The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-04-12
Beacon Rarker's Conversion.
by. II. A. BERToN.

kin Center, deacon Barker was, by all odds,
the strongest. His orthodoxy was the ad-
miration of the entire congregation, and the
terror Of all the ministers within easy driving
distance of the deacon's native village. lie 1t
was who had argued the late pastor OF the
Pawkin Center church into that state OF dis
quietude which had carried him through
few days of delir.ous fever, into the church
triumphant; and it was also deacon Barker.
whose questions at the examination of seekers
for ex-pastors shoes, had cast such conster-
nation into divinity-schoos, far and near, that
soon it was very hard to find candidate for
ministerial honors at Pawkin Center.
Nor was bis faith made manifest BY word.
alone. Be the weather what it might the dea-
con was always in his pew, both morning and
evening, in time to join in the first hymu;
and ON every Thursday night, at a quarter
past seven in winter. and quarter before
eight in summer, the good deacon's cane and
shoes could be heard coming solemnly down
the aisle, bringing to the prayer meeting the
champion of orthodoxy. Nor did the holy air
of the prayer meeting, even one single evening,
fail to vibrate to the voice of the deacon, as he
made in scriptural language, humble COMES
sons and fearful pie dings before the throne,
Or still strictly scriptural in expression-he
warned and exhorted The impenitent. The
contribution box always received his sixpence
as long as specie payment lasted, and the
smallest fractional currency note thereafter;
and to each OF the regular annual offerings to
the missionary cause, the Bible cause, and
kindred Christian enterprises, the deacon regu-
larry contributed his dollar and his prayers.
The deacon could quote Scripture in man.
ner which put Biblical professors to the blush,
and every principle of his creed so bristied
with texts confirmatory, sustentive and ag-
gressive, that doubters were rebuked, and free
thinkers were speedily reduced to speechless
humility or rage. But the unrege nerate, and
even some who protested righteousness, de-
clared that more fondly than to any other
scriptural passage, did the good deacon cling
to the injunction, make to yourselves friends
of the mammon of unrighteousness.' Meek
ly insisting that he was only steward of the
Lord, he put out his Lords money that he
might receive it again with usury. and so sue
cessful had he been, that almost all mortgages
held on property near Pawkin Center were
in the hands of the good deacon, and few were
the foreclosure sales in which he was not the
seller.
The new pastor at Pagkin Center, like
good pastors everywhere, had tortured him
self into many headache over thu perplexing
question, "Hox are we to reach the impeni-
tent in our midst?" The said impenitent,
were, with but few exceptions, industrious,
the worthy pastor, as fully impregnated with
Yankee thrift as with piety, shuddered to
think of the waste of souls that was constantly
threatening. At length, like many another
pastor, he called meeting of the brethren, to
prayerfully considerths momentous question.
The deacon came, ofcourse, and so did all the
other pillars, and many of them presented
their views. Brother Graves thought the fl
nal doom of the impenitent shocld be more
forcibly presented; deacon Struggs had an
abiding conviction that it was the man of sin
holding dominion in their hearts, that kept
these people away from the means of grace :
deacon Ponder mildly suggested that the OBJ
1ect might perhaps be attained, if those within
the fold maintained more godly walk and
conversation, but he was promptly, though
covertly rebuked by the good deacon Barker,
who reminded the brethren that cit is the
Spirit that qnickeneth" brother Elite. who
hadn't any money, thought The church ought
to build working mems chapel.' but this
idea was promptly and vigorously combated
by all men of property in the congregation.
By this time the usual closing hour had ar
rived, and after benediction, the faithful dis
persed, each with about the ideas he brought
to the meeting.
Early next morning, the good deacon Barker
with his mind half full of the state of the un-
converted, and half, of his unfinished cow
shed, took his stick and hobbed about the vii
lage in search Of a carpenter to finish the in
complete structure. There was Moggs. but
Moggs had been busy all tie season, and it
would be just like him to want full price for
days work. Stubo was idle, but Stub was
slow. Augur-Augur used liquor, and the
deacon had long ago firmly resolved that not
a cent of his money, if he could help it, should
ever go for the accursed stuff. But there was
hn odrf,f L
time-perhaps he would be anxious enough
for work to do it cheaply.
The deacon knocked at Hays door. and
Hay himself shouted:
''Come in.''
''How are We, George" said the deacon,
looking hastily about the room, and delighted
ly determining, from the patient face of sad
eyed Mrs. Hay, and the scanty furnishing of
the yet uncleared breakfast table, that he had
been providentially guided to the right spot.
Elbows times with ye?'
mot very good, deac'n," replied Hay.
q ''Nothin' much doin' in town."
sMoney's awful skeerce," groaned the dea-
con.
Dreadful" responded George, devoutly
thanking the Lord that he owed the deacon
'Got much to do this winterp' asked the
deacon.
mot d-day's job-not single day." sor-
rowfully replied Hay.
The deacon's piOus ear had beeu shocked
by the young mans imperfectly concealed
profanity, and for an instant he thought of
administering rebuke, but the charms of
prospective cheap labor lured the good man
from the path OF rectitude.
sim fxin' my cow-shed might p'raps
give ye a JOB ont. 'Spose yed do it CHEAP.
seein' how dull ey'ry thin is PSI
The sad eyes OF Mrs. Hay grew bright in
an instant. Her husbands heart jumped UP.
but he knew to whom he was talking, so he
said, as calmly as possible.
''Three dollars is regular pay.''
The deacon Immediately Strengthened I'D. a,
ifto go. 'Too much,' said he: '.Td better
hire common iab'rer at dolar'n half, are
boss him myself It's only cow-shed, ye
know"
"Guess, though, ye won't want the nails
druv no less p'tickler, win ye, deacon? ' in
CURED Hay. "But tell yer, deacon what
I'll dO-Pll throw off fifty cents day.n
1.-TWO dollars ort to be enough, George"
reasoned the deacon "Carpenterin's pooty
work. an takes sight of headpiece some
times, hut there's no intellec' REQUIRED to
work on cow-shed. Say two dollars, am
come along"
The carpenter thought bitterly of what a
little way the usual three dollars went, and of
how much would have to be done with what
he could get out of the cow-shed, but the idea
of losing even that was too horrible to be en-
dured, SO he hastily replied:
1.-TWO an a quarter, an I'm you man.
WELL" said the deacon, ''it's 4 powerful
price to pay for work OH a cows shed, but l
pos mus stan it. Hurry up; thar's the
whistle blowin' seven,"
4, nay snatched his tools, kissed a coupIe of
soo,, h tears out of his wifes eyes, and was
looking on. e'"''neo' WIN tne deacon
mo tbe said the deacon suddenly caus-
air ssthinlt 4 yer to stop his hammer in mid
= Hav gave t bser agin, an say two dollars,
,,,a,coo sSnd fo VIC good deacon a witber;no
sS,,,,nressed nrofan;t o" minutes the force of
barg with unusual yigor, while 1 tb hammer miner to
the cow-shed rubbed his hands ; ia owner Of
the industry of his employe. IN ecstacy at
The air was bracing and the n.;.
shone brilliantly, the deacons breansser sun
digested fairly, and his mind had Ha n was
freed itself ffom the influences of the ' s YET
bath. Besides, he had secured good VOL,
man at low price, and all these influences
combined to put the deacon in pleasant
frame of mind. He rambled through his
mind for text which would piously express
his condition, and texts brought back Sun
day, and Sunday reminded him of the meet
ing of the night before. And here was one
of those very men beforehim-a good man in
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