Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-08-01

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 appoint
ed to go round and look into the pri-
vate lives O. these church members"
Sam paused with look of serious
ly twirled his thumbs. The old clock
never licked so loud.
An then there's Christy Jones
she'll squeal out q sky splittin' psalm
about the Lords marcy bein' ever
Iastin' an to all generations, when
she's sent her old ridden mother
off 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 covenant mighty easy
when them revival fellers come round,
but they're all awful ungodly for all
| that.
s'Now that's the way I'd preach to
'em, deacon. Ia 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 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.
'Your things are gettin' off here"
he said, as he jumped up and read
iusted them with remorseless dexter
ity. 'sI'm afraid the wind'll git in
round your feet; I'll tuck this up a
little tighter"
''Sam, I understand you," said the
deacon, and the grim jaw which had
snapped together like a 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. [ know that
next time you make out catalogue
of the sins of the church members
you'll put my name at the head Of the
list. You'll tell how I've been dea-
con for thirty years and have been SO
ugly at home that my oldest boy run
away to sea, and t'other one went |
to Alaska to git just as fur away from
me as he could, and my gal threw her
self away marryin' a good-for- nothln'
Teller, to have home of her own and
that my wife's all broke down with
her trouble. Sam you'll lay it on thick
and I shan't blame We none, neither"
The deacon jumped up, picked up
his fallen mantles and passed them
over to his wife, saying, in voice
whose gentleness startled her: Here,
Reny, you'll oblige me by foldin' these
up and putin 'em away. [ shan't
want lem no more. It's CROWN a lit
tie warmer. Yes, Sam, you may tell
Dea. Turner I'll take charge of the
meetin' to-morror."
"All right, deacon, you'll do first
rate, I don't doubt Everybody knows
you've got more ability than any 9th
er man in the parish"
cam hold on, Sam, I don't want
none O. yer soft-soap bout ability,
I, 40 70 tn orr
an hear me. I've got a special rea-
son.
"By George! I Will! I've had new
meetin coat for most a 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 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 soundness in living, in the Peach
blow estimation of values and all /
the inhabitants had turned out to hear
him. Their disappointment was not
very well concealed. The deacon saw
it and felt it as he gave out the open
ing hymn, but he anticipated it and
was strong in his purpose. The scrip
lures were read, the prayers offered,
the notices given, and again the dea-
con cleared his throat and rose upon
the low platform in front of the pull
pit. He had no book of sermons from
which to read.
tsMy friends,n he said, and his voice