The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-07-29
THE DEACON'S MEETING.
How a Soul Received New Light
and Inspiration.


in, lothian. Do you hear? There's
somebody a-comin' in
Let 'em come, blast it ALI Don't
you suppose I've got ears as well as
you?"
There was a heavy foot on the
scraper, then a vigorous rustling Of the
braided huSlI doOr-mat and Reny's sec
ond appeal was in whisper.
''Oh, lothian, Don't. I'll have it put
back; III do anything, if you'll take
that thing off and not make yourself
ridiculous"
Mind your business" growlcd the
man addressed, and ne drew up still
closer around his shoulders the faded
print bed-quilt in which he had wrapped
himself, and tucked the buffalo robe
tighter still into the arms of his rock
ing-chair and about his knees.
There We're only two seasons in Mrs.
Dea Crabbe's household. The transition
of summer TO winter was marked by
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 sus-
pended on pole in the attic all winter,
was tackled down in it, place, chairs
tables and lounges crossed over and cN-
changed partners, and after a lively
dance settled themselves down into
their regular summer relations to the
points Of compass. After that warm
weather was in order. II a belated
chill ventured To make itself felt in the
atmosphere, il was stoically ignored 50
far as the old lady herself was con
ccrncd. Her huS Sband. who had always
been, in his private home life, some
IL 1 -.
disposition. grumbled out a few en-
phatic dcnunciations from his secular
vocabulary-fo he was church dea-
con. and had his praycr-meeting phrase
ology as wcll-and then quoted down
into summer routine. and knew from
the transition that il was time To plant
corn. beans and cabbages. lie never
had taken on in this fashion before.
Perhaps he was getting rheumatic
Rcny was just thinking over the re-
spectivc curative properties Of the
herbs in the attic when the visitor
entered.
1t was the round, wcather-bcatcn
face Of sam Toolcy, the stage driver,
that appeared in the door. lie took ont
the red Gotten bandanna with which lac
was wont to mufllc the trumpet blast
from his nose, and after this lttl" ccrc-
his loosely-hung members on the near
est chair.
well. deacon. " said Sam. surveying
the old mans wrappings with n quizzi-
cal air, be yc to hum. or bc We gone to
bed, or be We ont ridin'? l hoped. for
the prosperity of Zion. that / should
find We to hum. cause you've got ter
preach tomorrow. Dca Turner says
80. 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 a saint
in his dealings and Is fiippant
scOffcr in his speech.
so. You see, you'd better be a 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 60 at 'em, hammer an tongs.
Tell en- they're wicked and pcrvcrsc
generation. and it's the Lords marcy
they amt consumed. Reel off a list -
their sins 10 EN-. 'TwOn't hurt EN-
none. Tell 'Bijah Davis that he'll pray
like all possessed in the prayer mectin',
and he's been 4 OWN me for hay nigh
on ter three years and can't git cent.
An Joe Joslynll grind ont texts q
Scripture as he grindS ont corn in his
mill. but he'll 60 right home and take
three times the toll he'd ought ter.
And the women'u whine out pray
crs. is women alus viii when they
pray in mcctin', and end mp with a
pious shuttle, an then on their way
home they'll tell stream Of lies about
their ncighbors big enough to carry IA
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 a look of serious
concern on his face as he meditatively
twirled his thumbs. The old clock never
ticl1ed 80 loud.
An then there's Christy Joncs-she'n
squcal ont slly-splittin' psalm about
the Lords marcy bcin' cvcrlastin' an
to all generations. when she's sent her
old bed-ridden mother of To the poor
house sos't she can be free TO spin street
warm. Wilbur Brown. hes another Of
them church fcllers. Every body knows
that he starved them two-ycar-old crit
tcrs Of his'n till they couldn't stan up,
he's - 'fraid he'd have TO buy hay fore
spring. An then the young folils-thcy
take to the creed an covenant mighty
easy when them revival fellers come
round, but they're an awful ungodly lot
for all that.
Now that's the way I'd preach 10
'em. deacon. I'd tell EN- what's what,
and say amen and 'evcrlastin' and cit
off the bcnediction 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 a gittin' of, here,
he said, as he jumped up and readjusted
them with rcmorseless deNterity. I'm
afraid the wind II git in round your
feet; I'll tack this up a little tighter
sam, | understand you" said the
deacon, and the grim jaw which had
snapped together like a vice after his
thunder blasts to Reny an hour before,
began TO relax its firmness a little. Il
see clear through you and you see clear
through me. / know that next time
you make out a catalogue of the sins Of
the church members you'll put my name
at the head of the list. Iou'll tell how
I've been a deacon for thirty years, and
have been 50 ugly TO home that nay old
est boy ran away and went to sea, and
t'other one went to Alaska to git just as
far away from me as he could, and my
gal threw herself away marryin' Il
Z =.