Connecticut western news., 1872-08-09


 supposition bordered on profanity, we thought; it was approaching the sin of Uzzah who unwarily touched the ark of the Lord "Laws, yes. Why, haven't you never heard how there was a council held to try Parson Morrel for laughing out in prayer time ?''
 Laughing in prayer time !" we both re- peated with uplifted hands and eyes. My grandfather's mild face became lumin- ous with suppressed smile, which frightened it as the moon does cloud, but he said mo- thing:
 "Yes, yes,". said my grandmother, " that affair did make dreadful scandal in the time ont. But Parson Morrel was good man, and I'm glad the council wasn't hard on him."
 "Wall " said Sam Lawson, "after all, it was more like Rabbits fault than twas any body's. Ye see, Ike he was alters for gettin' what he could out O the town, and he would l feed his sheep on the meetin' house green. Somehow how or other, Ike's fences allers contrived to give out, Sunday, and up would come his sheep, and Ike was too pious to drive 'em back on Sunday, and so there they was He was talked to enough about it,
 cause, ye see, to have sheep and lambs a ba-a-in' and a blatin' all prayer and sermon time want the thing Member that are old meetin' house up to the north end, down
 
 down, so as a body he'd to come into the meetin' house steppin' down instead O up. IF ct was, they said twas put there | cause the land want good for nothin' else, and the folks thought putin a meetin' house | ont would be clear savin'--but Parson Morrel he didn't like it, and was free to tell e'm his mind ont that twas like bringin' | the lame and the blind to the Lords sarvice but there twas.
 "There warn't a better minister nor no one more set by in all the State than Parson Nor | rel. His doctrines was right up and down good and sharp, and he gave saints and sin ners their meat in due season, and for consol- | in and comfortin' 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 a word for the children, and maybe an apple or | cookey in his pocket for em. Wall, you know there ant no pleasin' everybody, and eff Gabriel himself, right down out O Heaven was to come and be a minister, I expect there'd be pickin' at his wings. and sort O | fault finding. Now Aunt Jerushy Scran and | Aunt Polly Hokun they said Parson Morrel wa'n't solemn enough. Ye see there's them that thinks minister ought to be jest like tho town hearse, so that ye think of death, judgment and eternity, and nothin' else, when ye see him round; and eff they see man rosy and chipper, and havin' pretty nice sociable sort of time, why they say he ant spiritooal minded. But in my times I we seen ministers that the most awakenin' kind I in the pulpit was the liveliest when they was out ont. There is time tu laugh, Scriptur' I says, tho some folks never seem to remember that are."
 But Sam, how came you to say that it was Ike Rabbits fault2 What was it about the sheep?"
 "Oh, wall, yis-Tm 0 comin' to that are. It was all about them sheep expect they was the instrument the devil sot to work to tempt Parson Morrel to laugh in prayer time. Ye see there was Old Dick, Ikes bell wether, was the tighten est old crittur that ever yer see. Why Dick would but at his own shadder and everybody said 1t 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. Wall, used to live out in that parish in them days and Lem Sudoc and I used to go out sparkin' Sunday nights to see the Larkin gals-and we had to go right cross the lot where Dick was -so we used to go and stand by the fence and call, and Dick would see us and put down his l head and run at us full chisel and come bunt agin the fence, and then ketch him by | the horns and hold him 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 but at Lem, and Lem would ketch his horns and hold him till I came over-that was the way We managed Dick-but eff he come sud. den up behind fellow, he'd give nim butt in the small of his back that would make him l run on all fours one while-he was great rogue, Dick was. Wall, that summer I re- member they had old Deacon Titkins for tith- ing man, and tell you he give it to the boys lively. Thar warn't no sleepin' nor no play in for the deacon had eyes like gimlet, and he was quick as cat, and the youngsters had to look out for themselves. It did really beasts in the Revelations, that was full of eyes behind and before, for whichever way he was standin' if you gave only wink he was down on you and hit you tap with his stick. 1sknow once Lem Sudoc jist wrote two words in the psalm book and passed to Kesah Lar kin, and the deacon gave him such tap that Lem grew red as a beet and vowed he d be up with him for that.
 Well, Lord Massy, folks that is so chipper and high steppin' has to have their come downs, and the deacon he had to hev his.
 "That are Sunday remember it now jest as we'll as if twas yesterday. The parson he give us his etsermon, ,reconcilin' decrees aud free agency-everybody said that are sermon was masterpiece. He preached it up to Cambridge at commencement, but it so hap- pened it was one O them bilin' hot days that come in August, when you can fairly hear the huckleberries sizzling and cookin' on the bushes, and the locust keeps gratin like red hot saw. Wal, such times, decrees or no decres, the best of us will get sleepy. The old meetin' house stood light down at the foot of hill that kep. of all the wind, and the sun blazed away at them gret west wind- CTS, and there was pretty sleepy times there We'll, the deacon he flew 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 railly got most tuckered out, and he took a chair and he sot down in the door right op- posite the minister and fairly got asleep him. self jest as the minister got up to make the last prayer. s-.
 "Wal, Parson Morrel had way O pray. in with his eyes open. Folks said it want the best way, but it was Parson Morrel's way anyhow, and so as he was prayin' he couldn' t held seein' that Deacon Titkins was @ noddin' and bobbin' out toward the place where old Dick was feedin' with the sheep, front O the meeting house door,
 "Lem and me we was sittin' where we could look out and we just sees old Dick stop feedin' and look at the deacon. The dea- con had 8 little round head as smooth as an apple, with nice powdered wig on it, and he sot there maxim bobs and bobs and Dick begun to think it was suthin sort O personal Lem and me was sittia' jest where we could look out and see the hull picter, and Lem was fit to split.
 "Good, now,' says he, that critter'l Il pay the deacon of lively, pretty soon.'
 "The deacon bobbed his head spell, and old Dick he shook his horns and stamped at him sort O threatnin'. Finally the deacon he gave great bow and brought his head right down at him, and old l ick he set out full tilt and cume down on him kerchunk, and knocked him head over heels into the broad aile, and his wig flew one way and he tother, and Dick made g lunge at it as it