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

we SCto ttOh ulftWdit yG SGo-cNt GU
ministers does. Yis, natur' will git the
upper hand atore they know it."
"Why Sam, ministers don't ever laugh
in meeting do theyo"
We put the question with wide eyes.
Such supposition bordered on profanity
we thought; it was approaching the sin of
Uzzah, who unwarily touched the ark of
the Lord.
Laws, yes. Why. haven't you never
heard how there was a council held to
try Parson Morrel for laughing out in
PRAYER time ?"
'Laughing is prayer time /" we both
repeated. with upitted hands and eyes.
My grandtather's mild face became lu-
minous with suppressed smile which
frightened it as the moon does cloud,
but he said nothing.
'Yes,ves," said my grandmother, that
affair did make dreadful scanlal in the
time ont. But Parson Morrel was good
man, and I'm glad the council wasn't hard
on him.
''Wal," said $ I'M Lawson, 'after all it
was more Ike Babbet's fault than twas
anYholy'S. Ie see, Ike, he was alters
tor getting what he could ont % the town,
AN he would feed his sheep on the meet
in.- house green. Somehow or other,
lke's fences alters contrived to give out,
come Sunday, and up would come his
sheep. and Ike was TOO pious to drive 'em
back, Sunday. and so there they was He
was talked to enough about it, case We
see, to have sheep and lambs "a ba-a-in'
and blatin' all prayer and summon
time, want the thing. Member that are
Il -, I
down under Blueberrv hin, the land sort
o sloped down, SO as a body he'd to come
into the meetln' house steppin' down in
stead o up
Fact was, they said it was put there
cause the land want good for nothn'
else, and the folks thought putting a meet
ing house ONT would be clear savin'-
but Parson Morrel he didn't like it-and
was free to tell 'em his mind ont, that it
was like bringing the lame and the blind
To the Lords salvice--but there twas
There waln't 81 better minister nor no
one set by in all the State than Parson
Morrel, His doctrines were right up and
down good and sharp, and he give saints
and sinners their meat in due season, and
for consoiln' and comlortin' Widders and
orpans Parson Morrel hadn't his match
The women sot lots by him and he was
allus' ready to take tea round, and make
things pleasant and comfortable, and he
had n good story for every one and a word
for the children, and may be an apple or
a cookey in his pocket for 'em. Wal, you
know there amt no pleasing everybody
and ct Gabriel himself, right out of heaven
was to come and be minister expect
there't be a picking at his wings. and a
sort o fault finding. Now Aunt ,Jerushy
Parson Morrel want solemn enough. Ye
see, there's them that thinks that a min
lister ought to be Jest like town hearse,
:" that We think o death, Judgment and
eternity, and nothn' else, when We see
him round; and eft they see man rosy
and clipper and havin' a pretty nice
sociable sort of a time, why, they say he
ain't SPECIFICALLY minded. But in my
times Eve seen ministers, the most awak-
ening kind in the pulpit that was the live
liest when they was out ont, There il a
time TO laugh, scripture says, tho some
folks never seem to remember that are"
''Bnt sam. how came you to say it was
Ike Rabbits fault What was it about
the Shccpp"
'0h wal. yis-l'm comm to that are.
1t was all about them sheep expect
they was the instrument the devil set to
work 10 tempt Parson Morrel to laugh III
PRAYER time.
Ye see there was old Dick, Ike's bell
wathcr, was the tightin'est old critter that
ever yer see. Why, Dick would butt at
his own shadder and everybody said it
was shame the old critter should be left
to run loose, cause he'd run at the children
and scared the women half out their wits
Wal. | used to live out in that parish in
them days and Lem Sudoc and used to
60 out sparkin' Sunday nights to see the
Larkin gals-and we had to 90 right cross
the lot where Dick was-so we used to 90
and stand at the fence and call, and Dick
would see us and put down his head and
run al us full chisel, and come butt agin
the fence and then I'd catch him by the
horns and hold him, while Lem run and
got over the fence tother side the lot, and
then id let 90 and away he would 60 full
butt at Lem, and Lem would ketch his
horns and hold him till came ovtr-that
was the way we managed Dick ef he
came suddenly up behind a feller. he'd
give him II butt in the small of the back
that would make him run on all fours one
while-he was great rogue, Dick was.
Wal, that summer remember they had
old Deacon Titkins for tithing man. and
tell Vou he gave it to the boys lively.
There was no sieepn' nor no playin', for
.he deacon had eyes like a glmblet, and
he was us quick as u cat, and the young
sters he'd to look out for themselves 1t
did really seem as if the deacon was like
them tour beasts in the Revelations that
was full of eyes behind and before, for
whichever way he was standing, if yon
give only "a wink he was down on you,
and hit you a tap with his stick | knew
once Lem Sudoc ust wrote two words in
the Psalm book and passed it to keziah
Larkin, and the deacon gave him such a
tap that Lem grew as red as d beet, and
vowed he'd be up with him some day for
that.
Well, Lordy massy, folks that is SO chip
per and high steppin' has to have their
come downs, and the deacon had to have
his.
That are Sunday, | remember it now
Jest as well as if twas yesterday. The
parson he gave us his great sermon, recon-
cilin' DEGREES and free agency-everybody
SalQ tndL are sermon was a masterpiece.
He preached it up in Cambridge at COM
mencement, but it 50 happened it was one
o them biin' hot days that come in Au-
gust, when you can fairly hear the buckle
berries a sizzln' and coOkin' on the bushes
and the locust keeps a gratln' like red
hot saw. Wal, such a time, DEGREES or
no decrees, the best on us will get sleepy.
The old meetin'-house stood right down
at the foot of a hill that KEEP off all the
wind, and the sun blazed away at them
great western winders, and there was a
pretty sleepy time there. Wal, the dea-
con he flew round spell, and woke up
the children and tapped the boys on the
head, and KEEP everything straigh ht as he
could till the sermon was most through.
when he rally got most tuckered out, and
he took chair and sot down in the door
right opposite the minister and fairly got
asleep himself, jest as the minister got up
to make his last prayer.
Wal, Parson Morrel had way O.
prayin' with his eyes open. Folks said it
warn't the best way, but it was Parson
Morrels way anyhow, and so as he was
prayin' he couldn't help seen' that Dea-
con Titkins was noddin' and bobbn'
out toward the place where old Dick was