Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1872-12-26
WOODSTOCK, w. THURSDAY, DEC. 26, 1922

9 kind in the pulpit was the livliest whe
: they was out ont. There is a time t
, laugh, Scriptur' says though some folk
+ never seem to remember it.
, But Sam, how came YOU to say i
, was Ike Babbitt's fault? What was
r about the sheep?
; Oh wal, yis-lam a comm to tina
, are. 1t was all about them sheep
} expect they was the instrument tn
, devil got to work, to tempt Parsol
: Morrel to laugh in prayer time.
| Ye see there was old Dick, Ike
bell-wether, was the fghtin'est ole
crittur that ever ye see. Why Dicl
would butt at his own shadder, anC
everybody sad it was shame the ole
, cittur should be left to run loose
cause he run at the children, anC
scared the women half out O theil
wits. Wal, | used to live out in tha
parish in them days, and Lem SudoC
and | used to go 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 90 and stanC
at the fence and call, and Dick woulC
see us and put down his head and ruI
at us full chisel, and come bunt agir
the fence and then Tde ketch him by
the horns and hold him while Lem run
and got over the fence t'othcr side the
lot, and then let go and Lem would
holler and shake a stick at him, and
away he'd 90 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 et
he came up sudden behind fellow
he'd give him a butt in the small OF
the back that would make him run on
all four one while-he was a great
rogue. Dick was. Wal, that sum
mer | remember they had old Deacon
Titkins 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 was quick as a cat, and the young
sters 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 yon tap with his stick. |
know once Lem Sudoc just wrote two
words in the psalm book and passed it
to Kesiah Larkin, and the deacon gave
him such tap that Lem grew red as
a beet and vowed he'd be up with
him some day for that,
Well, Lordy Massy, folks that is so
clipper and high steppin' has to have
their come down, and the deacon he
had his.
That are Sunday, Ircmemberit it now
just as well as twas Yesterday. The
parson he gave his great sermon, re-
conciIing DEGREES and free agency
everybody said that sermon was a
masterpiece. He preached it up to
Cambridge at commencement, but it so
happened it was one O them bilin' hot
days thar came in August, when you
can fairly hear the huckleberries a siz-
zling and cooking on the bushes, and
the locust keeps a gratln, like u 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 a hill that
KEEP off all the wind, and the sun
blazed away at them great west wind
ers, and there was pretty sleepy times
there. Wal, the deacon he flew
round a spell, and woke up the chill
dren 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
fairly got asleep himself just as the
minister got up to make the last pray
er.
Wal, Parson Morrel had way o
praying with his eyes open. Folks
said it want the best way, but twas
Parson Morrel's way anyhow, and so
he was prayin', he couldn t help seein'
that Deacon Titkins was a noddin' and
bobbin out toward the place where
old Dick was feedin' with the sheep,
front O the meetin' house door,
Lem and me was sittin' where we
could look cut and we jest sees old
Dick stop feedin' and look at the dea-
con, The deacon had a little round
head, as smooth as an apple, with a
nice powdered wig on it, and he sot
there maxim bobs and bows and Dick
begun to think it was suthin' sort Of
pussonal Lem and me was sittin'
jest where we could look out and see
the hull picter, and Lem was fit to
split. .~'
Good, now, says he, that critter'lI
pay the deacon off lively, pretty soon,
The deacon bobbed his head a spell,
and old Dick he shook his horns and
stamped at him sort o threatenin.
Finally the deacon he gave great
bow and brought his head right down
at him and old Dick he sot out full
tilt and came down on him ker chunck,
and knocked him head over heels into
the broad aisle and his wig flew one
way and he t'other, and Dick made a
lunge at it as il flew, and carried it of
on his horns,
Wal, you may believe that broke
mn thn ,nnatib' for one while fnr Por