The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1882-08-17
Fruits.
By ROSE TERRY COOKE.


lage store with a thud as if to nail his
doctrine ins
"Well, Brother Pettigrew, mcekly re-
piled Deacon Jones, ''there we differ
pears to me we amt none of us so good
but what we might be a sight better, if
we he church. members and for one
must say them sermons q Mr.. Kings are
searchin'; they open up things. begin
to see ha'n't lived up to my privileges
nOhow.
Joe Dunning emptied his mouth Of its
habitual quid and looked up with hu-
morous twinkle in his light hazel eye
He was the village satirist, and as he got
up and held out his hand to Squire Pet
tigreW, a look of amused expectation
went round the circle Of five or six gath
cred about the stove. "Shake hands,
square, Shake hands! I'm proud to
lay hold onto a man thet knows more'n
st. Poll did. didn't know as Thomson
he'd sech a gifted indiyidooal into t."
The Squire stared, but did not extend
bis mittened fingers an inch. "psho Y
he said, ''how you talk | didn't set up
nor never did, to know moren Scripter ;
n YOU know it,"
"lland me Bible, won't yc, Mr.
Flint - and the store keeper handed a
dusty volume oft one of the high shelves
to Joe Dunning who opened it and ran
over a few leaves with his eye. ''knew
want mistaken, but seem I'm one o the
outsiders thought Id have chapter and
yarse ior t. Every one Of these here
eplstlcs Poll writ is writ to churches, eX-
ceptln' two of EN- which is writ to indi-
yidooal Christians, and Hebrews is to
folks OF another religion, another church
ye may say James and Peter and John
and Jude foller right along in the same
track and if rek'lect rightly what my
old mother used to read about, there's
lots about strengthenin on 'em in the
faith, eNhortin' of EN- to walk uprightly,
to Justify their callin' and make sure OF
their lection and keep from fallin'. Par
son King pears to hey considerable eX-
ample to do what he's a doin' now ha'n't
he z"
"Well, guess ef You read up the Cos
pels, which is the main thing, you'll find
Christ preached to sinners mostly ]
guess You can't 60 back on that" stit1ly
answered Squire lettigreW
swell, that's so; but if you rex lect
the want no gre't Of Christian church
in them days; what the was b'lieve He
did eNhort considerable; pears to NE He
said a good deal to the 'postles them
selves. Now | think, sence you've come
tot, that sinners had ought to be preached
to and the church, too that seems to be
what He done"
''LOOks eZ ef some church members
these times want four miles off from
bein Sinners growled a deep voice be
hind the stove.
Nov look here Steve iiurlbut," re-
torted Mr. Pettigrew angrily "you're
one o them that makes the material faults
OF periessers an umbrell to keep off your
own dooties from peltin' of ye; don't say
but what everybody has faults, but We
calc'late to overcome 'em by the help o.
grace, and you don't never try to-"
II dono's | do; but eff | did | guess
grace would have most as hard a wrastle
for me as t does for you, Square" was
the rough reply, echoed by loud laughter
"Wcl." choked Squire Pettigrew, "I'm
a poor miser'ble sinner
$50 ye be, 50 We be :" mumbed an old
man, coming from the back of the store
"l'll swar tot Square, Oh the spot. |
bought bar'l O greenins of ye a spell
back. Apples is dredful plenty, but we
hadn't no greenin's and wife she sets 10y
that sort awf'ly; paid ye market price
for sound apples; an right in the middle
o the bar'l there was mOre'n half BUSH
el of 'nury, leetle, wormy apples thet
want skerce good 'nough for my pigs.
Apples is wuth a dollar bar'l this year
the best on 'em; and you cheated me to
save your pocket bout fifteen cents, all
told. When see them apples seq to
wife, sez |, that's Christianity, ant it?
And wife she set right down an cried
She's IL reel one; she don't need no
preachin' to. Bat | swow! the more
Passon King talks to sech as you be, the
better for ye."
Squire Pettigrew turned away and
walked out of the store
"1ou hit him fair N square, Simons," /"
said Joe Dunning, rather gravely.
'Well, | meant to- Now you fellers
like to hev your talk, and | don't blame
ye; but it's more Of a matter to me- NV
wife she's a reel saint, 'c0rdin' to what !
call saints. | don't mean one of the talk
in sort; she's one of the doin' kind.
There ant nothin' that woman LAYS her
hand te but what she does it up thorough
She don't get mad with the children and
slap 'em round, There contrary and per
nickity and hateful enough, Lord knows !;
but she only grieves about it, and talks
to 'em 50 moderate an lovin like they
fairly get shamed ont O their tricks; and
they've growed up, boys an all to think
there ant no place like hum, an no
body like mother. She's allus a thinkin'
Of other tolkses rights nd wants and for
gettin' her own; and she makes our old
barn OF a house jest as cheersOme an
pleasant as any s'loon We ever see. Boys
an | han't no call to go nowhere of an
evenin' for warm, kindly sort of place
to set down an lay up our legs in. Pm
Almost a mind to be Christian myself
when see howe works with her md some
other folks here in Thomson. feel sor-
ter uneasy to think how she keeps a
prayin' and a prayin' for me. She han't
no need to; livin' like her'n is 'nough"
"Mabbe, Brother SimOns, her prayin'
helps her livin'; there amt never no
grass 'thout rain, ye know said Deacon
Jones.
"Well, mabbe tits so you'd oughter
know, Deacon answered the old man,
with kindly look at the deacon, which
was reflected in every eye.
'But it comes hum to me, tell ye,
when | see man like Square Pettlgrew,
thszmeanest cuss there is in Thomson
screwn' his folks down to the lowest line
they can't starve on, and cheatin' them
that he Ills neighbors, and then maxim
pretence of sech piousness and godly liv-
in, and throwin' blocks in the way of a
reel earnest, strivin feller like Passon
King, COS he don't alters go in tor doc
tnnes and sech, but wants folks to grow