The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-06-20

Parkes. ave want to know the whole
experience of some one among us, and
we know you will not tell us either more
or less than what you did experience"
Deacon Emmons was a short, thick-set
man with shrewd, kindly face and gray
hair, who kept the village store and had
q well-earned reputation for honesty.
"Well, BRETHREN" he said, al donno
why shouldn't tell it. / am pretty well
ashamed of myself, no doubt, but l
ought to be, and maybe l shall profit by
what I've found out these six days back.
I'll tell you just as it come. Monday, |
looked about me to begin with. | am
amazing fond of coffee, and it amt good
for me, the doctor says it amt; but dear
me- it does set man up good, cold morn
ings, to have cup of hot, sweet, tasty
drink, and haven't had the grit to re-
fuse knew it made me what folks call
nervous and cross before night comes
and knew it fetched on spells of low
spirits, when our folks couldn't get a
word out of me-not good one anyway;
so thought I'd try on that to begin with.
l tell you it come hard / hankered
after that drink of coffee dreadful
Seemed as though 1 couldn't eat my
breakfast without it. | feel to pity a
man that loves liquor, moren l ever did
in my life before but feel sure they
can stop it, if they'll try, for I've stopped,
and I'm agoin' to stay stopped.
"Well, come to dinner, there was
another fight. / do set by pie the most
of anything. l was fetched up on pie, as
you may say. Our folks always had it
three times a day, and the doctor he's
been talkin' and talkin' to me about eatin'
pie. 1 have the dyspepsy like everything,
and it makes me useless by spells. and
unreliable as a weather cock. An Doctor
Drake, he says there wont nothing help
me but to diet. | was reading the Bible
that morning while | sat waiting for
breakfast, for twas Monday, and wife
was kind of set back with washin' and
all, and | come acrost that part where it
says that the bodies of Christians are
temples of the Holy Ghost. Well, thinks
|, we'd ought to take care of 'em, if they
be- and see that they're KEEP clean and
pleasant, like the church (and nobody can
be clean nor pleasant that has dyspepsy).
But, come to pie, l felt as though |
couldn't and, 10 ye, | didn't l eat a
piece right against my conscience; facin'
what l knew L ought to do, | went and
done what | ought not to do tell ye
my conscience made music of me consid-
er'ble, and / said then wouldn't never
sneer at drinkin' man no more, when he
slipped up. I'd feel for him an help him,
for see Just how it was. So that days
practice give out, but it learnt me good
deal more'n l knew before.
started out next day to look up my
Bible class. They haven't really tended
up to Sunday-school as they ought to
along back, but 1 was busy here and
there, and there didn't seem to be real
chance to get to it. Well, 'twould take
the evenin' to tell it all, but found one
real sick, been abed for three weeks, and
was SO glad to see me that l felt fair
ashamed. Seemed as though l heered
the Lord for the first time sayin,' mas
much as ye did it not to one of the least
of these, ye did it not to me- Then an
other mans old mother says to me, before
he comes in from the shed, says she, He's
been sayin' that if folks practiced what
they preached you'd ha' come round to
look him up afore now, but he reckoned
you kinder looked down on mill hands.
I'm awful glad you come Brethring, so
Uas l. l tell you that days work done
me good. got poor opinion of Josiah
Emmons, now 1 tell ye, but 1 learned
more about the Lords wisdom than a
month of Sundays ever showed me-"
A smile he could not repress passed
over Mr.. Parkes' earnest face. The dea-
con had forgotten all external issues in
coming so close to the heart of things |;
hut the smile passed as he said, Brother
Emmons, do you remember what the
Master said, If any man will do his will,
he shall know of the doctrine, whether it
be of God or whether speak of myself ?"
swell, it's So" answered the deacon,
"it's SO right along. Why, / never
thought so much of my Bible-class nor
took no sech interest in 'em as do to-day
NOT since | begun to teach. / blieve
they'll come more regular now, too.
"Now come fellowship day. | thought
that would be all plain sailin'; seemed
as though I'd got warmed up till felt
pleasant toward everybody So went around
seem folks that was neighbors, and twas
easy; but when ! come home at noon
spell, Philura says, says she, Square
fuckers black bull is into the orchard a
tearin' round, and he's knocked two lengths
O. fence down fiat Well, the old Adam
riz up then, you better b'lieve. That
DidCh Oull hdo pCOh n-OiCahih iulO NY lOU
ever sence we 60 in th'aftermath, and it's
Square fuckers fence, and he won't make
it bull-strong as he'd oughter, and that Or
chard was young one just comm to bear,
and all the new wood crisp as cracklin' 8
with frost. You'd better b'lieve l didn't
have much feller-feelin' with Amos Tuck
er. just put over to his house and spoke
up pretty free to him, when he looked up
and says, says he, Fellowship meetin' day,
amt it, Deacon p I'd ruther he'd ha'
slapped my face. l felt as though !
should like to slip behind the door. / see
pretty distinct what sort OF life I'd been
Twin all the years I'd been professor
when couldn't hold on to my tongue and
temper one dayp
"Brethe-ren," interrupted slow, harsh
voice, somewhat broken with emotion,
"IU tell the rest ont. Josiah Emmons
come round like man an Christian
right there. He asked me for to forgive
MIN, and not to think twas the fault of
his religion, because twas his'n and
nothin' else. think more of him to-day
than ever done before. was one that
wouldn't say I'd practice with the rest OF
ye. | thought twas everlastin' nonsense
I'd ruther go to forty-nine prayer.meetin' &
than work at bein' good week. b'lieve