The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1882-07-27
DEACON FRINK'S MARE.

DEACON FRINK'S MARE.
BY Country Parson."
SPRING
81 never saw such a pesky critter.
tell We she was sired in tophet. Look at
the brute" Deacon Frink was in his
blackboard and the sorrel mare was hav.
ing one Of her ''tantrums." "If body
gets belated and must go, she knows it
and won't bulge ali inch. 1t was the
evening for the regular Friday night
prayer-meeting at Freeville. The lea.
con had had hard day planting, and
was later than usual. He was one Of the
stand-bys, always there, always ready t.
take part. And here the animal stood
her ears laid back, switching her tail vi.
ciously, looking out of the corners of her
eye wickedly at the deacon. "Josiah,
does she want water:' asked his wife
from the doorway. She was ready to 60
with him. 81 wish she had the hull
pond atop OF her. shouted the husband.
That was the third time that week she
had had the dumps, and the good man
was getting sick Of it. She Was an excel
lent animal, true and strong, and save
these periods of unple asantness, was an
exceedingly valuable horse.
"Mariah, human mater can't bear ev-
erything; the devil is in this beast, and
he's got o::come out" The deacon got
a long pole rs thick as his wrist, and his
wrist was large, for he was built on AL
ample plan. It was the small end Of the
hop-pole, and he got in behind the ami
NAL. Now We varmit,. git up" and the
pole descended. The deacon had been
ong-sutfering. He never had struck the
mare before, and she was profoundly as
tonished. But he made thorough work
now. He stood up, and that pole came
down with force. The mare ut irst braccd
herself, and looked at the deacon Then
she began to circle about the yard,
threatening every moment to wreck the
vehicle. The good man was 50 tleshy it
was becoming violent exercise, sort Of
Indian club movement in the air. The
deacon would give blow then grunt,
while the horse plunged and jumped,
perfectly frantic. ''Josiah Greenbush,
what will folks say of e, deacon Of the
church," screamed his wife. "Say Pm
derned fool to Fgive up to my horse"
yelled the pillar of the Freeville Church;
"Pll convert this mare or translate her"
"Now get in Mariah, and we will go to
meeting" After some remOnstrance she
got in, and it is safe to say that no parties
ever passed over that road in quicker
time. The mare flew, and Mariah hung
TO her husband and held her breath
The deacon sang with JUNCTION that nj sht
'What various lindrances We meet,
OLord before Thy nercy-seat.
His prayer was unusually humble and
he deplored the sin wherein We We're
born" They rode home with calner
gait, but the mare was entirely passive.
Spring had gone ont and summer had
come, the miracle OF days was before the
eyes. The June sunshine had been per-
fi1med with apple blossoms, the russell
fields became emerald, and in the tree
tops the birds trilled their Joyous notes.
All the fairies Of the woodland were. ex-
errising their magic touch. About the
slnkllng brooks, the flowers nodded in
shy nodesty, while tue trees wrapped
themselves in sea-gretn draperies.
What customer is summer. How en-
chanting she makes the old farm with
fairy fingers weaving her tapestries!
The work and worship Of the farm went
on as usual at Josiah Frink's. 1t was
busy life. 1t meant work and toll from
sunrise until sunset and often later.
There was little leisure or resting spots.
The dairy Of Mariah Frink was noted far
and wide. They always had a good mar
ket for their butter. They lad large
quantities OF fruit in good years, and the
deacon's wheat fields We're always large.
The deacon and his wife lived for their
daughter, and Matte Frink was worth
living for. She was born good, and
while she had vvacity and energy, the
evil seemed to have been left out of her
disposition She led her class at the
seminary, where she had just graduated,
and her mother said she could make
Just as good butter as was ever made at
the farm. Her twenty years Of life had
been remarkably free from sick
ness, and she seemed to have a sound
mind in sound body. She stood on the
thresh-hold of the summer of her life,
light hearted and hopeful. The young
minister often allowed his eye to linger
on the deacOn's pew, and the calm, fear.
less gaze Of Matte sometimes disconcert-
ed him 80 that be stamnered and stnm-
bled in his discourse. She was eager to
hear the truth from the, lips of the elo-
luent young divine, and he was thinking
the old masters put on their canvas.
Indeed, her face was often associated
with the Church Fathers, and when he
was reading Augustine and Calvin, he
would find himself thinking Of Matte
Frink. She was an inspiration to the
young man. He preached to her, and
when her face lighted with it's hidden
fire, he forgot himself in his subject.
John Hayes Was 4 young man with a
future, if he did not become sllipwrccked
He had the blues" an hereditary faint
which had been in the family for genera
lions. 1t was 4 sort Of temporary in
sanity, which for the time diScolored the
brightest hues Of life. 1t often succeeded
great mental activity, after he had &C.
complished good deal, or spoken, per
haps, with unusual power. He had tried
to overcome it, but it would come on
him at times. Hayes had come out OF
that school which has graduated
SO many fine men, the school OF
adversely. He had wrtstltd with fate
and got at last the under hold His
preaching dealt with experience. He
spoke Sc from the altar side Of battle il q
honest blows, Freeville church was
the largestin the conference; there were
three hundred members, and congrega-
ton offour hundred and upward on pleas
ant days, so that the young clergy mans
light was not altogether hid under a
bushel. The people called him ''smart,,''
and the young ladies' Gale d him "beauti-
full" Not Matte, by any menas, for she
was careful of her adjectives, and had
too much downright common-sense to
use meaningless words about such sturdy
preaching. It was said that before John
Hayes came to Freeville that he. was en-
gagged" Susan Slade had it from her
sister, who lived in Haycs's native town.
Once or twice some of the elderly ladies
:; had broached the subject, but the
domino shut them up with his polite cur,
tess, and they did not repeat the expert.
1nent. He had been there only year
but the CONGREGATION had Increased. and