The Portland daily press., 1872-08-10
THE PRESS.
Laughing i'm Meetin'.
A REM1NIscENcH BY MRS. BEEcHER STOWE.

A REMINISCENCh BY MRS. BEECHER STOWE.
We were in disgrace, we boys, and the rea-
son of it was this We had laughed out in
meeting time! To be sure, the occasion was
trying one, even to more disciplined nerves.
Parson Lothrop had exhanged pulpits with
Parson Snmmeral, of North Wearem. Now
PaIson Summeral was man in the very out
set likely to provoke the risibles of unspirit-
ualized juveniles. He was thin wiry, frisky
little man, in a powdered white wig, black
tAShts and silk stockings, with bright knee
Buckles and shoe buckles, with round, dark,
swapping eyes and a curious high, cracked,
squeaking voice, the very first tones of which
made all the children stare and giggle. The
news that Parson Summeral was going to
preach in our village spread abroad among us
as prelude to something funny 1t had a
flavor like the charm of circus acting; and
ON the Sunday morning of our story we went
to the house of God in a very hilarious state,
all ready to be set off into a laugh on the
slightest provocation.
The occasion was not long wanting. Par
son Lothrop had favorite dog yclept Trip,
whose behavior in meeting was VIGOROUSLY
far from that edifying pattern which BELTS
minister's dog on Sundays. Trip was nerv-
Gus dog, and a dog that could never be taught
to conceal his emotions or to respect conven-
tionalties. If anything about the perform
ance in the singers seat did not please him,
he was apt to express himself in a lugubrious
howl. If the sermon was longer than suited
him, he would cape, with such loud creak
of his jaws as would arouse everybody's at
tention. If the flies disturbed his afternoons
nap, he would give sudden snarls or snaps !:
or if anything troubled his dreams, he would
bark out in his sleep in a manner not only to
dispel, his own slumbers, but those of certain
worthy deacons and old ladies', whose sanctu-
airy repose was thereby sorely broken and
troubled. For all these reasons, Madam Lo-
throp had been forced, as general thing, to
deny Trip the usual sanctuary privilege of
good family dogs in that age, and shut him
up on Sundays to private meditation. Trip,
of course, was only the more set on attend
ance, and would hide behind doors, jump out
of windows, sneak though byways and alleys,
and lie hid till the second bell had done toll
ling, when suddenly he would appear in the
broad aisle, innocent and happy, and take his
seat as composedly as any member of the
congregation.
Imagine us Youngsters on the qui vive with
excitement, at seeing Parson Summeral frisk
up into the pulpit with all the vivacity of a
black grasshopper. We looked at each other
and giggled very cautiously, with due respect
to Aunt Lois sharp observation.
AT first, there wa, only mild, quiet sim
mering of giggle, compressed decorously
within the bounds of propriety, and we
pursed our muscles up with stringent resolu-
ton, whenever we caught the apprchensiye
eye of our elders.
But when, directly after the closing notes
OF the tolling second bell, Master Trip walked
gravely up the front aisle, and, seating him
self squarely in front of the pulpit, raised his
nose with critical air toward the scene of
the forthcoming performance, 1t was too
much for us-the repression was almost con-
vulsive Trip wore an alert, attentive air,
Dehttlng sound, orthodox dog, who smells
possible heresy, and deems it his duty to
watch the proceedings narrowly. Evidently.
he felt callsd upon to see who and what were
to occupy that pulpit in his masters absence.
Up rose Parson Summeral, and up went
Trips nose, vibrating with intense attention.
The parson began in his high-cracked voice
to intone the hymn
"'Sing to the Lord aloud"
when Trip broke out into dismal howl.
The parson went on to give directions to
the deacon, in the same voice in which he
mad been reading, so that the whole effect of
the performance was somewhat as follows:
"Sing to the Lord aloud
tPle9H turn out that dog)
And make joyful noise'"
The dog was turned out, and the choir did
their best to make 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 frowns from Aunt Lois.
nor the awful fear of the tithing man. nor
the comfortable bits of fennel and orange
peel, passed by grandmother, could recover
us.
