Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1872-09-26
Hlisrfllaufons.
LAUGHING IN MEETIN'.
A "Reminiscences By xr.. sssehsr Stowe.

: - --L 80 a II
We were In disgrace, we boys ana
the reason Of it was this: We had
laughed out in meeting time! To be
sure the occasion was q trying one,
sven to mora disciplined nerves. Par
SON Lothrop had exchanged pulpits
with Parson Summeral. of North
wearenl. Now. Pllrson SumEneral was
a man la the very outset likely to pro-
woke the risibles Of unspiritualized iu-
veniies. He was a 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
a curious, high, erakeds squaking. voice,
the very frst tones Of which made all
the children stare and giggIe. The
news that ,Parson Summeral was going
to preach in our village spread abroad
among as sssa prelude TO something
funny. It has q favor like the charm
OF circus aciings and on the Sunday
morning OF our story we went to the
house of God in very hilarious state,
all ready to set OFF in laugh on the
slightest provocation. =
The occasion was nor long wanting.
Parscn Eothfop had a favorite dog
yclept Trip, whese behavior in meeting
was notefiously far from that edifying
pattern which befts a. minister's dog
on Sundays. y Trip was a nervous dog,
and a dog that could never be taught
to conceal his emotions or to respect
conventipnalities. If anything about
the performance In the singers seat Gid
not please him, he was apt toaexpfess
himself IN a lugubrious hoWlaaH the
sermon was longer than suited him, he
would cape with sueh a. loud creek of
his jaws as would arouse everybody's
attention. II the flies disturbed his af-
ternoons nap he wollid give sudden
snarls or snaps; or, nanything troubled
his dreams, he would bark out in his
sleep in a manner not only to ldispel
his own slumbers, but those of certain
worthy deacons and old ladies whose
sanctuary repose was thereby sorely
broken. and troubled. For all these
reasons Madam Lothrop had been fore
ed, as general thing. to deny Trip the
usual sanctuary privilege Of good fami.
ly dogs in that age, md shut him uI
on Sundays to private meditation
Trip, of course, was only the more sci
ossattendance, and would hide behind
the doors, jump out of windows, SNEAK
throngh by-ways:and alleys and lie fit
tilbtthe second bell had done toiling
WHEN suddenly he would appear in ths
broad aisle. innocent and happy, and
take his seat as eomposedly as ans
msmber Of the congregation. ~, -
,Imagine Us youngsters on the q,sigir
withexcitement at seeing ParsoniS SAM
msral frisk up izto the pulpit with q
the yiyscity OF = black grasshopper,y
We looked At each sother and gigglsl
very cautiously with dae :respect g
AanfEoss' sharp observation, 40 I,.T ;';s s;s
sAt'htsts there was only q mild, qafe
simmeEsng Of gigele. compressed asoef
ously within the bounds OF pf0priety
and 1--we pursed our muscles up Wit
stringent resolution. whenever - w
caught the apprehensive eye ofioa
elders. .si o. sTsdu Gsr.f .apss9s sai . soss
But when, directly after the cIosinti
notes Of the toliing second bell, Maste
Trip walked gravely up the front aisle
and seating himself squaEsly in front G
the pulpit, raised his nose with "a crit
ca. air toward iheUsesae Of the forth
coming performance, it was too rnuc
for us-the repression was almost cen
vdlsive. Trip wore an alart attentiy
air betting a sound, orthodox dog
who smells a possible heresy, an
deems Il mis- duty 10 watch the proceed
ings narrowly. 4tfotssa
Eyidentlyihe feb called upon tosse
whosand what were TO occupy tlfatpul
pit in his masters absence.
iiVprose Parson summiesraI, and u
went Trips nose, vibrating with ii
tense attention. W y 5ilse.i Z -
The parson begun in his high-cracke
voice TO intone the hymn s loa =
Il .fssIng TO the Lord aloud,' bl,a ...,1.s rllsl
when Trip broke into a dismal howl.
The parson went on TO give direc
tions to the deacon, in the same voic
in which he7had been reading, so tlh
the whole effect 6f the perforhiane
was somewhatsas follows: :als1Hq ilia : =
4Tt-einS to the Lord aioud,5' ~ "a
s'(Please to turn out that Siog)-
ises "And make Joyful noise. y ~
The dog was turned out. and th
choir did their Best to make q joyfu
noisei but we boys were upset for tina
day, delivered over to the temptation
ofSatan, ami plunged ina waves an,
pillows of hysterieal siggle, from whicI
neither winks nor ffowns from Aun
Lois, nor the awful fear Of the stithinI
man, nor the coinfortine bite offsnae
and orange peel passed by grandmoth
or, could recover as. 81 III
Everybody felt, 70 be- sure, that her
was trial that called Ter some indsIg
ence. Hard faces, even among th
stoniest saints. betrayed transIen
qusver Of the TisibIe ulscles. old Iadie