Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-07-25

OIAuSbTcSSOFS WHICH ~ CuuiICteElStlC Oh
the loose -iointed, easy-going style of
his individuality.
"Lordy massy, boys-yis, " said Sam,
virtuOusly, in view of some of Aunt
Lois thrusts, eye ought never to laugh
nor cut up in meetin', that ares so, but
then there is times when the best on
us gets took down. We get took un-
awares, ye see-even ministers does.
Yis, natur' will git the upper hand
afore they know it."
"Why, Sam, nesnisters don't ever
langh in meetin', do they 2"
We put the question with wide eyes.
Such q supposition bordered on pro-
family, we thought it was approaching
the sin of Uzzah, who llnwarily touch
ed the ark of the Lord.
claws, yes. Why haven't you never
heard how there was council held to
try Parson Morrel for laughing out in
prayer time2"
Laughing in prayer time !" we both
repeated, with uplifted hands and eyes.
My grandfather's mild face became
luminous with a suppressed smile, which
frightened it as the noon does a cloud,
but he said nothing.
eyes, yes," said my grandmother,
"that affair did make dreadful scan
dal in the time ont. But Parson Nor
rel was good man, and I'm glad the
council wasn't hard ON him."
"Wall," said Sam Lawson, "after
all, it was more Ike Rabbits fault than
twas anybody's. Ye see, Ike he was
alters for gettin' what he could out
o. the town, and he would feed his
sheep ON the meetin' house green
Somehow or other Ike's fenses alters
contrived to give out, come Sunday,
and up would come his sheep, and Ike
was too pious to drive 'em back Sun
day, and so there they was. He was
talked to- enough about it, cause We
see, to have sheep. and lambs ba-a-in'
and blatin' all prayer and sermon
time, wasn't the thing. Member that
are old meetin'. house up 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 but
there cause the land want good for
nothin' else and the folks thought put
tim meetin' house ont would be
clear savin'-but Parson Morrel he
didn't like it-and was free to tell 'em
his mind ont, that twas like bringin'
the lame and the blind to the Lords
sarvice-but there twas.
"There warn't better minister nor
no one more set by all in all the State
than Parson Morrel. His doctrines was
right up and down good and sharp, and
he give saints and sinners their meat in
due season, and for consolin' and COM
fortin' widders and orphans 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 a
good story for every one and word for
the children, and maybe an apple or a
cookey in his pocket for 'em. Wal, You
know there ant no pleasin' every body,
and ef Gabriel himself, right down out
o. heaven, was to come and be
minister, I expect there'd be
a pickin' at his wings, and
sort o. fault fndin'. Now Aunt Jeru.
sha' Scra4 and Aunt Polly Hokun they
sed Parson Morrel want solemn
enough. Ye see there's them that
thinks minister ought to be jest like
the town hearse, SO that ye think of
death, judgment and eternity, and
nothin' else, when ye see him round;
and Ell: they see a man rosy and chip
per-; and havin' pretty nice sociablc
sort of time, why they say he amt
spiritooal minded. But in nv times
I've seen ministers that the most awak-
enin' kind in the pulpit was the iveli-
oat xvhoro %1,ox, q o,,k Tl,o~ -
time to laugh, Scriptur' says, tho
some folks never seem to remember
that are."
"But Sam, how came you to say that
it was Ike Bibbit's fault2 What was
it about the sheep2"
"Oh wal, yis-Pm comm to that
are. 1t was all about them sheep-I
expect they was the instrument the
devil sot to work, to tempt Parson Nor
rel to laugh in prayer-time.
| Ye see there was old Dick, lke's
bellwether, was the fightin' est old crit
tur that ever yer 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 of their wits. Wal, I
used to live out in that parish in them
days and Neb Suqoc and I used to 70
out sparkin' Sunday nights to see the
Larkin gals-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 his head and run at us full chisel,
and come bnnt agin the fence and then
ketch him by the horns and hold him
while Lem run and got over the fence
tother side the lot, and then I'd let
go and Lem would holler and shake q
stick at him and away he'd go full
butt at Lem, and Lem would ketch
his horns and hold him till came over
E-that f., was the way we man
aged Dicke-hut eff he come sudden up
behind d; fellow, he'd give him butt
in the small of his back that would
make him run on all fours one while
he was great rogue Dick was. Wal,
that summer I remember they had old
Deacon Tita1ns for tithing- man, and
tell you he give it to the boys lively.
Thar warnt no sleepin' nor no playin',
for the deacon had eyes like gimlet,
and he WAS quick as cat, and the
youngsters he'd to look out for them.
selves. 1t did really seem rs if the
deacon was like them four beasts in the
Revelations that was full O. eyes be-
hind and before, for which ever way
he was standin' if you gave only wink
he was down on you and hit you a tap
with is stick. know once Lem Su-
doc jist wrote two words in the psalm
book and passedto Kesiah Larkin, and
the deacon gave him such O tap that
Lem grew red as beet and vowed he'd
be up with him some day for that.
/ Well, Lord Massey, folks that is SO
clipper and high steppin has to have
, their come downs, and the deacon he
had to hev his.
"That are Sunday I remember il
now Jest as we'll as if twas yesterday
: The parson he give us his gret sermon
reconcilin' decrees and free agency
everybody said that are sermcn was q
). masterpiece. He preached it up tt
Cambridge at commencement, butit sc
y happened it was one o. them bilin' ho
4 days that come in August, wler
G you can fairly hear the buckle
G berries Il sizzling and cookin' OF
i the bushes, and the locust keep:
J. 81 gr,tin like II red hot sHw Wal. s,,ci
L times, DEGREES or no dccrccs, tho hes
r on us will get sleepy. The old meetin
d house stood right down ut the foot of