Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-07-19

came over me with such overpowering
force that exploded with laughter and
had to be taken out Of meeting and march
cd home by Aunt Lois, as convicted crim-
inal. What especially moved her indigna-
ton was, the more she rebuked and up
braided, the more laughed, till the tears
rolled down my cheeks. Which Aunt Lo-
is construed into wilful disrespect TO her
authority, and resented accordingly.
BY Sunday evening, as we gathered a
round the fire, the reaction from undue
gaiety TO sobriety had taken place, and we
were in a pensive and penitent state, grand
mother was gracious and forgiving, but
Aunt Lois still preserved that frosty air OF
reprobation which she held to be saluta-
ry means of quickening our consciences
for the future. 1t was, therefore with un-
usual delight that we saw our old friend
Sam come in and sit himsel quietly down
on the block in the chimney corner. With
Sam we felt assured of indulgence and pat,
ronage, for though always rigidly moral
and instructive in his turn of mind, he
had that fellow feeling for transgressors
which is characteristic of the loose-jointed,
easy-going.style of his individuality.
"Lordy massy, boys-yis," said Sam,
virtuously in view of some of Aunt Loiss
thrusts, Eye ought never to laugh nor cut
up in meetin', that ares so, but then there
is times when the best on us gets took
down. We gets took unawares, ye sec
even ministers does. Yis, natur' will git
the upper hand afore they know it,"
"Why Sam, ministers don't ever laugh
in meetin', do they?"
We put the question with wide eyes.
Such supposition bordered on profanity,
we thought; it was approaching the sin of
Uzzab, who unwarily touched the ark of
the Lord.
claws, yes. Why, haven't you never
heard how there was a counsel held to try
Parson Morrel for laughing out in prayer
timer"
Laughing in prayer time y we both re-
peated, with uplifted hands and eyes.
My grandfather's mild face became lu-
minous with suppressed smile which
frightened 1t as the moon does a cloud, but
he said nothing.
"Yes, yes" said my grandmother, THAT
affair did make dreadful scandal in the
time ont. But Parson Morrel was good
man, and I'm glad the counsel wasn't hard
on him.
"Wal," said Sam Lawson, "aiter all, it
was more Ike Babbitts fault than twas
anybody's. Ye see, lie he was alters for
| gettn' what he could out O. the town, and
he would feed his sheep on the meetin
hnngn nj
fences alters contrived to give out come
Sunday. and up would come his sheep, and
Ike was too pious 10 drive 'em back Sum
day, and so there they was. He vas talked
to enough about 1t, cause ye see, to have
sh eep and lambs a ba-a-in' and blatin' all
prayer and sermon time, wasn't the thing.
Me mber that are old meetin -hou Sc up 10
the north end, down under Blueberry Hill,
the land sort o sloped down, so as a body
he'd to como into the meetIn' house Step
pin down instead O. up.
''Fact was, they said twas put there
cause the land want good for nothin' else
and the folks thought putin meetin'
house ont would be a clear savin'-but
Parson Morrel he didn't like .it-and was
free TO tell 'em his mind ont that twas like
bringin' the lame and the blind to the
Lords service,-but there twas.
"There warnt a better minister nor no
one more set by in all the State than Par
son Morrel. His doctrines was right up
and down and good and sharp, and he give
saints and sinners their meat in due sea-
son, and for consolin' and comfortin' wild
ders and orphans Parson Morrel hadn't
his match. The women sot lots by him
and he was allus' ready to take tea ound,
nd make things pleasant and comfortable,
and he had good story for every one and
a word for the children, and may be an ap-
pie or a cookey in his pocket ior 'em. Wal,
you know there amt no pleasin' every
bo dy, and eff Gabriel himself, right down
out o. heaven, was to come and be min
lister, l expect there'd be pickin' at his
wings, and sort O. fault findin'. Now Aunt
JerIshy Scran and Aunt Polly Hokun they
sed Parson Morrel wasn't solemn enough
Ye see there's them thatthinks that min
lister ought TO be just like the town hearse,
so that ye think of death, judgment and
eternity and nothin else, when ye see him
ro und; and ef they see a man rosy and
clipper and having pretty nice sociable
sort OF time, why they say he ant spirit
GOAL minded. But in my times I've seen
| ministers that the most awakenin' kind in
the pulpit was the liveliest when they was
| out ont. There is time to laugh, Scrip
| tur' says, tho some folks never seem to re-
member that are"
"But Sam, how came you to say it was
Dul e., 4.
sheep?"
"Oh wal yis-Tm a comm TO that are.
1t was all about them sheep-I expect they
was the instrument the devil got TO work
| 10 tempt Parson Morrel TO laugh in prayer
| time.
aye see there was old Dick, Ike's bell
wether, was the fghtin'est old crlttur that
ever yer see. Why Dick would butt at his
own shadder and everybody said 1t was a
shame the old crittur should be left to run
loose, cause he run at the children and
scared the women half out their wits. Wal,
l used to live out in that parish in them
days, and Lem Sudoc and used to go out
sparkin' Sunday nights to see the Larkin
| gals-and we had to go right cross the lot
where Dick was-so we used to go and
stand at the fence and call, and Dick would
see us and put down his head and run at
us full chsel, and come bunt agin the fence
and then I'd ketch him by the horns and
hold him while Lem run and got over the
fence t'other side tho lot, and then I'd let
go and Lem would holler and shake stick
at him and away he'd go full butt at Lem,
and Lem would ketch him by the horns
and hold him Till l came over-that was
the way we managed Dick-but eff he come
up sudden behind fellow, he'd give him
a butt in the small Of the back that would
| Ii hn