Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-10-17

Joe Joslyn I'll grind out texts % script
ure as he grinds out corn in his mill, but
he'll go right home and take three
times the toll he'd ought to.
"And the women III whine out pray
ers, as women allus will when tley
pray in meetin', and up with pious
shuttle, an then on their way home
they'll tell a stream of lies about their
neighbors big enough to carry a saw
mill. tell We we ought ter have a
few more deacons appointed to go
round and look into the private lives
o. these church members"
Sam paused with look of serious
concern on his face as he meditative-
" twirled his thumbs. The old clock
never licked SO loud.
"An' then there's Christy Jones
she'll squeal out sky splittin' psalm
about the Lords marcy bein' ever
lastin' an to all generations, when
she's sent her old bed-ridden mother
to the poor house so's't she can be
free to spin street yarn. Wilbur
Brown, he's another of them church
fellers Everybody knows that he
starved them two year old critters of
his'n till they couldn't stand up, for
fear he'd have to buy hay fore spring.
Then the young people-they take to
the creed an convenant mighty easy
when them revival fellers come round,
but they're all awfully ungodly for all
! that.
ssNow that's the way I'd preach to
'em, deacon. I'd tell'em what's what
and say amen and everlastin' and git
off the benediction and the doxology
to wind it up with, strong, and then
I'd let 'em go home and think ont"
And Sam began to collect his scat
tered members as if about to rise and
depart.
''Set still, Sam,'' said the deacon,
who appeared to ignore the fact that
his bed-quilt and buffalo robe were
sliding down to the floor. But Sam
would not let him shed the skin of his
disgrace and rise into his manhood on
the sly.
Jul uIIili9O dAO SOOUlA Oi hOiO,
he said, as he jumped up and read
justed them with remorseless dexteri-
ty. 'Tam afraid the wind'll git in
around your feet; I'll tuck this up
little tighter"
''Sam, understand you,' said the
deacon, and the grim jaw which had
snapped together like vice after his
thunder blasts to Reny an hour be-
fore, began to relax it's firmness lit
tie. "I see clear through you, and
you see clear through me. 1 know
that next time you make out a cata-
logue of the sins of the church mem
bers you'll put my name at the head
of the list. You'll tell how I've been
deacon for thirty years and have
been SO ugly that my eldest boy run
away to sea, and t'other one went to
Alaskayto git just as fur away from
me as he could, and my girl threw
herself away marryin' a good for
nothin' fellar, to have a home of her
own and that my wife's all broke down
with her trouble. Sam you'll lay it on
thick and | shan't blame We none,
either"
The deacon jumped up, picked up
his fallen mantles and passed them
over to his wife, saying, in a voice
whose gentleness startled her: s'Here,
Reny, you'll oblige me by foldin' these
up and putin 'em away. l shan't
want 'em no more. It's CROWN a lit
tie warmer. Yes, Sam, you may tell
Deacon Turner I'll take charge of the
meetin' to- morrow"
Cali right, deacon, you'll do first
rate, don't doubt. Everybody knows
you've got more ability than any other
man in the parish
cam hold on, Sam, I don't want
but do want you to come tomorrow
an hear me. I've got a special rea-
son.
''By George! I viii! I've had new
meetin' coat for most year, and |
there haint nobody asked me to wear
it. Now's my chance. I'll be there.'
A deacon's meeting in the town of
Peachblow had never been a very
wildly exciting occasion, and such
services were thinly attended, but it
was understood that a brand new can
didate, Parson Peters, was to set forth
his claims to orthodox soundness that /
day-and soundness in doctrine was
far more potent key to the kingdom
than soundess in living, in the Peach
blew estimation of values-and all the
had turned out to hear
him. Their disappointment was not
very well concealed. The deacon saw