Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1904-08-26
THE MINISTER'S BARGAIN
As Told BY Deacon Webb.


Maybe the chapel amt grand lookin
buildn.' and some folks actually goes so
far as to say it's an eyesore In the VII
lage, but the power o the Lord amt to
be bound down to the temples of stone
and spires, and fine painted windows;
and though It's built of plain bricks and
mortar / allow there amt no spot in
Little Marpleton where the testimony OF
the Gospel has made itself more felt
than in that little chapel OF ours.
There's many been turned from dark
ness to light up at our chapel these two
and-twenty year as I've been deacon,
and more than one brands been plucked
from the burnin' through me. Not as
wants to boast OF what the Lord
wrought by my hands, but twas bles-
sed day in my life when Bill Griffin stood
up to give his testimony the Saopath
after he became like little child.
Friends" he said, a-takin off his coat
and a-rolin' up his shirt sleeves look at
these muscles. You knows what lot OF
fightin' I've done in my time with EN-.
was a-fightin' for the devil, that's what
| was a-doin', but Mr. Webb'-thats me
hes brought me over to the other side.
and now I'm a-goin to strike home for
the Lord. and the man what stands up
agin neil have to look OUT!
And he shook his fists in the air, while
we all shouted "Ialleluiah!" Twas
grand. | tell you; and l was so pleased to
think what a blessed instrument I'd been
that I asked Bill Griffin home to supper.
We've been nightly blessed with
preachers, too, in my day or course, II
amt every man as has power that way,
though he may think he have, and me ana
Deacon Brown, bein' gifted with discrtm-
nation, has had to tell 'em sometimes
that there was more of worldly mammon
than scripture in their discourses. We're
plain folks up at the chapel and we don't
want no fine speechifyin. what we
likes is plenty of texts applied with WILL
and a preacher what can't use his arms
as well as his mouth amt reckoned OF
much account.
Not that we ever seriously offended
preacher by tellin' him what We thought
except once, and that warnt on ac-
count of his preachin. We never found
no fault with that. Twas because we
bested him, and he went away thinkin
that Little Marpleton folks were bit
too many for him. Twas pity he ever
bore malice, for we all said he was an
acceptable preacher-but he never come
near the chapel again.
1t was this way Every year we have
our Sabbath School Anniversary and
makes a collection for the funds mornin',
afternoon. and evenin.' We generally asks
the church up at Dorchester to send US
a preacher for the occasion. About ten
years ago, the Anniversary Sunday was
a-drawin' nigh, and the dorchester peo-
pie told us they was gon' to send the
Reverend Ebenezer Grips, man OF con-
sid rable power they said We was
pleased about it at first; but one market
day, just before the Sunday, Deacon
Brown came back from Burshester and
called to see me.
IT'S about that preacher for Sunday"
he says.
What about him." I asked; "nothin'
wrong, l hope?"
mo, there amt nothin' exactly wrong
with him, Deacon. He's a godly minister,
so they tells me, but he's mighty mean.
He never gives nothin' to the collection,
though he's in the habit O. promisin' five
dollars condtionally. They wouldn't let
on more about him, but they said We
should find out for ourselves when he
comes.
ITS a pity" I said, "for we want
money sorely-ffty or sixty dollars"
II know it, And what's more we've
never got above twenty-five dollars at
any anniversary includin' the preachers
offerin'."
We'll" says 1--WE must leave it alone
now. wen ask him to stir up their
hearts, and that's about all we can do"
Next Sunday mornin the Reverend
EbeneZer Grips came along. He was a
tail. thin man, with his coat buttoned
close up, and a black beard comm down
over it, Me and Deacon Brown met him
at the door of the chapel and shook hands
with him.
"Mornin', brother" says I, II hope
you'll pitch it strong"
What the Lord tells me, that T.
speak," he says.
"Sartinly," says Deacon Brown, that's
the true gospel, that is. And I hope the