Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-10-20
THE DEAC0N'S DESIRE.

Dsacon BasSett's favorits quotation
At prayer meeting was the wel remrm-
/ bsTei hymn:
@Nnt be carried TO the sSies
On aowery beds of ease.
While others fought TO win the prize,
And sailed through bloody seas?'
In fact it was the oniy poetry in
which be ever INDUCED. One look,
however. at the stern, solemn face of
the coed, sincere, earnest, old man
would have convinced any one present
that not with his lips only did he utter
these words, but with all the strength
Of his heart.
Deacon BIsSett kept the village store
s bis father had done before him, but
things were diffe ent now from then.
There was no need for him to measure
out sugar and molasses, as his parent
had done. There were busy clerks to
DO il now, for the store had grown
with the village, and with the excep-
ton of the squire there was not richer
man for miles around than Deacon
Bassett. His fortune had been honestly
be safely trusted in huying at his store.
Yet with all, a harder, sterner man
could not be found. With him if a
thing was not right, it was wrong.
There were no halfway measures, as
every man employed in his establish
meut distinctly understood.
Perhaps if his far, gentle wife had
ra1 ,Trrla+ hax "A a1f - a
was the only one who ever understood
LIS rugged nature. But early one
March morning. when the snow was
melting on the hills and the birds began
to ehIrp little, she laid her tiny gIrl
II his arms and said, OIL so tenderly,
and in such low, faint tones: ''Zadok,
dear, take care of my little blossom.
Keep her for me, unspotted from the
world" She died that night.
"Unspotted from the world He
s yeF ne fNFgat slt tfea tsesa E5 aassIs 5a,
was he to keep his little girl in the
world and Yet not of the world?
Everybody thought the deacon would
marry again. Tbat he would marry some
good, sens bic woman, herhaps, who
would take care of his little motherlesS
child: and there were some of the good
sisters of his church that would gladly
have consented to console him and al
the same time take charge of his hand.
some house opposite the store.
But the deacon himself never dreamed
Of such a thing. How could lie think
Of another wife when before his eyes
always was that lonely little grave on
the hillside, covered in spriDgtime with
yiOletS as blue as her eyeSp No one
ever guessed that beneath that hard,
stern exterior he carried heart that
was well-nigh broken when the great
el0ds of earth were thrown on the coffin
Of bis loved one.
He sent for his sister, Miss Priscilla
Bassett, who certainly carried out his
views IN regard to raising children. She
dearly loved the little Prudence, but
hke her brother, she never allowed her
affection to show itself. Strict and
stern had been the religious training
Of both the deacon and herself. There
was no compromise with Satan In re-
gard 10 either dress or department.
Anything that SavOred of worldly de-
sire or ieshy YanIties was stricken out
Of their lives.
"Levity in manners leads to laXity in
principles, was a part of her creed.
30 she sternly glowed at the bad little
boys who sat on the back benches.
Ihe possibility that there might be
some good ones among them never en- |
tered her head. OF course they were |
AZ bad. How could they help it, with
such RAISING as they had?
Yet; when the fever ragged in the vii |
age, and few were found willing TO |
enter the infected homes, Miss Priscilla
came to the front. From house to |
house she went, with nourishlng food |
ana medicine, and tenderly bathed |
me nushed, burning browS with cool,
steady hand.
Prudence Bassett grew to woman
,locd, pure and sweet like fair lonely |
.Iue harebell, clinging with all its gen.
se might to the great stony rocks. A
ualnty little lady, with eyes as blue and
sNt as her dead mothers. She never
lau companion except the squire's
!Vuhg daughter, aud she had died
,,n slen she was fifteen. So from that
lme Prudence had gone on her way,
DAely and quiet, for the deacon was
'eIy careful of his daughters friends.
,, Deacon Bassett had one great desire.
HuieSS that was gratiied, he could not,
~ .e thought, devote his time to any
aing else. Years before he had made
Y lis mind just how many thousands
we're Necessary to make Prudence
,eu woman before he could waste one
-Oment In pleasure. So all his energies
wee directed to that end.
=. IL came TO pass one bright morning
.:. Iat Ladok BaSsett was surprised by
Worth.
n. I'm going TO take your little girl
aaIe with me, Cousin Zadok," she
@ emphatically. prudence does
ro' look very strong, and certainly
~ gSeI1 d change from the humdrum life
'aS las been leading,''
nundrum life? Deacon BasSett
"a T.aiI Iel IN amazement. 1t was the same
ta,I 'e mat he had always lived, and his
to-a .o.neI lad lived before him, and there
'te ..sI u was good enough for her.
ti, cue Is the age of my Alice" con-
s snue9 Mrs. Wentworth, land l am
ney Will both enjoy the visit"
- urst The deacon was Strenuously
hIpesed n TO the unheard OF proceeding
sa,s s 'IahKed his cousin very stiffly, but
!, AN l he preferred to keep his daughter
ei,, hume, and away from the follies OF
M; NE. But Mrs. Wentworth was
". 70 be baked.
nls.s 1et her come with me. Zadok," she
81 Indeed. it is for her good.
d. grows more like mother every
n as last suggestion made him falter.
AZ IELnlTn harad hnxry hor r1onfhar