Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-10-21
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DEACON JEHIEL.
Hath not life an Indian Summer !"
by MRS. j. ID. CHAPLIN.

Hath not life an Indian summers"
Deacon Jehiel Braden was a solemn. in
dustrious, upright man, but was as kind ?
as one could be we'll who lived SO far apart
from his fellows as he had. In his youth
he had been one of the rural dandies OF
the region. and the chief beau of his ma
tive town, driving the fastest horse, and
leading off at all the village sports, wheth-
er balls, outings, weddings. or sleigh
rides.
When about twenty five years old, how
ever, sudden blight had fallen on his
spirit for which no one could account. He
had danced half the night in wild glee at
a wedding, played games of all sorts,
helped to serve the guests from the born
tifully laden tables. kissed the bride, gave
her. as wedding present, the best cow,s
with white, heart-shaped spot on her
forehead, and then went home full of glee.
Next morning he looked as If fifty years
had that night been added to his age. t5t
Tie now put himself to work earnestly,
laying out cranberry meadows, aud rails
ing livestock. lie withdrew from his old
friends as If the sight of them burnt his
eyes, unless he could help one of them;
and then he came out of his she'll. but Fe- d
turned into it as soon as the emergency
was over.
Some of the neighbors thought his mind
was affected; some said he had repented
giving Matilda Day the cow he was so
proud of; and others decided that he meant
to turn over new leaf, having sown all
his wild oats, and become a sober, settled
man. Still more were the towns foikv
surprised, when, some months after:this,
he Joined the church, and "took up as
he said, ian orderly walk" If the saint
ly old mother Braden knew the spring OF
these new actions, she kept it to herself. d
When questioned, she only replied, in her
quaint way .
''Rejoice with me that this my son who
was lost is found; who was dead, and is
alive again" tsi 1a -
Thus Jehiel moved on, cherishing and
blessing his mother, and clearing and cul-
tivating the hitherto useless land ON the
farm, till death left him and Ketury Per-
kins. his mothers lifelong helper, alone
in the great, broad farmhouse. t
His brother had married. gone West,
made great flourish in some patent bus
mess, and failed. He had come back af-
ter this, set up store in his native town,
and failed again. hen he went back to
honest farming, twenty miles away. Here
he wearied. for lack OF excitement of fail
ing" and died. leaving very helpless
family.
Jehiel Braden was man of very few
words, and was slow in uttering those
few, but when action was needed, he was
as prompt as any one. He went to the
funeral in the blue, swallow tailed coat
with gilt buttons, and the same buff vest
he had on at his last dance. They were
still his best.
AS soon as the funeral of his brother was
over, he said to his sisterin-law -
81 fear you have nothing to live on
come to the homestead as if it were your
own. and bring up your girls to be useful
women. I'll send Timothy over next
week with Star and Buck for your goods.
I'll come in the covered wagon for you ALL
and if there are any bills at the stores, I'll
pay them. I'll see to the doctor and the
funeral SO drop all care from your mind,
and try TO be happy"
Jehiel had grown to be very careless
man in certain sense of the word. Though
neat and orderly in his person, in his house
and on the farm he had laid aside all the
restraints of society. He came to the ta-
BILE in his shirt sleeves, and sometimes in
his stocking feet. He went to town and
even to church with his pants tucked into
his cowhide boots. Once, he so far forgot
as to put on clean farm-frock on
Sunday, instead of Monday, laid good
coat OF mutton tallow on his boots, tucked
his "butternut-colored pants" into them.
and in this plight took up the collection
for by this time he was a deacon. This
was to the no small delight of the BOYS in
the gallery, who were always glad OF any
orthodox suject for laughter in service
time.
Ketury Perkins was just as independent
of the worlds opinion as was her master,
and she did as many odd things by way OF
shocking its sense of propriety as he did
absent -mindness. She more than
once presented herself at church in a clean
and calico sack, and enjoying
the staring of the people because she knew
she had black silk gown, a cashmere
shawl, straw bonnet and lace veil at
home, las good as Mis- Deacon Jones, any
dayw
You may be sure she was not particular.
ly charmed at the idea OF lady coming to
take her place, with three citified girls
full OF airs" However, she was not con-
suited in the matter, and had too much
good sense to throw herself out of a home,
SO she made the best of the inovaton.
Deacon Jehiel had a great respect for
good women, and from the hour his BROTH
er's family came under his root he donned
his coat before coming to the table, and
eAen went so far as to buy pair OF slip
pers. He threw open the long unused par
lor. and said to the young girls, make
yourselves at home in there" =
He soon found there was great Lack in "
his establishment by overhearing his neice
lament the piano they had out West He
never spoke of it, but engaged the minis
ter's wife to 60 to town. aud select one
for him. The first the music hungry chill
dren knew it was brought into the house;
and still he never spoke of it. Indeed he
rarely spoke of anything at all.
The family lived on thus very happily
for several years. when all at once they
noticed a great change ia Deacon Jeheii
He began TO whistle at his work, andyto
sing with The girls: he brought in he
neighborhoQd news; he bought new car-
riage,-kethry described 1t as "a carriage
like folkses carriages )" he even got down