The Monitor., 1885-05-15
BEACON ZACk.

ly Center church-gOers had been veXed
within them at the sight of low groggery
which Haunted its sign opposite the little
white meeting house" where the various
denominations represented in the village
were wont to assemble in turn: and now it
was rumored that another whisky-shop
was to be started under the very caves of
the sanctuary This was more than these
| quiat-loving men and women could endure.
Less in response to the formal call than in
response to a common impulse they came
together i'll the little church to hold q
council of war. The Rev. Arthur Allan, a
young minister who preached at the Cen
ter once a month, making his home during
his visits to tie village with the family of
| Deacon Zack Briarly, opened the meeting
and briefly stated its object Others fol-
| lowed, speaking in unstudied language. yet
with that unconscious eloquence in Which
intense feeling often expresses itself By
ard by Deacon Zack, the village oracle,
arose. and placing his hands on the back
Of the pew before him, began to speak
projecting the words from his mouth as if
he were sending shell into the ranks OF the
enemy.
'Ef somebody was to come among We to-
night, dealin' out bottled-up fire to your
children, he said, II guess you wouldn't
sit in your seats quite SO comfortable But
these ungodly scamps aerost the road hey
got some o the fire from t'other world
down yender, bottled up, and they're sell
lin it to your boys to burn 'em, body and
soul, tell We what I'd tell EN-, if they
was here-which | needn't say they amt
that eff ye was to take all the snakes and
lizards and the creepin' things of the airth;
all''-he paused for breath and for fresh
comparison found both, and went on-"all
the hyenys and the wild beasts Of Ashley
and Afriky, an bile em down. an
git the strongest concentrated meaness thet
could be made out on the huh on en-, ye
wouldn't hey anything one hundreth bill
lionth part ez mean ez the man thet brings
the trail of this whisky sarpent' foot into
the blessed Eden of home, to break the
of innercent little children, and bring the
gray hairs of old fathers and mothers
down in sorrer to the grave.
Deacon Zack sat down overcome BY his
feelings. There were no more speeches
that night. Al felt that the climax had
been reached, and after passing some spir-
tied resolutions the meeting adjourned.
One heart was exceedingly heavy. The
Rev Arthur Allan strolling through the
moonlight with pretty Eva Briarly leaning
on his arm, was not as happy as young
men are supposed to be under such circum-
stances. deacon Zacll is altogether too
Jealous, he was saying to himself His
extravagant speeches iniure the very cause
he most desires to aid. feel it to be my
duty, as his pastor, to gently exhort him
TO greater caution
Inspired by this laudable purpose, at the
breakfast table the next morning. the Rev
Arthur almost ignored the fair haired Eva
and her hospitable mamma. in his anxiety to
pave the way for the coming exhortation
Did you sleep well, Deacon9'' he ask
ed, with an admirable aifectation Of inter-
est when grace had been said and the cof-
fee poured.
No Elder, said Deacon Zack, as he
heaped the minister's plate with sausage
and potatoes. Il didn't shet my eyes to
sleep the hui night through? The fact on
it was thet when [ come home was thet
excited | couldn't go to bed. and so set
here by the Fireplace thinllin' over the
meetin'. | kept a-sayn' over an over to
myself what an opportunity | had to say
suthin' on this pesky whisky business, an
then to think thet when | got up there |
couldn't say word. I'd got jest ez elo-
quent a speech ez ever you heered planned
out, thet | might hev made ef only I'd
thought of it i'll time when thet nasty lit
tie whiifet of Miss Perkins commenced to
bark. | set an bore it for two mortal
hours, an then | went out to the wood
pile an went to THROWN wood at the ever
lastin nuisance. An there kept at it till
I'd throwed more'n thirty cord o wood AT
thot dog an never hit him once"
That is great deal Of wood, said the
young dominic, mildly. thinking this an
excellent opportunity for driving an enter
ing wedge.
Il guess it is. assented Deacon Zack
eheerfully, -an' tell ye, ye jest begin TO
get realizm' sense of how much It's when
We hey to throw it, stick at time, at a
drafted little dog. An by the time | got
to bed | was thet used UP couldn't no
more hey gone to sleep than could hey
flew off to the moon.
The Rev. Arthur Allan felt that the
present was hardly the time to administer
the contemplated exhortation, yet the ne
cessity for it was clearer than ever before
So intent was he on finding some short and
easy method of carrying out his purpose
that all the morning he seemed triflc alb
sent-minded, and Miss Eva thought she
must have been mistaken in pronouncing
him the most agreeable young man she
had ever met But at dinner time an idea
dawned upon his mind, and he immediate
ly became SO suave and genial that the
young lady returned to her first opinion of
him.