The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-05-04
THE NEW MINISTER.

ONS tilttb ~ hoo q hlhSO
Hitherto it had chung to the skirts of
Ponkapawket, and had never thought
of the possibility of a separate exist
ence. The soil was poor in that part
of the town, and it had been a hard
struggle to wiring a living from it; the
place was unhealthy, too, and Gas
pindlin' as a Scragg-Ender' was a
household saying in Ponkapawket.
Nobody had seemed to prosper OF to
have much ambition. They were not
accused of being "slack" or shiftless
they were Woodworking people
but they "never seemed to get ahead"
Some people thought there was a de
pressing influence in the name, and
had made a move to change it; there
seemed to be no especial propriety in
retaining it, now that the Scragg
family, for whom it was named, and
who were the first settlers, had all
died off, except "Bueny Visty," the
sea captains daughter, who was mar
ried out of the name. But still the
name chung to the place.
They had a school at Scragg End at
certain eason OF the year, because
Ponkapawket built them a school
house, and appropria' ed to their use a
certain part of the school money, but
they did all their shopping in Ponka-
pawket, and relied upon that village
for those servants of society generally
regarded as indispensable, the doctor,
the lawyer and the minister. Rather
strangely, it was the want of the last
mentioned Of these servants that awoke
Scragg End to a sense of its rights.
Old Mis- Crichett, who had been in
i'll health for several months, suddenly
discovered that she had a spine in her
back, and was not long for this world,
and wanted Gospel privileges before
she died. Miss Angela Lawton, who
was held in high esteem because her
father had been the minister of Ponka-
pawket, declared that she didn't think
MIR. Ericsson, the present minister Of
Ponkapawket, who now and then
preached in the Scragg End school
house on a Sunday afternoon or even
ing, was "spiritual," because he wore
a ring on his finger, and she didn't
feel to sit under him" anymore. And
good old Mrs. Simmons. who walked all
the way to POnkapawket to church
every pleasant Sunday, said she had a.
ways knownthat "until it was watered
by the droppings Of the sanctuary,
Scragg End would not prosper"
And Scragg End suddenly decided
that instead of occasional preaching
by the Ponkapawket minister it was
entitled to "a stated supply"
AdOniram Hewitt, whose father had
been a deacon, was deputed to make
application to the proper authorities in
that denomination to which Scragg
End almost universally belonged for a
minister to supply the Scragg End pull
pit, or rather the school desk until a
church should be built.
Adoniram Hewitt received an en-
%couraging answer to his application.
A very earnest and talented young
preacher, lately graduated from a theo-
logical seminary, would at once be
sent to Scragg End.
Some of the older people demurrel a
little; they "did't think much of prem
tice hands, but the people generally
oiiOhShO NOtllS LlllllOtCl NdO IluCll
more interesting.
Interest and curiosity were at their
height in Scragg End on the day when
Lysander Hewitt, Adoniram's son,
drove over to Pcnkapawket station to
bring back the new minister. In
Vulnerable guesses had been made
among the younger portion of the
community concerning the appearance
of the new parson. 1t was generally
agreed upon by the young ladies that
he would be slender, with dark eyes, a
meiodious voice, and very white hands,
and they embroidered several very
handsome bookmarks for the Bible
md hymn book which We're purchased
for the desk-Mr. Ericsson had been
obliged to bring his own-and an ele-
giant satin cushion to rest them on.
The minister was to board al
Adoniram Hewitt's, the Hewitts being
well-to-do beyond the majority OF
Scragg End people, and being regarded
as possessing book-learning, which
would make them congenial compan.
ions for a minister, for Adoniram hat
in his youthful days been sent to ar
academy where Latin was taught, anC
Lysander, his son, had fitted himself
Jor college, and only been presented
from working his way through by
the illness of his father, which
made it necessary for him t
remain on the farm. Moreover
the Iiewitts kept a "hired girl;
very unusual luxury at Scragg End
and both Mrs. Hewitt and Roxy, tn,
girl, were famous cooks, and minister
were but men in the matter of eating
however spiritually minded they nigh
be; indeed, Mrs. lIepsy Jackson, VIII,
was greatly given to attending count,
conferences, had observed that 9TH
piouser they were the more they ate.
But this was generally regarded Il
sacrilegious, and it was rememberel