Everybody felt, to be sure, that here was
trlal that called for some indulgence. Hard
faces, even among the sternest saints, BETRAYED
a transient culver of the rsible muscles. old
iadles put up their fans, youths and maidens
IN the singers seats laughed outright. and for
the moment a general smoker among the chill
dren was pardoned. But was one of that
luckless KIND whose nerves, once set in vibra-
ton, could not be composed When the
reign OF gravity and decorum had returned
Harry and | sat by each other, shaking with
suppressed laughter. Everything in the SUBJ
sequent exercises took funny turn, and in
the long prayer, when everybody else was
still and decorous, the whole scene came over
me with such overpOwering force that ex-
ploded with laughter, and had to be taken ont
of meeting and marched home by Aunt Lois
as convicted criminal. What especially
moved her Indignation was that the more she
rebuked and upbraided, the more | laughed
till the tears rolled down my cheeks. Which
Aunt Lois construed into wilful disrespect to
her authority, and resented accordingly.
BY Sunday evening, as we gathered around
the lire, the reaction from undue gayety to
sobriety had taken place, and we were in a
pensive and penitent state. Grandmother
was gracious and forgiving but Aunt Lois
still preserved that frosty air of reprobation
which she held to be salutary means of
quickening our consciences for the future. IT,
was, therefore, with unusual delight that we
saw our old friend Sam come in and sit him
self quietly down on the block in the chimney
corner. With Sam we felt assured of indui-
gence and patronage, for, though always rig
idly moral and Instructive in his turn of mind,
which is characteristic of the Ioose7iointed
easy-going style of his individuality.
''Lordy massey, boys-yis., said Sam vir-
tuously, in view of some of Aunt Lois
thrusts, we ought never to laugh nor cut I'M
in meetin', that ares so, but then there Il
times when the best on us gets took down.
We gets took unawares, We see-even minis
ters does. Yis, natur' will git the upper hand
atore they know it"
''Why Sam, ministers don't ever laugh in
meetin' do they?"
We put the question with wide eyes. Such
4 supposition bordered on profanity we
thought; it was approaching the sin of III
lah, who unwarily touched the ark of the
Lord.
Laws, yes. Why, haven't YOU never
heard how there was council held to try
Parson Morrel for laughing out in PRAYER
ime?"
Laughing in prayer timev' we both re-
leated, with uplifted hands and ewes.
My grandlather's mild face became lumin-
JUS with suppressed smile which frightened
t as the moon does cloud, but he said
nothing
eyes, yes, said my grandmother ssthat at.
air did make dreadful scandal in the time
mt. But ParsOn Morrel was a good man.
md Pm glad the council wasn't hard on
Iim."
"Wal," said Sam Lawson, CATER all it was
nore Ike Babbet's fault than twas anybody's |
le see, Ike, he was alters for gettin' what he |
ould out o. the town, and he would feed |
is sheep on the the meetin' house green.
omehow or other, Ike's fences alters cOntriv-
to give out, come Sunday, and ND would |
ONE his sheep, and Ike was too pious to
rive 'em back, Sunday, and so there thew
vas, He was talked to enough about il. case
e see, to have sheep and lambs ba-a-in,
nd blatln' all prayer and summon time
va mt the thing. Member that are old meet,
ng house up to the north end, down under
BURBERRY hill, the land sort o. sloped down.
o as body he'd to come into the meetin'
ouse steppin' down instead o. up.
Fact was, they said twas put there ,cause
he land WANT good for nothin' else. and the
Dlks thought putin a meetin' house on,t
5ould be clear savin'-but Parson MorrsJ
e didn't like it-and was free to tell 'em his
lind ont, that twas like bringing the lame
tl,h I;,,I TO- Ill