St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-05-09
Deacon Barker's Conversion.
BY. H.. \. BEETDN.


Pawkin Center, deacon Barker WAS, 10y
all odds. the strongest. His orthodoxy
WAS the admiration of all the ministers
within easy driving distance of the dea-
con : native village. He it WAS who
had argued the late pastor of the Paw
kin Center church into that state of dis
quetIdc whicl had carried him through
Il few days of lclirious fever, into the
church triumphant and it WAS also dea
con Baikrr, whose questions at the cX-
animation of seekers tOr cN-paStors
shoes, had east such COIIstcInatiOn into
divinity schools. far and near, that soon
II WIS very hard to find Il candidate tOI
ministerial honols at Pawkin Center.
Nor WAS his faith made manifest 10y
words alone. BE the weather what ii
might the deacon Wa> always III his pew.
both morning :n;i evening. in time to
Join in the iil>t hymn: and on every
| Thursday night. at Il quarter past seven
i'll winter. and ii quarter before eight in
summer, the good deacon cane ;tId
shoes could hc heard coming SolcmmlN
down the aisle. bringing to the prayer
meeting the champion of orthodoxy.
Nor did the holy air OF the prayer meet
ing. even one single evening. fail To
NihlItc to the voice of the deacon. a> lc
made iii >rIiptmal language. humble
confessions and tcaItul plc;tdimgs before
the throne. or still strictly sCTiptuIal
i'll expression he warned and rXhoItcd
the imprnitcmt. The contribution huN
always received his >iNprmcc ;rN long ;s
specie payment tasted. and the smallest
fractional currency note thereafter :and
1" each ot the regular annual offerings
1" the missionary calI>,.. and kindred
Christian enterprises. the deacon rcyu-
larlN contributed his dollar and his
prayers.
1 he deacon could qs"tr Scripture in
Il manner which put biblical professors
To the blush. and every principle ot his
creed ;" hr>llcd with texts contirua-
tory. >II>icntiNr and aggressive, that
d"uhtcrs NcIrIrhuhcd. and trcrthinkrr>
we've speedily reduced to >pccchir>>
humility "r rage. But the imrcgcncr-
ate. and even some " ho prutr>>td right
cou>mr>>. dcclaIcd that more tundlN
than L" any otirI .,liptuIdl pI->agr
did r good deacon ding Ia the imjumr-
tIolI. 'Nakc To lulu selves friends of he
ur.lmIm"n of ightr"u>mc>>. Mrckh
Insisting that he Was only Il steward uf
the l"iG. he put "ul hi Lords mnmeN
that he mighr receive it again vita u>-
NY. and :" successful had he been that
almost Iii multEagc> held on property
near Pa hin Center. wcIr in the hands
OF lhr good ,icacum. and few We're the
foreclosure sales IN which hr Was not
the >cllc!.
The new pastor al Paw Kim Center.
like good pa~t"r~ every Whclr. had
tortured himself int" many u headache.
over the pcrple\img question. ''lI"W aic
we I" reach the iIdp"nitcnt III "uI
midst Ihr said imprnitcut. were.
with but few exceptions. industrious.
honest. lc>prrtahlr. law abiding people
and the w"lthl pastor. H. fully implrg-
mated with Yankee thrift ~ with pirtl
>huddrrcd tn thinl, of The waste of souls
that WIS constantly threatening. At
length. like many another pastor. hc
called i mcctin" Of the brethren. to
praycIiullN consider this m"mentuu>
question. The deacon came. of course.
ami 81 did all the other pillars. and
niIiIN Of them presented thciI views.
HrnthcI t.raNc> thuughi the final doom
"t The lmprnitrmt should Ice more. fuIri-
hlN presented: deacon >trugg> had IN
abiding r"mNictiom that il was the man
of sin h"Idiug dominion in thcil hearts.
that keep thr~c people aNaN from The
means "t "I.,r, : deacon Ponder mildly
suggested that the object might pei
hII,> hc attained. il th"~c within the
inld maintained - more gn,ilN walk ard
,onNci ~-tilnIi. hut hc va> pIompI. .
thnugh cuNrItil rchukrd hl the good
deacon Harkrl. Wh" Icmin'Icd the
.n,tI~. J,nII,,,' I'm, ,,L, h',,i,,, .,'',
,,,,,,,,., ,L,,.,,.i,t ,I.. ..I,r,J, ,,,,,,L, =.
huiId., ..,,,Ii ina. n,...,.. ,.I,.,,,J" :" I,n,
tI,;. id,.., u.,. ,,,,,T,,,,L and ;,r',,.,,,,-I,
,ur,l,,trJ /, iii ,,,.,, ~ u,,.,,.,I, ir H..
,.,,,,.,,,..,ti.n, IN hi. ,i,n,. IL, ,-,'',I
rIu,iu. h,,. l,..I .,,i,rJ and .,tt,, ~,
l.,..,ii,.;in,, fL, ,,i,;,t.I .Ii.,,,,.,.I ..,,.,
Win .,L,ni tL, iIr,s b,. IT,r,.Lt ,n
,I,,. u,,.,tinn
I-.,,i, nv, ,.,,,,,,,. ,I.. ,,,,,,I ,l,...,..,,,
n.,kr,' Win hi. m;rJ I..II n,Il - ,L,.
,t.,,, of rh,. ,,,,.,,,,,.,,,.J ami Il ,if ~
IN. i,uti,n.i.I ..nn,h,L tod I,i..,;.
and ,n,,l,,d .,IuuI ti,,. <iII,n,, in .,.,,,.I,
az - ,.:,rur,,l,.,. :, finish rLr i,rn,nrIrrn
srrucl,,,,. Tr.r,. Nn,,.,. Lnt Wn,r,,.
,d I.r.u Inns, III ,L. S,.,,,,, mi !,
rnulJ ,,. ;m., j;l.. en- '''',;
frr y, d,,.Svu,I StuIh mnu ;jI. i,,,
StnI,h w,. Slow ,umm, Sr,,,', ~ u,,.J I
Iin,,o, and ,L, d,..',.,1, L.,J e., .,'.''
lrnlI rrsnIyrd ILnt no, - ,nm, nf Ii
mnmr,' if he ,nuIJ helm il >hnuIJ nyn,
90 for thr .rrur,.J l,ntl. En tLer,.
vaS HAY ne budu't seen him ,t work
for , Inn,, lime merriam, h, 'vnuII lac
.I,y ions rInr,rb for vn,L tndnit ,bn.n,I,
Th, d,.,ruE, ku,rk,J NJ IL,,'. Jnn,.
and U,y himself sLnrtrd
..Cnn,o in ="