The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-09-06
THE DEACON.

The following is sketch from "Achsah,
BY the Rev Peter Pennot, in the September
number Of American Homes:
The Deacon bore his wifes death with sys
tematic and precise fOrtitude, and mOurned IL
the most orthodox fashion. He wiped bis eyes
once or twice at the funeral, and looked quite
as solemn as the occasion demanded. HI
knew very we'll that the less was a great one
that no one else would look after the house
hold affairs with the same patient fidelity tina
his wife had done-but then, he said:
The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketl
away, and l amt one to rebel against the de
crees of Providence My bosom may be tori
into more'n hundred pieces by my tremen
ious affection, but Tn like David of old
mighty king and blessed singer Of Israel,
can call unto the Lord for peace an comfort
well KNOWN that lie heareth the prayer OF the
righteous. Mis- Sterne was faithful house
wife, always in her lot an place, and / nigh,
search hem-mght search the Scriptures
in tact must search the Scriptures for con
ISOLATION. She Was slvin, thrifty, provident
an obeiient unto her nus 5and.
Tie deacon even went so far in his tender
devotion to his wife's memory as to compose
an epitaph Tor her tombstone, which he Wen,
about reading to everybody at the funeral, and
which may now be seen in the Dlckevyllle
graveyard. / think he would not have been
averse to have had it sung as part of the eX-
ercises, if he could have found "a tune fitting
to its lugubrous measures. 1t was as follows,
and would have been much longer had not
The sudden thought Of the stonecuttcr's charge
Of five cents IA letter come into his mind and
checked his flow of inspiration
go Sinner! pause and take thought
As YOU are passing bV,
That lifes thing that can't be bought.
And all OF Us must die.
q Here lies the mortal form Of one
Who spent her life i'll PRAYER
Who's passed beyond the shining sun
To go on praying there.
"A mother true faithful wife,
Obedient unto God
How few there are lead such life!
Tread lightly on the sod.
"These verses all are writ by him
Who mourns her loss ful sore;
He knows that shes seraphim,
But still his bosoms tore"
These verses may not strike the binary
reader as showing any great degree Of poeti-
cal power, but there was one person who,
when she heard them, was affected most
deeply. and shed tears copiously that was
Miss Iphigenia Lake. Her pity for the dea-
cons forlorn condition was something most
touching to see. "Oh, how lonely, very
lonely, you will be, deacon. And you have
been such good husband But don't give
way to your feelings any more than you can
help, deacon; bear up, as you always have
done, with noble Christian fortitude. And,
my dear brother in church 1 may call you
dear at such time, may | not IF We can
do ANYTHING to co ufOrt Won. ma and |, in our
little bower of home, come as often as you
like, and you will be most heartily welcome,
indeed you will" Mrs. Meachem heard that
little speech, and far forgot herself as to
speak Of its author as an "artful old ma d. y
but the deacon was pleased with Miss Lake s
delicate attentions, and replied to her invita-
ton that he felt thankful unto Providence
for raisin' up 50 many kind and sylnpathizin'
friends to him"