Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1882-07-27
DEACON FRINK'S MARE.
BY a Country Parson."


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 ma,e was hav.
ing one of her "tantrums." "If body
gets belated and must go, she knows ii
and won't bulge an inch. 1t was the
evening for the regular Friday night
prayer-meeting at Freeville. The dea.
con had had hard day planting, and
was later than usual. He was one of the
stand-bys, always there, always ready to
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 go
with him. al 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 Oft. She was an excel
lent animal, true and strong, and save
these periods of unpleasantness, was an
exceedingly valuable horse.
"Mariah, human mater can't bear ev-
erything; the devil is in this beast, and
he's got tos.come out" The deacon got
a long pole as thick as his wrist, and his
wrist was large, for he was built on an
ample plan. 1t was the small end of the
hop-pole, and he got in behind the ami
NAL Now We varnit, git up" and the
pole descended. The deacon had been
long-sutering. 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 at first braced
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 SO tleshy it
was becoming violent exercise, a sort OF
Indian club movement in the air. The
deacon would give blow then a grunt,
while the horse plunged and jumped,
perfectly frantic. "Josiah Greenbush,
what will folks say of We, deacon of the
a d9rned fool to Fgive up to my horse"
yelled the pillar of the Freeville Church
''Fll 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 few, and Maf,ah hung
to her husband and held her breath
The deacon sang with JUNCTION that night
What various hindrances we meet,
OLord before Thy mercy seat.
His prayer was unusually humble and
he deplored ''the sin wherein we were
born" They rode home with callner
gait, but the mare was entirely passive
SUMMER.
Spring had gone out and summer had
come, the miracle of days was before the
eyes. The June sunshine had been per-
fumed with apple blossoms, the russet
fields became emerald, and in the tree
tops the birds triled their joyous notes
All the fairies of the woodland were eX-
ercising their magic touch. About the
tinkling brooks, the flowers nodded in
shy modesty, while the trees wrapped
themselves i'll .sea-green draperies
What customer is summer. How en-
chanting she makes the old farm Will
fairy fingers weaving her tapestries
The work and worship of the farm went
on as usual at Josiah Frink's. 1t was 2
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 fan
and wide They always had a good mar
ket for their butter. They had large
quantities of fruit in good years, and til,
deacon's wheat fields We're always large
The deacon and his wife lived for thei
daughter, and Matte Frink was wortl
living for. She was born good, anC
while she had vivacity and energy, the
evil seemed to have been left out of he
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 a
the farm. Her twenty years of life ha'
been remarkably free from sick
ness, and she seemed to have a soun'
mind in sound body. She stood on thu
thresh-hold of the summer of her life
light hearted and hopeful. The youn
minister often allowed his eye to hinge
on the deacon's pew, and the calm, fear
less gaze of Matte sometimes discomfort
ed him SO that he stammered and Stun
bled in his discourse. She was eager t
hear the truth from the lips of the elo
what Madonna face she had, such a
the old masters put on their canva.
Indeed, her face was often associate
with the Church Fathers, and when h
was reading Augustine and Calvin, h
would find himself thinking of Matti
Frink. She was an inspiration to tn
young man. He preached to her, an
when her face lighted with its hidde
fire, he forgot himself in his subject.
John Hayes was young man with
future, if he did not become shipwreckeC
He had the blues" an hereditary tain
which had been in the family for genera
tons. 1t was a sort. of temporary in
sanity, which for the time discolored tn
brightest hues of life. It often succeede
great mental activity, after he had az
complished good, deal or spoken, pei
haps, with unusual power. He had trie
to overcome it, but it would come O
him at times. Hayes had come out {
that school which has graduate
so many fine men, the school {
adversely. He had wrestled with fat
and got at last the under hold. Ill
preaching dealt with experience. Fl
spoke from the alta side of battle in
measure, and he gave the devil goo
honest blows, Freeville church ws
the largestin the conference; there WEI
three hundred members, and congregs
ton offour hundred and upward on plea
ant days, so that the young clergyman
light was not altogether hid under
bushel. The people called him s'smart,
and the young ladies' Gale d him "beaut
full" Not Matte, by any menas, for sh
was careful of her adjectives, and ha
too much downright common-sense
use meaningless words about such stnrd
preaching. 1t was said that before job
Hayes came to Freeville that he was Ell
gagged" Susan Slade had it from he
sister, who lived in Hayes's native tow
Once or twice some of the elderly ladit
had preached the subject, but til
domino shut them up with his polite Gu
tess, and they did not repeat the exper
ment. He had been there only yea
but the congregation had increased, an
the society was never in more pro
porous condition financially. Altogethe
he was a rising man, and it was reporte
that one committee had sounded him
regard to a call to larger church.
The parson had weakness for goo
horse. He was an expert driver II
had often rode after Deacon Frink
mare. She never baked with him, an
here seemed to be singular friendship