The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1872-08-01

WAYS f3gfalN moral ana lbhFbcAAe ~ hle
iun of mind, be had that fellow feeling
for irausgrcssoe which is Characteristic
Of The loose iolntcd, casy-goinE style Of
bis individuality.
Lordy massy, boys yis said Sam, yir.
luously IN view Of some o. Aant Loiss
lhrnsts, We ought never TO laugh nor cut
up In meeting, that ares so, bnt then
there Is times when the best Of Us gets
took dowu We gets took uaawares, ye
see e-eyen ministers does, lis, natur'
win git the upper hand afore they know il.
Why sam, ministers don't ever laugh
in meetin' DO theyS
We put the question with wide eyes.
Such a supposition bordercd oRptofanity,
We thought; It was approaching the sin
Of Uzzah, who mwarily touched the ark
Of the Lord.
Laws, yes. Why, haven't You never
heard how there was counsel held to
try Parson Morrel for laughing out III
prayer time!
Laughing in prayer time! we both re-
peated, with uplifed hands and eyes
My graudmiher's mild face became lu-
minous with suppressed smile which
frightened Il as the moon does cloud,
but he said nothing.
les, yes, said my grandmother, that af-
fair did make dreadful scande in the
time ont. But Parson Morrel was good
man, and am glad the counsel wasn't
hard on him.
Wal, said sam Lawson, after all, il was
more Ike Babbitt's fault than twas any
body's Ye see, Ike he was alters for get
tin what he could out o. the town, and
he would feed his sheep on the meetin'
house green. Somehow or other, lke's
fences alters contrived TO get out come
Sunday, and up would come bis sheep,
and Ike was too pious to drive en- back
Sunday, and so there they was. He was
talked to enough about it, cause ye see,
TO have sheep and lambs ba-a-in' and a
blatin' all prayer and sermon time, wasn't
the thing. Member that are old meetin'
house mp to the north end, down under
Blueberry Hill, the land sort o. sloped
down, so as body he'd to come into the
meetin' house steppin down instead o. up.
Fact was, they said twas put there
cause the land want good for nothn'
else and the folks thought putin meet
in house ont would be clear sayin'-
but Parson Morrel he didn't like it--and
was free to tell 'em his mind ont, that it
was like bringin' the lame and the blind
to the Lords service, but theret was.
There warn't better minister nor no
one more set by in all the State than Par
son Morrel. His doctrines was right up
and, down good and sharp, and he give
saints and sinners their meat in due sea-
son, and for consolin' and comfortin' wild
lors anu vIpIIaus farson ETerroI hadn't
his match. The women sot lots by him
and he was allus' ready to take tea round J,
and make things pleasant and comfort
able, and he had good story for every
one and word for the children, and may
be an apple or cookey in his pocket for
'em. Wal, you know there amt no pleas
in every body, and eff Gabriel himself,
right down out o. heaven was to come
and be minister, / expect thOr'd be a
pickin' at his wings, and sort o fault
findin'. Now Aunt Jerushy Scran and
Aunt Polly Hokun they sed Parson
Morrel wasn't solemn enough. Ye see
there's them that thinks that minister
ought to be just like the town hearse, so
that You think Of death, judgement and
nothin' else, when you see him round !;
and eff they see man rosy and clipper
and havin pretty nice soeiable sort of a
time, why they say he amt spiritooal
minded. But in my times I've seen min
istcrs that the most awakenin' Kind in the
pulpit was the liyeliest when they was
out ont, There is time to laugh, Scrip
tur' says, tho some folks never seem TO
remember that arc.
But Sam, how came you to say ii was
Ike Babbitt's fault? What was it about
the sheep?
Oh wal, yis-Im comm TO that are.
1t was all about them sheep-I expect
they was the instrument the devil got 10
work, to tempt Parson Morrel TO laugh
in prayer time.
/ Ye sec there was old Dick, Ike's bell
wether, was the fghtin'est old crittur that
eve yer see, Why dick would butt al his
own sbadder, aud everybody said il was
a shame the old critter should be left to
ran loose, cause be run at the children
and scared the women half out their
wits. Wal, used to live out in that par
ish in them days, and Lem Sudoc aud ]
used 10 90 out sparkin' Sunday nights TO
see the Larkin gas-and we had to 20
right cross the lot where Dick was so
we used to go and stand at the fence and
call, and Dick would see US and put
down bis head and run at Us full ehiscl,
and come bunt agin the fence and then
T I'd ketch him By the horns aud hold him
while Lem run and got over the fence
/ pother side the lot, and then / lei 90 and
Len would holler and shake a stick at
at him and away he'd 20 fun butt at
Lem, and Lem would ketch him BY the
borns aud bold him on came over that
vas the way we managed Dick-but ei
he come up sudden behind fellow, he'd
I give him butt In the small Of the back
that would make him run on all fours one
whilc--he was a great rogue. Dick was.