Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1889-11-14
The Deacon S Dilemma
OK TIE UsE or TIE pEAUTUuL.


Deacon Tildeu had the squarest, neate-t,
white hous, that ever showed is Keen an
giles from the dusty clumps OF Old lilac
bushes. In front Of il stood, on each side
OF the doorway. two thrifty cherry trees,
which bore q bu>hel each every season.
Excepting the aforementioned lilac trees,
there Was not a flower or shrub around
the plsce. Rose bushes the deacon thought
rotted the house and the honeysuckle
which ls wife tried to train over the
porch was torn down when the painters
came. and on the whole the deacon said
what WAS the use Of putting it up as long
A. il did not bear anythlngf
BY the side Of the house was thrifty.
weli-kept garden, with plenty Of currant
bushes. gooscberry bushes aud ounce
,ree,-and the beet- and carrots and
onions were the pride OF the deacon's
heart; but, a, he often proudly said,
everything Was for there was moth
ing fancy about IL. His wife put In
timorousIy one season for Hover
border-Mrs. jenkins had given her .
petunia, and Mrs. Simpkins had brought
her package OF fower-seeds from New
York-and 50 bed was laid out. But
the thrifty deacon soon found that the
wedding of it took time that Mrs. Tilden
might give 10 her dairy, or 10 making
shirts and knitting stockings, aud 50 it real
ly troubled his conscience. Ine next spring
he turned it into his cornheld, and when
his wife mildly inti.nated her disappoint-
ment said placidly. After all twas
thing OF no use. and took titne"-and Mrs.
Tilden, being a meek woman, and one of
the kind Of saints who always suppose
themselves miserable sinners specially
confessed her sin OF being inwardly veXed
about the incident in her prayers that
night and prayed that her eyes might he
turned of from beholding vanity. and
that she might be quickened in the way Of
minding her work
The front parlor OF the deacons house
was the most frgid asylum of neatness
that ever discouraged the eyes and heart
OF visitor The four blank walls were
luiltless Of any engraving or paint
ing. or any adornment but an ordinary
! wall paper and framed copy Of the Dec
laration Of dependence-on each OF the
three sides stood four chairs-under the
looking glass was a shining mahogany ia
BILE, with large Bible and an almanac on
it-aud pair of cold glittering brass an d.
irons illustrated the place. The mantel-
shelf above had pair of bright brass can
dlesticks with a pair of snuhers between
and that was all. The deacon liked tit
was plain and smple-no nonsense about
| it-everything for Use and nothing for show
it suited him. His wife sometimes sigh
| ed and looked around it, when she was
| sewing as If she wanted something, and
| then sang in the good old psalm
| From vanity turn OF my eyes;
| Let no corrupt design
Or co,etous desires arise
| Within this heart Of mime
The corrupt design 10 which this esti-
mable matron had been tempted had been
| the purchase of Parian fower-vases,
whose beauty had struck 10 her heart when
she went with her butter and eggs to the
neighboring city-but recollecting herself
in time, she had resolutely shut her eyes
TO the allurement, and spent the money
usefully in buying loaf sugar.
For it Is to be remarked that the deacon
was fond of good eating, and prided him
self on the bounties Of his wife's table.
| Few women knew better how 10 set one
and the snowy bread, golden butter. clear
preserves and jellies, were themes OF ad.
| miration at all the tea-tables in the land.
The deacon didn't mind q few cents in q
| pound more for nicer ham, aud would
now and then bring in treat OF oysters
from the city when they were dearest.
Those were comforts ne said-and one
must stretch point for the comforts OF
life
The deacon must not be mistaken for q
| tyrannical man or q bad husband. When
he quietly put his wife's fower-patch into
his corn field, he thought he had done her
| a service by curing her of an absurd notion
for things that took time and made trouble
and were of no use. And she, dear soul
never had breathed a dissent to any course
of his, loud enough to let him know she
had one He laughed in his sleeve otter
when he saw her TRANQUILITY knitting ol
shirtmaking at those times she had beer
wont to give to her poor little contra banc
| pleasures. As for the howervases, they
were repented of-and Mrs. Tilden put Z
handful Of spring anemones into cracked
pitcher and set it on her kitchen table, til
the deacon tossed them out of the window
ne couldn't bear to see weeds growing
round"
The moor little woman had q kind oi
chronic heart sickness, like the pining Of I
teething child; but she never knew exact
Iv what Il was she wanted. If she eveI
was sick no man could be kinder than the
deacon. He had been known TO harness
iu all haste and rush to the neighborlnf
town at four O'Clock in the morning. tina
he might bring her some delicacy she had
fancy for that he could see the use of. HI
could not sympathize in her craving desir'
to see Powers Greek Slave, which was ex
hibiting In Deighboring town. "Wha
did Christian people want of stun images?
he wanted to know. He thought the
Scriptures put that thing down-"Eye.
have they but they see nOt-ears have they