Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1872-10-25

and make things pleasant and comforta
BILE, and he had good story for ever.
one, and word for the children, ant
may be an apple or cookey in his pocl
ct for m. Wal, you know there amt nj
pleasin' everybody, and eff Gabriel him
SELF right down out O. heaven was tc
come and be minister, l expect there
be picking at his wings, and sort o
fault findin'. Now Aunt Jerusha Scrar
and Aunt Polly Hokum, they sed Par
son Morrel wasn't solemn enough. VI
see there's them that thinks a minister
ought to be just like the town hearse, SC
that you think of death, judgment and
nothin' else, when you see him round =
and eff they see man rosy and clipper
and havin' pretty nice sociable sort Of
a time, why they say he amt spiritooal
minded. But in my times I've seen min
listers that the most awakening kind in
the pulpit was the livliest when they was
out ont. There is time to laugh,
Scriptur' says, tho some folks never seem
to remember that are.
| But Sam, how came you to say it was
Ike Babbitt's fault? What was it about
the sheep?
Oh wal, yis-Tm comm to that are.
1t was all about them sheep-I expect
they was the instrument the devil got to
work, to tempt Parson Morrel to laugh
in prayer time.
Ye see there was old Dick, Ike's bell
wether, was the fightin est old crittur that
ever ye see. Why Dick would butt at
his own shadder, and everybody said it
was shame the old crittur should be
left to run loose, cause he run at the
children, and scared the women half out
O. their wits. Wal, l 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 60 right cross the lot where Dick
was-so we used to 60 and stand at the
fence and call, and Dick would see US
and put down his head and run at US full
chisel, and come bunt agin the fence and
then Pde ketch him by the horns and
hold him while Lem run and got over
the fence t'other side the lot, and then /
let 60 and Lem would holler and shake
stick at him, and away he'd go full but
at Lem, and Lem would ketch him by
the horns and hold him till / came over
that was the way we managed Dick
but ef he came up sudden behind fell
low he'd give him but in the small
of the back that would make him run
on all fours one while-he was great
rogue. Dick was. Wal, that simmer
| remember they had old Deacon Tit
kins for tithing man, and / tell you he
give it to the boys lively. There want
no sleepin' nor no playin' for the Deacon
had eyes like gimlet ,and he was quick
as cat, and the youngsters had to look
out for themselves. 1t did seem as if
the deacon, was like them four beasts in
Revelations that was full O eyes behind
and before, for which ever way he was
standin' if you gave only wink he was
down on you and hit you tap with his
stick. | know once Lem Sudoc Just
wrote two words in the psalm book and
passed it to Kesiah Larkin, and the dea
con gave him such tap that Lem grew
red as beet and vowed he'd be up with
him some day for that.
Well, Lordy Massey, folks that is so
chlpper and high steppin' has to have
their come down, and the deacon he had
his.
That are Sunday, / remember it now
just as well as twas yesterday. The par
SON he gave his great sermon, reconciling
DEGREES and free ageney-everybody said
that sermon was a masterpiece. He
preached it up to Cambridge at commenc
ment, but it so happened it was one O.
them bilin' hot days that come in Au.
gust, when you can fairly hear the huck-
leberries sizzling and cooking on the
bushes, and the locust keeps gratin, like
red hot saw. Wal, such times, DEGREES
or no DEGREES, the best ON us will get
sleepy. The old meetin' house stood
right down at the foot of hill that KEEP
off all the wind. and the sun blazed away
at them great west winders, and there
was pretty sleepy times there. Wal, the
deacon he few round spell, and woke
up the children and tapped the boys ON
the head, and kept everything straight
as he could till the sermon was most
through when he rally got tuckered out
and he took chair and sot down in the
door right opposite the minister and fair
ly got asleep himself just as the minister
got up to make the last prayer.
Wal, Parson Morrel had a way O.
praying with his eyes open. Folks said
it want the best way, but it was Parson
Morrels way anyhow, and so he was
prayin', he couldn't help seein' that Dea
oon TftEina uaa a noddin, anJ LohI:-,