The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1883-03-03
THE DEACON'S QUARREL.

Dio YOU ever near tell ABOUT Deacon
Tanners quarrel with Deacon Twist,
Joshuav?''
mo; dono as ever | did"
I'VE see, Deacon Tanner was real
plous, but his natur was dreadfully ar
bltrary tie had naturally an ALFRED
disposition15high and mighty as though
ne was q British lord, and when he rot
mad L tell We he was mad-no halfway
covenant to him.
HE knowed it himself, and he fit
with it night and day, for he was honest
pious, and il done him good inwardly to
hev real set-to with the Old Adam now
and then.
'Natur rs natur, and the devil in him
BEN set to be made over into a saint,
ielt kind o material comfort in fight
IN the devil outside of him. Leastways.
that's the way he figured it, and was
forever a-praym' an a-tellin' in meetin'
about the conflicts an victories an such
like.
"For my part, don't hold that b. lief.
think mans got good an bad 10th
inside OF him, without goin' abroad to
find flghtin'. think we've got plenty
1nardness to wrastle with, and to use up
all the grace we've got a subduin' of it;
but that ain here nor there. The dea-
con was an honest man, and he thought
different; but whatsoever he thought.
! tell ye he done about the right
thing gener'ly
"Welk Deacon Twist he was another
sort; took fire qucker'n a spruce bouoh
and didn't last no longer; blazed away
5est Orch fashion all of a mint.
and In half an hour he d be just like a
cosset lamb, and orful sorry he'd give
way.
But he KEEP giyin' way an repentin'
some like Peter in the Bible. But he
was real good man-they was good as
gold, both on 'em
Now Deacon Tanner, he'd set up a
saw mill down in Nepash Brook. and he
done sawin' for everybody round. Twas
new country then, and he had lots O
business, SO he kinder made rewl that
fust come was fust served, and kept the
names OF them that was promised in the
list, Fght along as they came, chalked
up oh board in the mill
II had ought to hev said that he and
Deacon Twist was real friendly-both
being deacons of Chester meetin', always
a-going to funerals and prayer meetin 5
and school-us meetin together, till folks
kinder give a skit at em now and then,
and some called them David and iona
than.
well, it came about one time that
Deacon twist wanted some logs sawed
10 coverhs new barn. His turn to hev
'em sawed come Thursday mornin',
and Deacon Tanner he was on hand real
early SOS to get all set to rights afore
work begun.
jest as he'd got the saw lied and
things cleared up, who should come a.
tuggin' and a-toilin' up the hill with a
load o. logs, but Rod Garrett from
Goshen.
6 Deacon ses he, I'm in a real fix
The was dredful blow over t. our town
last evenin some folks called it hurri-
cane-but anyway it hurried off the roof
o. my house, and flung it against that
mighty big rock in the lot behind, and
smashed it into kindlin' wood
II hadn't q board on the farm he
ses, nor couldn't get one and Sary's
down with lung complaint and baby's
got spell of throat all Idono how to
wait till | get that roof kivered ag'in.
A rain settin' in would jest kill EN-; and
l put to afore daylight, and I've drawed
these logs over, a-hopin' to get 'em
sawed afore anybody comes
lowell, Rodney" SEES the deacon, kind
of slow, as though he was considerin',
I've promise Nathaniel Twist for to saw
his logs this mornin', and like to keep
to my word
81 don't believe but what he'd wait
for me eff he knowed, said Rod. It's a
kind OF extremity I'm in, as we might
say. I'm extreme anxious to get them
boards right off. I feel to b'lieve that
Deacon Twist would let me dot eff he
was here. He's pious man and merci-
full man. l guess I'd resk it eff I was
you, Deacon Tanner
"'Well, Rodney SEES the deacon, it
does seem to be a work of necessity. l
guess I'll try it; you dump them logs
and We'll set her a-goin'
$50 hen his hired man they got log
onto the slide, and Rod Garrett an his
brother who came with him they on
yoked the cattle an put 'em under tree
to cool off Then they stood around to
see the machine, and 10 you! they hadn't
hauled off NOR n half dozen boards
when they heered Deacon Twist a-hawin'
and a-geein' to his big pair o Devon
cattle on the turn O. the hill
Il dono as Deacon Tanner heered him,
an dono but he did; any way he didn't
stop, he KEEP the old saw a-goin, an
when Deacon Twist drove up his load O
logs there was the slide full an heap
more to put on tot.
F." He was mad' He roared out quick
erin you could say Jack Robson:
% Whose be them logsp Hal m off. 1
tell ye! It's my turn to hev the saw,
an amt a-goin' to be turned off like
this, Hiram Tannerl'
Jest then the saw stopped minnit,
an Deacon Tanner heerd him.
''This here is my mill an my saw,
Mr.. TWIST says he, his eyes kinder
shinin' an his face gettin' pale, though
Twists was redder'n a winter apple
81 don't care a continental if 'tisr
ses Twist You said You was a-goin to
saw for me this mornin', an there my
name onto the list right afore We, an We
ha'n't no right to lie an brass it out, if
you be deaconr ss...z.
D., tbis +;.,, n ~ !, fol lo,, a, ~ 49,.