South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1881-08-12
The Silent Doacon's Opinion.

When next summer comes with its
heat, dust and languor, and the fired
spirit fainting by the way, cries out
Tor the Wings OF dove, go up to
W, among the hills made sacred
to nature, where the hurry and anxi-
ETY. 10 commerce are unknown, and
the silent Sundays are never broken
by the whizziihg of machinery or de-
filed by its smoke and steam. Ifvou
have toilel hard enough to deserve
rest, you will find it in W II
NOT, you will seek it any where in
vain. tits the most pleasant place in
the world; and were il not for the far.
nler turning his fhrrows, or casting
his seed, You might imagine Yourself
already where Sundays never end
Entering the neat, capacious church.
iather!y and motherly faces meet your
eye at every hand, you will soon for.
get that you are q stranger.
Aonder in the square pew sits Dea-
con Lee. You would know he was o
deacon if he had not told you. Some
men are born deacons. What n pity
that some should enter the holy office
who are not.
Deacon Lee was not native Of
W, but went there to till farm
lett him by an aged relative some
twenty Years aSo-about the time
Deacon Bell died leaving a sad void
in the church and parsonagc-for he
Was pillar in Zion and strong arm
to his pastor. After seeking long to
fill his place, the minds OF tile people
settled OH the hew conner, who, by his
soiemnlty, piety and zeal, seemed ere.
a,cd for the place.
He was man of few words. rarely
ever talking, so that the boys called
him ut first "a glum old man. But
they soon changed their opinion for
he set apart tree of sunmer-swcct-
ningS and one of bell pears for their
express benefit "a they went to and
from school, and surprised them bv Il
hnc swing, which he hung for them
in his walnut grove. So the verdict
of that. and each succeeding genera
ton OF boys, WAS, that although the
deacon never talked, he WAS a kind
and genial man aud lover of chill.
dren. Every boy, for twenty wears
back, had been his Waterman. his
shepherd or his assistant farmer. feel.
mS 1t high honor to hitch his horse
on Sunday, or to drive his manure
cart on Monday; and because they
saw, through the thick veil of reserve.
that love burned and slowed i'm his
heart.
Deacon Lees minister trusted in
him, and the church felt her temporal
affairs safe in his hands. and the world
honored his consistency.
There was serpent in Eden. and
Judas in that thrice blessed band
! who walked and talked with our Re.
deemer on earth, and who saw his
glory minglc with his humanity
Why, then, need we wonder that one
man, subtle and treacherous, hid him
sclfn the caIni virtue of W, crawl
ing ont only to deceive Gods people
with kiss, till ready to spring upon
them with poisonous fangs Upright.
faithful and earnest rs were the peo.
pie they were not proof against flatterv
and deception. There came among
them one quite unused to their mos
tcntatlous way of serving God, and
ambitious, us he said, of seeing them
make some stir i'm the world.' We
know from Gods word, that zone
sinner destroyeth much good And
yet we arc often annoyed at the r..
suits OF one mans evil work i'll tic
church. One may sow tares which n
hundred cannot pluck out; and there
fore 1t becomes Gods children to STAY
the enemy in his first efforts.
He who aimed Mt the life of the
Gospel church ih W, was dead.
while he had name TO live He
scorned many Of the humble ones
whose crown is waiting them OH high.
He hated the humblng doctrines of
the cross, and desired TO see man
glorilied and exalted Inc rebelled
against the iron bars which he close
to call the bonds Of love Which scpa.
rate Gods chosen and obedient ones
from the world that lieth in wicked.
ness. lie declared that the milIenni.
nm could never dawn I'LL all Chris
tians were as one-zly which he meant
that, for tic sake Of Union, right must
yield to wrOnG-as it lac were Of the
number who loved aud longed for the
appearance of Christ.
lie began stcaltllily to sow his seeds
among the younger and weaker of the
flock, and when he saw the first token
OF their taking root, he grew bold and
began to cast them in on the strong
high bills. But here he found resis-
lance; the soil which has borne such
rich harvests of grace repealed his
seed from It's bosom, and he came TO
the mad resolve to assail the deacon,
amt try how he would receive it. II
he, with his piety, zeal and influence.
opened his bosom to it, the end was
sNas. q -