The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-12-01
Nv.
dOsSIPING HUMBUGS AND THE
QUILTIN' BEE.
lContfnuadl

(Continued)
Well. Il had been the church talk for
months how TO git him TO stop swearin.'
The Music Committee said they didn't
want to discharge him. for he was such
a good singer, and then he was generous
hearted, always ready 10 give his last
dollar II II need be TO help the poor or
any new enterprise that had any merit
10 IL, and so there we were In dilemma
that wasn't easy TO git out OF
The Official Board had talked the mat
ter over and appointed committees 10
talk with Mr. Grover about II, to SEQ
II he wouldn't have some respect for.
himself and the church. Well he was
good-natured and would always promise
that he would stop. but he never did.
The first yoa would know he would
break over, and 1t got SO II had become
a disgrace.
Finally Deacon Thompso said to the
Board at the next meetn' that IL they
would make him COMMITTEES OF one he'd
take IL into his hands 10 see that Grover
stopped his swearin and bein' any longer
a disgrace 10 the church. So the Board
they elected him a committee to handle
the matter 10 suit himself.
Well, he had the usual conversation
with him that the other committees had
had. and Mr.. Grover promised as before
to stop swearin but he kept breaking
over until finally one day the Deacon
met him on the street at the corner OF
the grocery store near the schoolhouse
in the Waldo District, 'sld there he ac-
costed him. and wanted to know why
Il was that he persisted In being pro-
fame because he had been listenig to
him talk politics and swearing TO beat
ALI Well, about the only response that
Grover could give him was that II was
done through carelessnesS
Finally the Deacon got to the end or
his patience IL seems, for the towns peo.
pie had been smiling some at his EFFORTS
because they hadn't borne any fruits, and
that had riled him up to a pitch of pious
Indignation, so he said, and being OF a
duick-tempered nature. he says to Grover:
well, George. l have tried moral sua-
sion, have coaxed and have prayed to
have you stop swearing and be OF some
credit TO the society, but IL seems that IL
has done no good Now, I don't propose
TO be the laughing stock OF the commu-
nifty Just through your stubbornness any
longer I've been elected. "a COMMITTEES OF
one 10 see that you stop your coarse talk
In. public places. and now propose. you're
going 10 do It. propose 10 shake the
profanity ont OF you right here on the
highway"
OF course the Deacon would never have
done II II he. hadn't very. foolishly got
wrought UP so. but he grappled with him
right there, and they had a tremendous
scrimmage right before everybody. Con-
science. what scene
Mr.. Grover said afterwards that he
didn't want any. trouble with the Deacon
but there wasn't any choice left for him
but to defend himself, and so he did, but
the result was that he got more excited
than he intended to- ana, being OF an
athletic makeup. ne didn't have much
trouble i'm throwing the Deacon down and
dragging him across the street, tearing
his coat about of from him In his attempt
to make the old man desist lie had no
intention OF injuring him. for. as he said
he had always held Deacon Thompson In
the highest respect.
Finally, the Deacon said, It's enough
I'm satisfied" And then while he was
picking himself up and brushing the dirt
of from his trousers, Mr. Grover was
apologlzing for having done him any
harm, II he had hurt him I'm any way
but the Deacon said, There's no call for
apologizingr After brushing spell long
er he turned TO Grover and said
"As l said before I've tried TO use
moral suasion, have coaxed. have
prayed for IL, and now have tried 20
pound this cursed disposition out OF you
which | should not have done II / hadn't
got wrought up so. / have come TO the
swearing now and be damned II you want
to, for all that I shall do And upon that
he walked away.
Well, that WAS enough for Grover. He
told the women folks how the Deacon had
swore right out on the street, and they
talked IL all over the neighborhood Got
90 be common gossip that Deacon Thomp-
son had gone and backslid and had got
20 swearin' dreadful bad. Such stories al
ways are enlarged upon and there wasn't
any exception I'm this case. Well. IL got to
the ears OF the minister, and after he had
reported II 20 the Church Council OF Ed
ers Il was decided that Deacon Thompson
should appear before that body to be
tried for conduct and language unbecom-
ing an Orthodox Christian. ~.
Well. the session OF the Elders was a
private one. but It's findings were 90 be
read before the society the next Sunday
following the trial, which was also the
Sunday following our quitin party,
which exonerated the Deacon from the
report that he was profane.
But the minister he gave him soma pret-
" strong advice about ever attempting
20 use force again In any matters pertain
ing TO the church..
IL seems the deacon, explained oethe
council that he had said "be damned I'm
the sense that he Grover would be
damned ~ he kept on swearing. And so
while Il had the sound and expression
of profanity in the way he saii Il. the
intendent was entirely the opposite, and,
because he spoke under excite ncnt IL was
overlooked. and he was relieved OF any
further embarrassment 80 far ~ the
church was concerned although it will
probably be some years bsfOe tie men
folks will git through talking about how
-tha deacon damned the tenor singer"
Well, there was quite numerous mum
ber OF the church members who had got
30 working dreaful busy ON the quilts
who could recall now how lax the deacon
was on certain occasions. and some OF
them were not surprised TO hear he had
been swearing. for they always felt that