Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1884-09-24

tho mnn oil MS word no TOOK h 10 10 be,
hero was his chance for that ear
schooling. And, rs 1t happened every
thing was 10 his favor and against tho
Deacon.
Shortly after breakfast. Mrs. Weaver
was confronted with an accident.
Their own minister was i'll. and his
place that day wa, 70 be supplied by
brother minister from town ten miles
away. He drove over with his wife,
and they were 10 take dinner Deacon
Viewers. Pies, cake, and biscuit had
Teen baked on Saturday, and placed on
the hanging.sheli In tue cellar. This
morning. whether az prologue 10 tho
omen coming on" on from some
sudden ar on the old timbers, all
NJ once, without moments warning.
the shof gave way. dashlng itself
and all II upheld upon the door 10
make the work of destruction com
pletc, tho cellar floor was merely earth,
now damp from the spring m rs, and
with boards laid along ~ Intervals 10
walk on. or course, the wottcsi place
was underneath the shelf, and when
Mrs. Weaver T. ached the spot she found
only sticky conglomeratc OF pie. cake,
aud mud, with scattered pebbles in the
shape of biscuit rolling here aud there.
She raised both hands in terror and
dsuay; what woS 10 be doneP But,
quickly rallymg, she set about making
good the loss. "Now, Mary Jane"
said she, briskly. 10 that domestic,
'you and I'll have 10 fall 10, il e IL
Sunday and cook mp something for
dinner. There's the minister and his
wife that's two; and Elder Cook and
his wife that's four; and the Deacon
and me, and the children, makes nine:
and Father and Mother Weaver that
eleven; and some one else may drop in.
: GEMS pity to miss the SO mon, too;
and then I had laid out for TO wear my
new 5uunctr' Regrc,fully-"T There's
so tile anco for bnnnets! Well, il
cant be helped folks must eat, and
ministers like their vittles just as wells
other folks better too, for anything
know TO the contrary. L oy do say
ministers aud spiring-chickehs are
death on each other. Well, well, we
must make the best of it, Mary Jane,
I'll clean up this muss, and you 20 tell
the Deacon never TO mind me. but go
right along TO church; I'll como ii I
can-which ain at all likely
Now, Mary Jane caught sight OF Bill,
on his way TO get matches for Isaac,
and being, as was natural, In some.
thing of q hurry, intrusted the message
TO him. Had the Deacon been any
where in sight, no doubt the habit OF
obedience would have prevailed; the
message would have been delivered.
and the day of the week made clear.
but he was in the pasture. so Bill sa
nothing. and the feminine part of the
household were too busy 10 notice any.
thing beyond their own pursuits.
Meanwhile, tho Dea on did various
chores to his own satisfaction, and thor
went to the fell, where, axe In hand.
he be .an to hack and hew at some
smaller stumps In the way OF the plow.
Tie boys worked diligently. After
awhile. the elder Weaver stopped. and,
VIII 10 wip,ug his face, mott .ed with
pleasure how we'll the work was al.
Vancing.
"Did en- good" he reflected, Ito
touch EN- up little. They'd DO hang
ing around the house yotif I'd let en-"
AT this moment carriage me down
the road. ct should DO said that the
I cid they were plou9 hing adjoined the
pke.)
BRO her Simmons and his family"
said he to himself; where are hey go
Ing. l wonder ! must say that, In my
estimation. he gads mor'n's fitting for
a pro g ny me ber.n
Ho APP lied himself again to the task
OF chopping. retty soon another car.
riage, then another and another, and
several pedestrians passed by. The
next stump brought him close to the
road, and, as more people passed, he
co I'D not help perceiving that they
looked ut h m in very singular man
ner. Still. no suspicion of the real
ate of things dawned upon him, al.
though he was aware of growing and
uudcfi aablc uneasiness.
So he CHI pped on, and Charley, in his
circuit, coming to the stump, had just
uttered loud Gee-haw! when the Dca-
cons unified am and AK were all at
on o arrested. Clear, sonorous, there
fell upon his cars the familiar sound OF
bell. Its own weight, rather than any.
mental impulse on the holders part
made the axe descend; aud at this mo-
ment, as though to complete his demon
alization. the minister rode by.
Charley had paused-he could not
possibly help it-and Bill was gazing
at his father with world OF dcmuro
amdsem mt in his glance, when the Dca-
con planted his axe and turned to-
wards them.
"Cha lcs,'' said he, briefly, "what
bell is that"
"rhe church bell, sir.
what day is this?"
Sunday, sir" meekly responded bis
heir.
There was moments slencc-si-
lence far moro eloquent than speech. It
was broken by the Deacon. "Unhitch
thai horse" said he, dryly, land get
ready for church. Not another word
wa, spoken. he boys did as they wero
told, and whom next they saw their
father he was entering church, rather
late, in all the terrors of his go-to meet.
ing clothes. II be noticed the qulzzical
chances Of his neighbors only q deeper
Hush than was habitual 10 his weather
beaten face betraJ ed 1t.
lder stone preached n very lengthy
and instru tive sermon on Lots wife
AMI the perils OF looking back; but ]
doubt the boys heard much Of It, un.
less it might te the rather startling ex'
hortation with which it ended. "Where.
fore. my brethren, said the Elder, ''let
us oil remember Lots wife, and how
highly she was privileged" "Jc.
rooky!" whispered Bill to Isaac, ~
shouldn't think it much of privilege 10
be turned into salt"
But the Deacon's trials were not vet
over. At the close, Of the services, or,
rather. Just before the final hymn, it was
his dut} to make an announcement. He
rose, but hardly with his wonted recti.
tude. The cloud of the morning mis-
take still oversha low d him.
'Brothren,' said he. .our beloved
pastor Is still ailipg, and we must get
the spiritual mama for awhile from
other sources He was aware that he
stammered, but how could he help il,
when all the Tina there was q rhy thin
accompaniment In his ears of Hitct-up-
the roanl Burn-up the stump! Don't