Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-03-06

snail OBTAIN mercy. HanI Co7tLG that
carpenter be in the room, disarrano ring
his train of thought with such--sucb-sfan.
talizlng texts? They had kept him awake.
and at his time OF iafe restless night
was a serious matter. Suppose
Very early the next morning the vii
lage doctor. returning from patients
bedside, met the Deacon with a face
which suggested to him (the doctor was
pious and imaginative) abraham on
Mount Moriah" The village butcher
more practical, hailed the good man. and
Informed him he was in time for a fine
steak, but the Deacon shook his head in
agony, and passed on. He neared the
carpenters house, stopped, tottered, and
looked over his shoulder as if Intending
to run; at length he made his way behind
the house, where Hay was chopping fire
wood. The carpenter saw him, and
] turned pale-he feared the Deacon had
found cheaper labor. and had come to
give him warning.
George" said the Deacon, 'I've been
dom heap of thinkin' bout what we
talked of yesterday. I've come to saw
that if you like I'll lend you three hun
dred dollars fur as long as yev mind to,
without note, security or int'rest, YOU to
spend as much Of it ez we need to dress
you an yer hull family in Sunday clothes,
and to put the balance in the Savin's
Bank, at interest, to go on dom the same
with when necessary. An all of We to
go to church when We feel SO disposed.
An ef nobody else's pew-door opens, yer
allus welcome to mine. And NAV the
Lord'-the Deacon finished the sentence
to himself-s'have mercy on nv soul. !"
Then he said, aloud:
! tHThaf's all -
The carpenter, at the beginning of
the Deacon's speech, had dropped his
axe, to the imminent danger of one of
his feet AS the Deacon continued, the
carpenter dropped his head to one side,
raised one eyebrow inquiringly, and
awaited the conditions But when the
Deacon said "That's all,' George Hay
seized the Deacon's hard old hand, gave
it grasp which brought agonized tears
to the eyes of its venerable owner, and
exclaimed:
Deacon, Gods people are reformin'!"
The Deacon staggered little-he had
not thought of it in that light be-
fore.
Deacon, that money III do more good
than all the prayin' We ever done. 'Xcuse
mel must tell Mary" and the carpenter
dashed into the house. Had Mrs. Hay
respected the dramatic prophecies, she
would have made the Deacon a neat
speech; but the truth is, she regarded him
from behind the window blind, and wiped
her eyes with the corner of her apron,
| seeing which the Deacon abruptly started
for home, making less use of his cane than
he had done in any day for years.
| 1t is gIievous to relate-but truth is
| mighty-that within a fortnight the good
! Ehno Tod g h.
| at least fifty times He would die in the
, poor-house il he were SO eXtravagant
again. Three hundred dollars was more
than the COW -shed-lumber, shingles,
nails, labor and all-would cost. Sup
pose Hay should take the money and go
West? Suppose he should take to drink
ing, and spend it all for liquor? One
suspicion after another tortured the poor
man until he grew thin and nervous But
on the second Sunday, having satisfied
himself that Hay was in town, sober, the
day before, that he had been to the city
and brought back bundles, and that he
(the Deacon had seldom been in the street
without meeting one Of Hays children
with paper Of hooks and eyes
or spool Of thread, the Deacon station
ed himself in one Of his own front win
dows, and brought his spectacles to bear
on Hays door, a little distance off The
first bell had rung, apparently, hours be-
fore, yet no one appeared-could it be
that he had basely sneaked to the city at
night and pawned everything? No-the
door opened-there they came 1t
couldn't be-yes, it was--well, he never
imagined Hay and his wife were so fine
a-looking couple. They came nearer,
and the Deacon, forgetting his cane, hob
bled hurriedly to church, entered his pew,
and left the door wide open. He waited
long, 1t seemed to him, but they did not
come. lie looked around impatiently,
and there, oh, JOY and wonder,-the Pres
ldent Of the Pawkin Savings Institution
had invited the whole family into his
pew! Just then the congregation rose to
sing the hymn commencing
From all that dwell below the skies
Let the Creators praise arise;
and the Deacon, in his excitement, dis
tanced the choir, and the organ, and the
congregation, and almost brought the en-
tire musical service to a standstill.
The Deacon had intended to watch
closely for Hays conversion, but some
thing wonderful prevented-it was re-
ported everywhere that the Deacon him
self had been converted, and all who
now saw the Deacon fully believed the
report. He was even heard to say that as
there seemed to be some doubt as to
whether faith or works was the saving
virtue, he intended thereafter to practice
both. He no longer mentions the poor
house as his prospective dwelling, but is
heard to say that in his Fathers house
there are many mansions, and that he is
laying up his treasure in heaven as fast as.
possible, and hopes he may get it all on
the way there before his heart is called
for. At the post office, the tin-shop and
the rum shop the Deacon's conversion is
constantly discussed, and men of all de-
grees now express a belief in the mighty
power Of the Spirit from On high. Other
moneyed men have been smitten and
changed, and the pastor of the Pawkin
Centre Church daily thanks the Lord for
such revival as he never heard of be,
fore.-Ch71stjan Union.
PHUNNYGRAMS.
hob