The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-08-05


gress0rs which IA Characteristic OF the loose
IQlmed, easy going style Of his Individuality,
LOrdy massy, boys-yis," said Sam, yir.
tuously, In view Of some q Aunt lois thfusts,
"ye ought never to laugh nor cut up In meet.
In, that ares 30, but then there is times
when the best on US gets took down. We
gets took unaWares, ye see-even ministers
does. iis, natur' viii git the upper hand
afOre they know It,"
"Wby, Sam, ministers don over laugh In
meetln', do they p
We put the question with vide eyes. Such
a superstition bordered on profanity, we
thought; It was approaching the sin OF u1Eah
who unwnrlly touched the ark Of the Lord.
Laws, yes. Why, haven't you never
heard how there wus council held to try
Parson Morrcl for laughing out In prayer
time p
Laughing In prayer time |" we both re-
peated with uplIfted hands and eyes.
Ny grandfather mild face became lumin.
Gus with suppressed smile, which frightened
II as the neon does cloud, but he said no.
thing,
"Yes, yes, said my grandmother, Z" that
affair did make dreadful scandal In the
time ont. But Parson Morrel was good
man, and I'm glad tho council wasn't hard
on him."
"wull said Sam lawson, after all, It
body'S, Yo SEQ, Ike he was aleB for gettin'
what he could out o the town, and he would
feed bis sheep on the meetin' house green.
Somehow how or other, lke's fences alters
contrved to give out, Sunday, and up
would come his sheep, and Ike was too plous
to drive 'em back on Sunday, and so there
they was He was talked 10 enough aboutit,
cause, ye SEQ, to have sheep and lambs a
ba.A.ln' anda batin all prayer and sermon
time want the thing. Member that are old
mCetln' house up 70 the north end, down
under Blueberry flill, the land sort O. slopc,l
down, so as body he'd to come Into the
meetin' house steppin' down instead o up.
F,ct was, they said twas put there
cause the land want good for nothin' else,
ald the folks thought putin meetin' house
ont would be o clear sayin'-but Panon
Morel he didn't like Il, and was free 10 tell
EN- his mind ont that twas like brngin'
the lame aud tho blind to the Lords saryice
but there twas
"1here warn't better minister nor no one
more set by In all the State than Panon Nor.
rel. His doctrines was right up and down
good and sharp, and he gave saints and sin.
ners their meat 10 due season, and for eonsol.
In and comfortln widders and orphans he
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 good story for every one and
word for the children, and maybe an apple or
- s,alrnI L., LII .,s.altaN Nu.n
know there ant no pleasin' everybody, md
ef Gabriel himself, right down QUITO Heaven,
was to come and be q minister, expect
there'd be pickin' at his wings, and sort O.
fault finding. Now Aunt JeruShy Scran and |
Aunt Polly Hokun they said Ranon Morrel
want solemn enough. Ye see there's them |
that thinks minister ought to be Jest like |
thu town heaBc, so tllat ye think Of death,
Judgment and eternity, mud nothin' else,
when ye see him round and ef they see a |
man rosy and clipper, and hayin' pretty
nice sociable sort Of a time why they ay he |
ant spiritooal minded. But in my times I've
seen ministers that the most awakenin kind
In the pulpit was the llveliest when they was
out ont, There Is time tu laugh, scriptur'
says, tho some folks never seem to remember
that arc.
"But sam, how came you 10 say that II
was Ike Rabbits faultl What was It about
the sheep"
"oh, wall, yis-I'm comm to that are.
II was all about them sleep-I expect they
was tho instrument the devil sOt to work 10
tempt Parson MorrOl to laugh In prayer time.
aye see there was Old Dick, lke'S bell
wether, was the 6shten'est old crittur that
ever yer see. Why Dick would but at bis
own shadder and everybody said II was q
shame the old crittur should be left to run
loose, cause he run al tile children and scared
the women half out Of their wits. Wall,
used TO live out In that parish In them days
and Lem sudoc and used 10 go out sparkin'
Sunday nights to see the Lnfkin galS-and we
had to 60 right cross the lot where Dick was
so We used to 80 and st1nd by the fence and
call, and Dick would wee us and put down hls
head and run at US full cllisel, and come
bunt 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 aud Lem would holler and
shake stick at him and away he'd 60 full
but at Lem, and Lem would kotch his horns
and hold him till came over-that was the
way we managed Dick-but ef be come sud
den up behind fellow, he'd give MIN butt
In the small Of his back that would make hlm
run on all fous ono while-he waI great
rogue, Dick was Wall, that summer re.
member they had old Deacon Titkins for tith.
ing man, and tell You he give II to the boys
lively, Thar want no sleepln' nor no play.
In, FOR the deacon had eyes likea gimlet, and
he was quick as cat, and the youngsters
had 10 look out for themselves. It did really
sem as II the deacon was like them four
beasts In the Revelations, that vas full Of
eyes behind and before, for whichever way he
was stAndin' II you gave only wink he was
down on you and bit you tap with his stick.
know once Lem Sudoc list wrote two words
in the psalm book and posed to Kesiah Lar.
kin, and the deacon gave him such zap that
Len, grew red ns beet and vowed hedbe up
With him for that, ,n,.,-.,-.
and high Steppin' has 10 have their come
downs, and the deacon be had TO hev his.
nThAt are Sunday remember 1t now jest
AZ well as II twas yesterday. The parson he
riye us hls Eret sermOrt reconeilin' DEGREES aud
me- nrepcy-eyerybody said that are sermon
was a masterpiece. lie preached II up to
Cambridre at commencement, but II 90 hap.
oened il was one o. them billn' hot days that
some IN August when you can fairly hear
M buckleberries sizzling and cookih' on
the bushes, ind the locust Keeps q gratin Ike
4 rcd hot saw. Wal, such times, deeree1 or
no decfes, tie best Of US will get sleepy. Ihs
IA yneelinl house stood light down at tue
foot Of hill that kep otf all the wind, and
ibe sun blALed away at them gret west Wind
-, nj ,here was nretty eleepY times there.
well, the deacon he flew round a speil, anu
woke up the children, and tapped the boys on
the head asd kept everything straight as ne
could mn the sermon was most through, when
Ss raIlly got most tuckered out, and be took
a chair ma he soi down In the door right !op'
nosIiS S ,be minister and fairly got asleep him.