The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-02-21
THE NEW REFORMATION.

"Dr. Strong's a master preacher,
Desire
Eyes"
THAT was a powerful sermon to-
day, and no mistake. I'd like to see
the man that could gainsay them argy-
ments, but"
With this word Deacon Wiseman's
lips closed firmly, his brow knit closely,
his hands grasped tightly the arms of
his chair, he leaned slightly forward
and seemed lost in thought. Mean
while, silence reigned unbroken, save
by the slow ticking of the clock in the
corner, solemnly counting off for the
good Deacon and his Desire, the pass
ing moments of the waning Lord s-day.
Five, ten, fifteen, twenty; the Dea-
cons clenched fist descended upon the
table with such force as to nearly upset
the tumbler of roses and young-man's-
love which graced it, and caused the
patent office reports to tremble in their
places. 81 tell you, Desire, there's 60
ing to be new reformation" he cried.
Placid Mrs. Wiseman, reused from
peaceful meditations on the prophecy
of that happy era when swords shall be
beaten into plowshares, spears into
pruning hooks and the nations of the
earth learn war no more, to remem-
brance of the troublous times of the
sixteenth century, gazing at her worthy
spouse with her mild blue eyes horror
dilated behind their gold-rimmed
glasses, could only falter out in ques-
tioning, mystiied tremolo, "Why,
Deacon WisemanP'
"Yes, Desire, a new reformation;
but don't you be frightened; it won't
be like the old one, I'll tell you. I've
been thinking of DR.. Strong and his
heavy shots-not meaning any disre-
spect to our minister or his discourses.
He's a mighty man in the books,
Desire; forgotten more things, l ven
ture to say, than you and 1, put to-
gether, ever knew. He knows how to
present the doctrines. Doctrines amt
to be despised, for we ought to be able
to give reason for the faith that's in
us. But don't believe in all reason
and no faith, and l don't believe in all
doctrines and nothing to help man
along ev'ry day. 1 tell you, Desire,
we're having a great deal of religion
that's good to talk about, and precious
little of the kind that's good to live BY
Not that I'm blaming the Doctor. Bless
him, no. His head full of fine theo-
ries, and it's in nature for him to talk
them when he talks anything. He's so
took up with them, though, that he
can't see common needs as | can. Now
l was reading the other day that the
ancient moralists reckoned four virtues
essential-justice, prudence, temper
ance and fortitude. Cardinal virtues
they called them, because they was the
basis of all virtue. Justice, prudence,
temperance, fortitude." repeated the
deacon, slowly naming the virtues on
the fingers of his left hand, "yes, De-
sire, these're what want to see prac-
ticed, and Pm agoing to persuade men
and women to practice them. I've got
to do it. Pm going to do it."
Thus was the new reformation deter
mined upon. Thus did its leader, with
something of the spirit and earnestness
of Luther at Worms, declaring, "Here
stand; can do no otherwise; God
help me-" utter his vow of committal to
the promptings of conscience.
One evening, several days later, as
Deacon Wiseman and his wife comfort
ably settled themselves in their easy
chairs for twilight chat, the Deacon
began relating some of his experience
in the work which he had so zealously
undertaken.
"This morning, Desire" said he, II
felt moved to labor with Ben Halsey.
You see Ben bought the Widow
Thatcher's wood-lot. She's slick
kind of body, and couldn't tell how
many acres there was in it; but left the
surveying to Ben, which, 1 must say,
wasn't very cunning in her, consider
ing that she was to be paid by
the acre, and considering what
kind of a fellow Ben is. His
brothers helped him on the job, so they
had it all among themselves carried
the chains, did the reckoning, and
managed everything. Thirty-fve acres
they said it was, and Ben paid the
widow accordingly. Nobody would
have disputed or made any fuss, if Tom
Anderson hadn't happened around just
at that time, and mentioned to one and
another that his father sold that wood
lot to John Thatcher, and sold him
forty acres, too. Then folks began to
talk and speculate and think over about
it pretty lively. Mis- Thatcher said