral trisk up into the pulpit with all the
vivacity of u black g1lsshoppcr. We
looked at each other and gig@lcA very
cautiously, with due respect to Aunt Lois
sharp 0bsel vation.
At first, there was only a mild, quiet
simmering Of giggle. compressed de-
corouslv within the bounds Of proprietY,
and we pursed our muscles up with strin-
gent resolutions, whenever we caught the
apprehensive eve OF our elders.
But when, directly after the closing
notes of the tolling second bell. Master
Trip walked gravely " the front aisle,
and, seating himself squarcly in front OF
the pulpit, raised his nose with a critical
ar toward the scene of the forthcoming
performance, ii was too much for us the
repression was almost convulsive. Trip
wore an alert. attentive ar, bpfitting u
sound, orthodox dog, who smells pos
sible heresy, and deems if his duty to
watch the proceedings narrowly. Evi
IDENTIFY he felt called upon to see who and
what were to occupy that pulpit in his
masters absence.
Up rose ParSon Summeral and up
went Trips nose vibrating with intense
attention.
The parson he@an in his high-cracked
voice to intone the hymn
Sing to the Lord aloud
when Trip broke out into a dismal howl.
The parson went ON To give directions
to the deacon, in the same voice in which
he had been reading, so that the whole
effect of the performance was somewhat
as follows:
''Sing to he Loud aloud"
(Please turn out that dog.)
"And make joyful noise
The dog was turned out, and the choir
did their best to make a joyful noise but
we boys were upset for the day, delivered
over to the temptations of Satan, and
plunged in waves and pillows of hysteri-
cal giggle, from which neither winks nor
trowns from Aunt Lois, nor the awful
fear of the tthing man, nor the comfort
able bits of fennel and orange peel, passed
ny toultl ItttN cl us.
Everybody felt, to be sure, that here
was II trial that called for some indul-
gence Hard faces, even among the
eternest saints, betrayed Il transient quiver
OF the risible muscles, old ladies' put mp
their fans, youths and malens in the
singers seats laughed outright, and for a
moment a general snicker among the
chirdren was pardoned But | was one
- a.. I,,a Ill
set in vibration, could not be composed.
When the reign of gravity and decorum
had returned. Harry and | sat by each
other, shaking with suppressed laughter.
Everything in the subsequent exercises
took a funny turn, and in the long prayer,
when everybody else was still and decor
Gus, the whole scene came over me with
such force that exploded with laughter,
and had to be taken out of meeting and
marched home by Aunt Lois as a convict
ed criminal What especially moved her
Indignation was that the more she rebul-
ed and upbraided, the more laughed till
the tears rolled down my checks. Which
Aunt Lois construed into wiltul desre
spect to her authority, and resented ac-
cordingly.
By Sunday evening, as we gathered
around the fire, the reaction from undue
gayety to sobriety had taken place, and
we We're in Il pensive and penitent state.
Grandmother was gracious and forgiving,
but Aunt Lois still preserved that frosty
air of reprobation which she held to be y
sautary means of quickening our con-
sciences for the future. 1t was, there
tore. with unusual delight that we saw
our old friend Sam come in and sit him
self quietly down on the block in the
chimney corner. With Sam we felt as
sured of indul gence and patronage, for.
though always rigidly moral and instruc-
tive in his turn of mind, he had that fell
low-feelng for transgressors which is
characteristic of the loose, ,iointed easy
going style of his individuality.