Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1892-06-23
THE DEACON'S MEETING.
low a Soul Received New Light
and Inspiration.

somebody a-comin' In"
Let en- come, blast It ALI Don't
you suppose Two got ears as well as
you?" 10
There was a heavy foot on the
scraper, then vigorous rustling of the
braided husk door-mat and Reny's sec.
ond appeal was in whisper.
"oh, Jothaml Don'tl III have Il put
back; I'll do anything, il you'll take
that thing off and not make yourself
ridiculous"
Mind your business" growled tho
man addressed, and he drew up still
closer around his shoulders the faded
PRINT oed-quilt in which he had wrapped
himself, and tucked the buffalo robe
tighter still into the arms of his rocls-
ing-chair and about his Knees.
There were only two seasons IN Mrs.
Dea Crabbe's household. The transition
OF summer to winter was marked bv
domestic rather than solar movements.
on the first day of May, unless that fell
upon Sunday, the good woman's
Kitchen stove was moved into the shed.
the rag carpet, which had hung sas-
pended on apole in the attic all winter,
was tackled down in its place, chairs,
tables and lounges crossed over and eS-
changed partners, and after lively
dance settled themselves down into
thelr regular summer relations to the
points OF compass. After that warm
weather was in order II a belated
GNU ventured to make itself felt in the
atmosphere, 1t was stoically ignored SO
Tar as the old lady herself was con-
cerned. Her husband, who had always
been, in his private home life, some
what inconveniently left-handed in his
disposition, grumbled out few en-
phatic denunciations from his secular
vocabulary-for he was a church dea-
con, and had his prayermeeting phrase.
ology as well--and then Quoted down
INTO summer routine, and knew from
the transition that it was time to plant
corn, beans and cabbages. He never
had taken on in this fashion before.
Perhaps he was getting rheumatic.
Reny was just thinking over the re-
spectivc curative properties of the
herbs in the attic when the visitor
entered.
1t was the round, weather. beaten
lace OF Sam Tooley, the stage driver,
that appeared in the door. He took out
the red Gotten bandanna with which he
was wont to muffle the trumpet blast
from his nose, and after this little cere-
mony OF salute he carelessly diffused
his looscly-hung members on the near
est chair
"Well, Deacon" said Sam, surveying
the old mans wrappings with quizzi-
cal air "he We to hum, or be We gone to
bed, or be We out ridin'? hoped, for
the prosperity of Zion, that ! should
lind We to hum, cause you've got ter
preach tomorrow. Dea Turner says
SO. He wanted me to tell We that Par
son Peters didn't come up tonight"
Sam was one of the most righteous of
sinners. He was as upright as saint
in his dealings and as fippant as a
scoffer in his speech.
$50, you see, you'd better be castin'
off the robe Of your own righteousness
kind o patchwork, amt it?"-and
Sam drew up nearer and caught hold of
the corner of the bed quilt for closer
inspection-"and a putin on the whole
armor O. God You must anoint yer
feet and wash yer head and take the
shield of faith and the sword of the
spirit and go at 'em, hammer an tongs.
Tell 'em they're wicked and perverse
generation, and it's the Lords marcy
they amt consumed. Reel off list o.
their sins to 'cm. 'Twon't hurt 'em
none. Tell Bijah Davis that he'll pray
like all possessed in the prayer meetin',
and he's been a OWN me for hay nigh
on ter three years and can't git cent.
An Joe Joslyn'll grind out texts O.
Scripture as he grinds out corn in his
mill, but he'll go right home and take
three times the toll he'd ought ter.
"And the women'll whine out pray
crs as women allus will when they
pray in meetin', and end up with a
pious shuttle, an then on their way
home they'll tell stream Of lies about
their neighbors big enough to carry u
sawmill. 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 meditatively
twirled his thumbs. The old clock never
licked so loud.
.sAn' then there's Christy Jones-shell
soueal out a sky-splttin psalm about
tho Lords marcy bein' everlastin' an
TO all generations, when she's sent her
old bed-ridden mother off to the poor
house sost she can be free to spin street
yarn. Wilbur Brown. he's another OF
them church fellers. Every body knows
that he starved them two-year-old crit
TORS of his'n till they couldn't stan up,
he's SO 'fraid he'd have to buy hay fore
snrinr. An then the young folks-they
tal,e to the creed an covenant mighty
easv when them revival fellers come
round. but they're an awful ungodly lot
for all that
.Now that's the way I'd preach to
Jan, deacon. I'd tell 'em what's what,
IA saw amen and 'everlastin' and git
olf the benediction and the doxology to
wind It up with, strong and then ia let
,em 90 home and think ont"
And Sam began to collect his SCAT
tered members as if about to rise and
depart. s,., who
appeared to ignore the fact that his bed
r,;lt and buffalo were sliding down TO
No floor. But Sam would not let him
Nod the skin OF. his disgrace and rise
into his manhood on the sly. >,
"your things are gittin' off, here
!. said as he jumped up and readjusted
.hom with remorseless dexterity I'm
s ssraid the wind II git in round your
NJ aa,. rll tuck this up a little tighter
rs Sam, / understand you'" said the s
On and the grim jaw which had
sapaupcd together like vice after fefo his