The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1872-08-01

" Eiif AEAlAh AAarhAn Atthr tiIat tN ~
clipper and high steppin' has 70 have
their come down, and ihe deacon he bad
20 hey bis
That arc Sunday, ! remember Il now
Just as well e. twas Yesterday Tie par
son DC give his gret sermon, reconciliu'
DEGREES aud free agency everybody said
that are sermon was masterpiece, lie
preached it up to Cambridge at CONF
meneement, but Il 50 happened il was
one o them bilin' hot days that come ri
August. when you can fairly hear the
huckleberries sizzling aud cookin' on
the bushes, and the locust keeps a gratin
I like a red hot saw. Wal, such times, de-
crecs or no DEGREES, the best on Us will
get sleepy. The old meelin house stood
I right down at the foot Of hin that KEEP
oil an the wind, and The sun blazed away
Al them gret west winders, and there was
I pretty sleepy times there, Wen, the dea-
con lie ilew round spell, and woke up
The children and tapped the boys on the
head and KEEP everything straight as lie
could til the sermon was most through,
when be rally got tuekered out, and he
took chair and sot down ia the door
right opposite the minister aud fairly got
asleep himself just as the minister got up
to make the last prayer.
4 Wal, Parson Morrel had way o pray
in with his eyes open. Folks said ii
want the best way, but il was Parson
Morrcls way anyhow, aud so as he was
prayin' he couldn't help seein' that Dea-
con Titkins was noddin' aud bobbin'
out toward the place where old Dick was
fecdin' with the sheep, front O. the meet
in house door.
Lem and me we was sittn' where we
could look out and we jest sees old Dick
stop feedin' and look at the deacon. The
deacon had little round head as smooth
as an apple, with nice powdered wig on
it, and he sot there maxim bobs and bows
aud Dick begun to think il was suthin'
sort O. pussonal. Lem and me was sittin'
jest where we could look ont and see the
hull picter, and Lem was fit to split.
Good, now, says he, that critter'n pay
the deacon off lively, pretty soon.
The deacon bobbed his head a spell,
and old Dick he shook his horns and
stamped at him sort o threatnin'. Finally
the deacon he give a great bow and
brought his head right down at him, and
old Dick he sot out full tilt and come
down on him ker chunk, and knocked
him head over heals into the broad aisle,
and his wig flew one way and he tother,
and Dick made lungc at it as ii flew,
and carried it off on his horns.
Wal, you may believe that broke mp the
meetn' for one while, for Parson Morrel
laughed out, and all the gals and boys
they stomped and roared, and the old
deacon he got up and begun rubbing his
ol.ins--'cause he didn't sec the joke ont.
You don't orter laugh, says he, it's no
laughing matter--it's solemn thing, says
he. | might have been sent into 'tarnity
by that darned crittur, says he. Then
they all roared and haw-hawed the more
to see the deacon dancin' round with his
little shiny head so smooth fly would
trip up ont. believe my soul, you'd
laugh to see me in my grave, says he.
Wal, the truth ont was, just one OF
them Dustin up times that natur has,
when there amt nothin' for it but to give
in, twas jest like the ice breakin' up in
the Charles river-it all comes at once
and no whoa tot Sunday or no Sunday,
sin or no sin, the most on 'em laughed
till they cried, and couldn't help it.
But the deacon he went home feein'
pretty sore about it. Lem Sudoc he
picked up his wig and handed 1t TO him.
Says he, old Dick was playin tithing-man
want he, deacon? Teach you to make
allowance for other folks that get sleepy.
Then Mrs. Titkins she went over to
, Aunt Jerushy Seran's aud Aunt Polly
IIokum's and they had pot Of tea over
it, and greed il twas awful Of Parson Nor.
rel to set such an exemple, and suthin'
had got to be done about it, Miss Ilo.
KUN said she alters knew that Parson
Morrel hadn't no spiritooality, and now
, it had broken out into open sin, and led
all the rest of 'em into it, and Mrs. Tit
kins she said such man want I'll to
: preach, and Mrs. Hokum said she could
MT never hear him preach agin, and the
! next Sunday the deacon and his wife
they hitched up and driv eight miles over
to Parson Lathrop's aud took Aunt Polly
on the back seat.
Wal, the thing growed, till il seemed
as II there warn't nothin' else talked
| about, cause Aunt Polly and Miss Tit
, kins and Jerusha scran they didn't DO
, nothin' but talk about IL aud that sot
everybody else talkin.
Finally, it was greed they must hey' a
counsel TO settle the hash. SO all the
wimmen they went TO chopin mince and
making up pumpkin pics and cranberry
tarts, and b'ilin' dougnuts, gettin ready
for the ministers aud delegates--'eause
! counsels always eats powerful and they
| had quite a stir like a gincral tranin'.
| The bosses, they was hilchcd all up aud
down the stalls, a-stompin' and swiiehiu'
. their tails, aud al the wimmin was a
T talkin aud they he'd up everybody round
! for witnesses, and finally pafson Nor
rel be says; Brethren says be jest let me
tell you the story jest as +, happened, and
Il you don't every one Of yon laugh az