The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-09-07
Deacon JehieI.
BY MRS. j. ID. CHAPLIN.

er balls. cuttings, weddings, or sleigh
rides.
When about twenty-five years old, how.
ever. II sudden blight had fallen on hi:
spirit for which no one could account. lie
had dar ced half the night in wild glec at
Il wedding, played games of all sorts
helped to serve the guests from the boun.
titully ladened tables, kissed the bride
gave her as a wedding present. the besl
cow, with Il white, heart-shaped spot or
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
He now put himself to work earnestly
laying out cranberry meadows and rails
ing live stock He 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 shell, but re.
turned to it rs soon as the emergency was
over.
Some of the neig hbors thought his mind
was affected; some said he had repented
giving Matilda Day the COW he was SC
proud of; and others decided that he
meant to turn over new leaf, having
sown all his wild oats, and become a So
Der, settled man. Still more were the
town 's-tolk surprised, when, some months
after this, he joined the church, and "took
up'' as he said, IAN orderly walk" If the
sanity old mother Braden knew the spring
of these new actions. she kept it to herself
When questioned. she only replied, in hel
quaint way
'Kejoice with me that this my son who
was lost IS found; who was dead, and is
alive again"
Thus Jehiel moved on, cherishing and
blessing his mother, and clearing and
cultivating the hitherto useless land Oh
the farm, till death left him and Ketury
Perkins, his mothers life long helper,
alone in the great broad farmhouse
His brother had married, gone West,
made great flourish in some patent bus
mess, and failed. He had come back after
this, set up il store in his native town,
and failed again. Then he went back to
honest farming. twenty miles away. Here
ing and died, leaving a 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 rs 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 sister-in-law
II 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 III
come in the covered wagon for you all,
and if there are any bills at the stores, III
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 a very careless
man in u 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. lie
came to the table 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 himself us to put on a
clean tarm-irock on Sunday, instead Of on
Monday, laid a good coat of mutton tai
low on his boots, tucked his ''butternut-
colored pants into them, and in this
plight took up the collection, for by this
time he was Il deacon. This was to the
no small delight OF the boys in the gallery,
who were always glad of any orthodox
subject 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
through absent -mindedness. She more
than once presented herself at church in a
clean sun-bonnet and calico sack, and en-
joyed the staring Of the people because
she knew she had u black silk gown. a
cashmere shawl, straw bonnet. and a
lace veil at home, ''as good as Mis- Dea
con Joneses, any day"
You may be sure she was not particular
ly charmed at the idea Of Il lady coming
to take her place, "with three cititied girls
full of airs" However, she was not con-
suited in the matter, and had too much
good sense to throw herself out OF 4 home,
so she made the best of the innovation.
Deacon Jehiel had Il great respect fol
good women, and from the hour his broth.
his coat before coming tc the table, and
even went so far as to buy Il pair Of slip
pers. He threw open the long unused
parlor, and said TO the young girls,
make yourselves at home there"
He soon found there was a great lack
in his establishment by overhearing his
nieces lament the piano they had out West
He never spoke of it, but engaged the
minister's wife to 60 to town, and select
one for him. The first the music hungry
children knew it was brought into the
house and still he never spoke of it, In,
deed, he rarely spoke of anything at all
The family lived on thus very happily
for several years, when all at once they
noticed great change in Deacon Jehiel
lie began to whistle at his work, and tC
sing with the girls; he brought in the
neighborhood news; he bought a new
carriage Ketury described it as "a car
riage like folkses carriages;' he even got
down violin and checker-board from
the garret, and for the first time in twenty
five years he played on them both witt
zeal and interest.
Passing down the main street of the vii
lage, one day, he saw a buxom girl at the
window; and leaning over the fence he
called out:
Martha, / hear there's quilting com.
ing off before long at your house."
Yes, sir. the quilts my own work -
Il rising sun, with square and compass
in the heart of it. Mother said if | evel
got it done | should have quilting just
like those she used to have when she was
young" replied the girl
''Ain't you going to invite me. Martha? %
was the next question which startled the
village girl.
"Why, deacon!" she cried. looking a
the hitherto grave man, to discern if he
had-as the Irish say-"taken leave o
his senses" "You 60 to young folks
quiltings?"
Certainly l WILL if I'm asked" sale
the deacon, smiling. Your mother can
tell you how expert used to be at chalk
ing the line, snufling the candles, anc
throwing the app!e-pearing in old times.
OF course he got an invitation, and be
fore many hours had elapsed, it was nois