National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1872-08-02

1.-The deacon bot ID his head SPELL ant
old Dick he shook his horns and stamped a
him sort o threatnn'. Finally the dcacor
lac gave IA great how and brought his heaC
right down at him. and old ick he set out
full tilt and cume down on him kerchunk
and knocked him head over heels into th,
broad allie, and his wig flew one way and h,
t'other, and Dick made a ungc at II as Il
flew, and carried II of on his horns,
Wal. you may believe that broke up tn,
meetin' for one while, for Parson Morrc
laughed out, and the gals and boys they
stomped and roared, and the old deacon b,
got up aud began rubbing his shrs-' caus,
he didn't see the joke ont
- You don orter laugh, says he, it,
no hughin matter-it's u solemn thing,
says he, ] might have been sent int
tarnity by that daned critur, says he. Then
they all reared and haw-haw the more Il
see the deacon dancin' round with his little
shiny head 80 smooth a fly would trip ur
ont believe, my soul, you'd laugh to see
me in my grave, SAYS he,
"Wal. the truth ont was twas list one o
them Dustin up times that nature has, when
there lin nothin' for il but 10 give IL
twas Jest like the ice breakin up in he
Charles river-it all comes at once a. no
whoa 10 I Sunday or no Sunday, sin lr no
sin, the most uu m laughed till they cried,
and couldn't help it
" But the deacon he went home ieelin'
pretty sore about IT, Lem Sudoc he picked
up his wig and handed il 10 him Saws he,
Old Dick was playn' tithing-man. wan he.
deacon Teach you to make allowance for
other folks that get sleepy.
" hen Mrs. iitkns she went over to Aunt
4 II
and they hal a pot - tea over il, and greed
il was awful Of Parson Morrel to set sich an
example, and suthin' had to be got done
about it Miss Hokum said she alters knew
that Parson Morrel hadn't no spiritooalitv,
and now il had broken out into open sin, and
led III the rest ot EN- into it and Mrs Tit.
kns rie said such man wan t fit h preach,
and Miss Hokun said She couldn't never hear
him az in, and the next Sunday the deacon
and his wife they hitehed up and driv eight
miles over to Parson Lathrop' and took Aunt
Polly on the back seat
Wall, the thing growed and growed, till
il seemed as if there warn't nothin' else talk
ed about. cause Aunt Polly and Miss litkins
and Jerushy Scran, they didn't do nothin
but talk about it. and that sot everybody else
talkin'
Finally, it was greed they must hev' a
council to settle the hash So all the winmin
they went to chopping mince and maxim
up punkin pies and cranberry tarts. and b il
in doughnuts gettn ready for the ministers
and delegates cause councils always eats
powerfu-and thev had quite a stir. like
gineral trainin' The hosses, they was hitched
all up and down the stalls a stompin and
switchin' their tails, and all the wimmin was
atalkin and they he'd up everybody round
for witnesses and finally Parson Morrel, he
says - Brethren, says he, jes let me tell
you the story Jest as it happened and if you
don every one of you laugh as hard as did,
why then, I'll give up,
The parson he was master hand at set
tin off story. and afore he'd done. he got
EN- all in'sich roar they ddn't know where
to leave off Finally, they give sentence that
there hadn't no temptation took him but such
as is common to man but they advised him
afterwards all>rs TO pray with his eyes shet
and the parson he confessed he orter a done
it, and meant to do better in future and so
they settled it,
80. boys said Sam, who always drew
moral, "ye see it larns you you "a. st take
care what We look at, if you want to keep
from laughin in meetin'