Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1872-10-03

din and a bobbin' out toward tho
place where old Dick was feedin' with
the sheep. front O the meetin' house
door
Lem and me was sittin' where we
could look out, and we jest see old
Dick stop feediu,' and look at the dea'
con.-The deacon had little round
head ss smooth as an apple, with q
nice powered wig on it. and he sot
there maxim bobs and bows, ana Dick
begun to think it was suthin' sort OF
pussonal. Lem and me was sittin'
just where we could look out and see
the hull pictur, and Lem was fit to
split
Good, now,' says he, that critter'll
pay the deacon off lively pretty soon.
The deacon bobbed his head a spell
and old Dick he shook his horns and
and stomped at him sort o. threaten
in Finally the deacon he gave
great bow and brought his head down
at him. and old Dick he sot ou, full
tilt and come down on him ker chunk
and knocked him head over heels into
the broad aisle, and his wig flew one
way and he t'other, and Dick made a
lungc at il as it flew, and carried it off
on his horns.
Wal, you may believe that broke up
the meetin' for one while, for Parson
Morrel laughed out, and all the girls
and boys they stomped and roared,
and the old deacon he got up and be-
gan rubbin' his shins-cause he didn't
see the joke ont
You don't orter laugh says he, it 5
no laughing matter-it's a solemn
thing, says ne. Il might have been
sent into 'tarnty by that darned crit
ter, says he. Then they roared and
-hawed the more to see the deacon
dancin' round with his little shiny
head, 50 smooth fly would trip up
ont. Il believe my soul, you'd laugh
70 see me IL my grave says he.
Wal. the truth ont was, twas jest
one Of them Dustin up times that pa
tur has, when there ant nothin' .or it
but TO give in, twas jest like the ice
breakin' up in the Charles river-it all
comes at once and no whoa to il. sun
day or no Sunday, sin or no sin, the
most on EN- laughed till they cried =,
and couldn't help it.
But the deacon he went home feel.
in pretty sore about it. Lem Sudoc
he picked up his wig and handed it 10
him. Says he, Old Dick was playing
tithing man, wasn't he, deacon! !!
Teach YOU to make allowance for other
folks that get Sleep
Then Mrs. Titkins she went over
10 Aunt Jerushy Scran's and Aunt
Polly Hokum's, and they had pot o
tea over it, and greed it was awful Of
Parson Morrel 10 set sch an example,
and suthin' had got to be done about
IL. Miss llokum said she alters knew
tuct Parson Morrel hadn't no spirit
oocaiity, and now it had broke out in
to open sin, and led all the rest of EN-
into it, and Mrs. Tltkins she said such
man wasn't fit To preach, and Miss
lokum said she couldn't never hear
him ag'in and the next SUNDAY the
deacon and his wife they hitched and
driv eight miles over to parson 10th
rop's and took Aunt Polly on the back
seat.
Wal, the thing growed and growed,
till it seemed rs if there warn't moth
in else talked about, cause Aunt Pol
II and Miss Titkins and Jerushy Scran
they didn't do nothin' but talk about
it, and that sot everybody else "A talk
in'
Finally, it was greed they must
hev council To settle the hash. so
all the wimmen they went to chopping
mince, and making up punkin pies and
cranberry tarts, and b'ilin doughnuts,
getten' ready for the ministers and del
egates-'cause counsels always. eat
powerinl-and they had quite stir,
like u gineral trainin. THE hosses,
they was hitched all up and down the
stalls, stompin' and switchen' their
tails. and all the women was a talkin,
and they had up everybody round for
witnesses, and finally Parson Morrel
he said: Brethren says he, jest let
me tell you the story jest as it hap
pened, and if you don't every one of
YOU laugh as hard as | did. why, then,
I'll give up.
The parson was master hand at
settin' off story and afore he'd gone,
he got 'em all in sich roar they didn't
know where to leave off Finally,
they give sentence that there hadn't
no temptation took him but such as is
common to man but they advised him
afterwards alters to prny with his eyes
shet, and the parson he confessed he
orter "A done it, and meant to bo bet
ter in future, and 50 they setrledlt.
so, boys said Sam, who always
drew morel, 'ye Sc it Farms you
you must take care what ye look at,
eff We want to keep from laughin' in
meeting
III