The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1872-08-15
LAUGHINGIN MEETIN.
By MRS. H, 3. STOWE. :,

the reason of it was this: we hai
laughed out in meeting time To bt
sure the occasion was astrying one
even to more disciplined nerves
Parson Lothrop had exchanged pull
pits with pastor Summeral, of North
Wearem. Now, Parson Summeral
was man in the very outset likely to
provoke the risibles of unspiritualiz-
ed juveniles. He was thin wiry,
frisky little man, in powdered white
wig, black tights, and silk stockings,
with bright knee, buckles, and shoe
buckles, with round, dark swapping
eyes, and o curious, high cracked,
squeaking voice, the very first tones OF
which made all the children stare and
giggle. The news that Parson Sum
neral was going to preach in our viii
lage spread abroad among us as pre-
llude to something funny, It had fla
lyor like the charm of circus acting ;and
on theSunday morning of our story we
went to the house of God in very
hilarious state, all ready to set off in
a laugh on the slightest provocation.
The occasion was not long wanting.
Parson Lothrop has a favorite dog
Iyclept Trip, far from that edifyiDg pat
tern which BELTS a minister's dog on
Sundays. Trip was q nervous dog,
and q dog that could never be taught
to conceal his emotions or to respect
conyentionalities. III If anything about
the performances in the singers seat
did not please him, he was apt to ex-
press himself in lugubrious, howl.
II the sermon was longer than suited
him he would gap with such loud
creak of his jaws as would arouse ev-
eEybody''s attention. IT the flies dis
tnrbed his afternoons nap he would
give sudden snarles or snaps; or, if
anything troubled his dreams he
would bark out in his sleep not only
in manner to dispel his own slum-I
bersr but those of certain worthy dea-
cons and old ladies, whose sanctuary
repose was thereby serely broken and
troubled. For all these reasons, Ma
dam Lothrop had been forced, as a
general thing, to deny Trip the usual
sanctuary privileges of family dogs in
that age, and shut MIN up on Sundays
to private meditation. Trip of course,
was only the more set ON attendance,
and would hide behind doors, jump
out of windows, sneak through Bye
Ways,and alleys, and lie hid till the
second bell had done tolling. when
suddenly he would appear in the.
broad aisle, innocent and happy, and
take his seat IS composedlyll as any
member of the congregation Bafg83w
lm9gine US youngsters on the qus
uspe with excitement at seeing Parson
frisks up into the pulpit
with 1.-the vivacity of a black grass
hopper. 3 We. looked at each other
and giggled very cautiously ", with. due.
respect to, Amt Lois sharp obserya-
tlon.i atIgI8 ii3Ee 10 goEoiii9 9df g5s OF
1aAt first there was only a mild, qui-
ct simmeTing of a lgiggle, compressed
decafoUslyaWithin the bounds of pro-
priety, and we parsed our, muscles up
with stringent resolution whenever
We caught the apprehensive eye of our
. But when. directly after, the closing
notes of the tolling second bell, Mas
ter Trip walked grayely up the front
aisle, and seating himself squarelyi in
front of the pulpit, raised his nose
with o critical air toward the scene of
the forthcoming performance; it was
too much for us--the repression was
almost cenvulsive. Trip wore an
alert, attentive air, befitting sound
orthodox dog, who smells possible
heresy, and deems it his duty to watch
the performances narrowly. boId sra
] Evidently he felt called upon to see
who and what were to occupy that
pulpit in his masters Absence JZ9H 33
Up rose Parson Summeral, and up
went Trips nose, vibrating with in
tense attention.
i The Parson began in hislHigli-craek-
ed voice to- intone the hymn: ..!a33da
fae.,cs 5lrSing to the Lord aloud.''
when Trip broke into dismal,howl.
The Parson went on to give direc-
tions to the deacon, in the same voice
i'm which he had been reading, so that
the whole effect of the. performance
was somewhat as follows; t...f
"Sing to the Lord aloud,''
please to turn out that dog)- = -.
i't i''' AND make joyful noise'' iH li4t
The dog was turned out, and the
choir did their best to make a joyful
noise, but we boys were upset for the
day., delivered over to the temptations
of Satan, and plunged in waves and
pillows of hysterical giggle, from
which neither winks nor lfrowns from
Aunt Lois, nor the awful fear of the
nor the. comforting bits
of fennel and orange-peel, passed us
by grandmother, could recover us.
Everybody felt to be sure, that here
was q trial that called for some indul-
genoe. Hard faces even among the
strongest saints, betrayed a transient
CULVER of the risible muscles, old la.
dies put up their fans. youths and
maidens in thessingers' seat laughed
outright and for the moment a gen.
eral snfcker amongithe children was
pardoned. But Il was ono of those
luckless kind whose nerves, once set
in vibration, ,Ieould not be composed.
When the reign of gravity and deco
rnm had returned, Harry and I sat by
each other, shaking with suppressed
laughter. Everything in the subse-
quent exercises took a funny turn,
and in, the long prayer, when every
body else was still and decorous, the
whole scene came over me with such
s.ar - - IL