The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1872-08-15

with laughter and had to be taken out
OF meeting and marched home by
Aunt Lois, as convicted criminal.
4 What especially moved her indigna-
i tion was the more she rebuked and
! upbraided, the more Laughed, till the
tears rolled down my checks. Which
4 Aunt Lois construed intooa a wiilfai
disrespect 60 her authority, and re-
5ented accordingly. 4i-As 1iHA5 9f0in 10
BY Sunday evening as we gathered
around the fire, thelreactiOn from un-
due gayety to sebriety had takenplaee
and we were in a pensive and peni-
tent state. Grandmother was gracious
aud forgiving but Aunt Lois still pre-
Eserved that frosty air of reprobation,
which she held to be salutafy means
of quickening our conseiences for the
future. It was, therefore, with unu-
snal delight that we saw eur friend
Sam come in and sit himself down qui-
city on the block In the chimney COZ
liner. With Sam we felt assured of in
diligence and patronage, for though
always rigidly moral and instructive
lin his turn of mind, he had that fell
loE-feeling for transgressors which is
/ characteristic af' the loose jointed, ca
sy going style of his individuality. -,
eLordy massy,e boys7yis,"'s said
4 Sam, virtuousIy, In view of some of
Aunt Lois, thrusts, aye ought never
to laugh nor cut up in meeting, that
ares so, but then there is times when
the best of us gets took, down. We
gets took unawares, ye, seeYeven min
listers does 9is, natur' will get the
upper hand afore they know it,,
@Why, Sam, ali7sssters, don't, ever
laugh in meetin', TO they .ng.1
! We put the question with wide
eyes, Such q suppesition bordered
on profanity, we thought; il was, ap-
warily touched the ark of the Lord.
Claws, yes. Why, haven't you new
er heard how there wasa council held
to try Parson Morrell for laughing
out in prayer time?o .s.t.ls.ss2 .a5.}
"Laughing in prayer time.w we both
repeated, with uplifted hands and
eyes. .5ies sfR Hs9 .nssl
My grandfather'sl mild face became
luminous with a suppressed smile,
which frightened it as the moon does
cloud, but he said nothing. e4st
"Y es, yes," said my: grandmother,
F'that affair did make dreadful seam
dal in the time ont. But Parson Nor
rel was a good man,. and I'm glad the
council wasn't hard on him. IA e.dp
"Wall," said Sam Lawson, Ffafter all
it was more Ike Rabbits fault than
twas anybodyis.n Yeu see, Ike was
always for, gettin' what he could out
o. the town, and he would feed his |
sheep on the meetin'i house green, |
Somehow. or other Ike's fences alters
contrived to give out, come Sqnday,j
and up would come his sheep, and Ike |
was too pious TO drive 'em back Sun
day, and so there they was. Il He was
talked too enough about it, cause .ye |
see, to have sheep and lambs ba-a-in'
and q biatin' all prayer and sermon /
time want the thing. Member. that |
the old Meetin' house up to the north |
end, down under Blueberry Hill, the |
land sort o'slopeG down, so as a body
he'd to come into the meetin' house
steppin' down instead o. up. o-.,.l.f s. ,c
."Fact was, they said twas put there
cause the land want good for nethin'
else and the folks thought putin a
meefin' house ont would would be
clear sayin'-but Parson Morrel hey
didn't like it-aiid was free to tell 'em
his mind ont, that twas like, bringin'
the lame and the blind to the Lords
service-but there twas. iIogs7 l6i9iifo
sThere warn't a better minister nor
no one more set by in all the State
than Parson Morrel His doctrines
was right up and down good and
sharp, and he gave saints and sinners
their meet in due season, and for con-
solin' and comfortin' .widders and Or
phans 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 COM
Portable, and had good story for ev-
cry one and word for the children
and maybe an apple ora cookey in
his pocket for 'em, Wal, youa know
there amt no pleasin' everybody, and
If Gabriel himself right down out of
heaven, was to come and be minis
ter, expect there'd be a pickin' 5at
his wings, and sort o. fault finding
Now Aunt Jerushy Scran and Aunt;
Polly Hokum they sed PaFson Morrelf
want solemn enough Ye see there's
them that thinks minister ought to
be just like the town hearse, So that
ye think of death, judgment and eter-
nifty, and nothin' else, when yeisee him
round; and if they see aman rosy and
chipper and havin' a pretty nice sort
of a sociable time, why they say he
amt spiritooal minded But in my
times I've seen ministers that the most Il
awakenins kind in tie pulpitswas the
liveliest when they was out on'ts-s-s
There is time to laugh, Scripturs
says, tho some folks never seem to
remember that are.D1' ss-,....sssi-
"But, Sam, how came you to say
that it was Ike Rabbits fault2 What
was it about the sheep r ,.,s1.sas e...si
ssOh, wal, yis-I,m COMM to that
are. 1t was all about them sheep-II
expect they was the instrument the
devil sot tos work to tempt Parson
Morrel to laugh in prayer-time. nsIa[
-fssYe see there was old Dick, Ike,s
bell-wether, was the fightin'est old
crittur that you ever see. Why Dick
would butt at his own shadder and
every body said it was q shame the
old crittur should be left to run loose,
cause he run at the children and scar
adj the women half cut of their wits.
Wal, / used to live out in that parish
in them days and Lem SudOcl and
used to go out sparkin Sunday nights
to see the Lorkin gals-and we had to
go right cross the lot where Dick was
$50 we used to go and stand at the
fence and call, and Dick would see us
and put down his head and run atlus
full chisel, and come bunt agin the
fence and then keteh' him by the
horns and heldsshim while Lem run and
got over the fence t'other side the lot,
and then I'd let go and Lem would
holler and shake a stick at him and
away he'd go full butt at Lem, and