St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-10-07


gentle-voiced wife talking in this way
to him; then gradually her words
came back to him, and the more he re-
membered of them the more they
troubled him but not that he thought
she 'loOked at things in too strong
light, for what need was there for
Willie to go to college ? he never want
ed to go, even; the boy knew too
much now for any good then as for
Mary. she's better scholar this day
than | am, and there's no more need of
her going to school than there is of
Hec there ~ and the deacon very com
placently eyed IL great yellow and
white dog lying behind the stove, and
decided that it was all n humbug, that
he had "set his foot down." etc. "But
then, it was kind of mean to say they
shouldn't when Hannah had set her
heart on it; faint often she crosses
me she's been powerful good wife
and mother, Hannah has" unused the
deacon with remorseful twinge.
"Wonder what did possess her, though,
to say what she did about Elizabeth ~
and Just then the deacon's little devil,
self-cOnceit, stepped in and spurted at
such Il rate about IA mans controlling
his own house, and Il deacOn's knowing
what was right and best for his family,
of course, that he turned over in his
bed and closed his eyes firmly, and
with a feeling of conscious superiority.
OF course he knew what was best 7
But he could not sleep: over and
over again he determined not to think
any more about it, but over and over
again would the words recur to him
"If you've never done anything to
make others happy, Pm afraid there1l
not be much happiness for You when it
comes to the last" He could not get
rid of them, try as he would, until, in
desperation, he determined to end
them by self-examination. He ran
sacked his memory, first carelessly,
then eagerly, then anxiously, and with
great wondering if it really could be,
and if his children might not possibly
be glad when he was dead the thought
was horrible, yet turn whichever way
he would, it only grew more intensely
certain, for from among all the years,
the days, the hours gathered from the
past he could only single out pitiful
selfshness and greed.
~ Jest wish Hannah hadn't said any
thing about it," he groaned, as restless
ly tossing over and over he found him
self unable to stitle his awakening con-
science. I'll not be fit for a lick of
work, Tomorrow"
The deacon was not so unlike the
rest of us after all.
Sleep came to him at length, not
sweet and refreshing, but busy with
dreamings that startled the mans soul
like arrows of warning.
He dreamed it was the last great
day; the millions on millions of peO-
pie melted slowly away from before
him, bringing him nearer and nearer
the Great Arbiter of souls. Countless
thrOngs of angels hOvered near, burst
ing forth in rapturous "Glory to God
in the Highest !" as thousands upon
thousands of the redeemed joined their
number, or turned weeping away, as
others were borne shrieking to eternal
gloom.
No great happiness or particular
dread seemed to enter the deacon's
heart he sincerely pitied those who
were eternally lost; and thought how
much better it would have been for
them had they been Christians, while
he looked upon the angels, curiously
wondering if some of them there had
been as good as they might have been.
At last, nothing remained between
him and the Searching Eye bent upon
him. 1t was an expression of infinite
mercy, loving compassion and yearn-
ing tenderness, yet answering Justice,
that seemed to draw him nearer, as by
some invisible chain.
81 am a Deacon" explained our
| friend.
There was no voice, no sound, yet
deep down in his heart he seemed to
hear in living thunders-"I knO,o thee
not ~ while the angels turned away in
tears.
''Don't you know? Don't you re
member? [ am Deacon Hcyworth," :"
he said, shivering and whitening be-
meath the awful horror that grew upon
him. But no "Well dOnew greeted
him from the Presence there, all the
glory faded away-Only the cruelty
pierced side and hands and feet and
the thorn crowned brow remained; IA
voice infinite in its sadness came from
ont the awful stiffness aye have done
this unto mew
The angels sobbed, and still the hOr-
ror grew he seemed EMBODIED i'll Il
living, breathing agony, with his con-
science his accuser. "1ou were dea-
con, with deacOn's work to do; il
was yours to bind up the hearts OF
Gods children, to make the widows
heart to sing for joy, to he II peace
maker among your brethren, and tC
advance Gods cause and kingdom il
, the earth, but you have not given even
cup of cold water to one of these
his little Onesn"
. Wrung from his own soul, yet an
others, fainter and fainter grew the
voice, and the angels veiled their faces
f and turned away; waiting, listening
, for his fearful sentence ages seemed
, concentrated in that one instant of an
grlish, and he shrieked aloud.
"Nathan, what upon earth what Is
the matter with you 7" and Mrs. Hey
worth shook her husband vigorously
"Have you got the nightmare 7"
"Oh, Hannah, Eve had an awful
dream, an awful dream !"
"Have yOuP Nightmare, expect y
> and she turned over sleepily.
1t was not the nightmare, Deacon
} Heyworth knew, but he did what many
of us would not have dOne-determin
ed to accept its teachings.
"Who would ever have thought il 2
f he queried wonderingly to himself
, scarcely able to deny the reality of i
I all "Who would ever have though
I it of me, IA deacon"
t Shivering, thinking and resolving h'
2 fell asleep again, and again he dream
e ed.
5 He was dead-lying still and pail
! and cold and yet he stood watching
% his family as any curious bystande