The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1904-09-08
Tho ministers Bargain


balls Of plain bricks and mortar ] allow
there Amt 20 spot In Little hsrpleior
where tho testimony Of the Gospel hs'
msds itself more felt than 10 ths, MT,
Chspel Of ours.
There's many been turned from darkness
ness TO ligh, up At our chapel these two
and.tEenty yesr IS I've been deacon, and
more than one brands been plueked from
the buruin through me. Nota ! wants 10
boast OF what the Lords wrought by my
handr, bo, twas b'esf6d day In my life
when Bill Giiiiia stood up to give his ttsIi-
mony the sabbath after be became Ike a
little child.
"Frierdf, he fsid, a-issin' cf his coat
and a-rolin' up bis shirt sleeves, box at
these musclef. You knows VITA. lot OF
dkhtin' I've done In my time with 'em ]
was dghtln for the devil, that's what !
was a.doin', but Mr. wehh--tha.is me he's
brought me over to the other side. and now
I'm goin TO strike home for the Lord, and
the man what stards up agn nell have to
look out!
Aud he shook his f,.s In the air, while
we all shouted ''Halleluish!" Twas grand
tell you ard was so pleased to think
what blessed instrument I'd been that
asked Bill Griiin home TO supper.
We've been nightly blessed with preach.
ers, too, In my day. Oi course, 1t sin't
every man as has power that way, though
be may think he have, and me and Deacon
Brown, bein' gifted with discrimination,
has had to tell 'em sometimes that there
was more OF worldly mammon than scrip
ture In their dlscourses. We're plain folks
up at the chapel, and We don't want no
ane speechfy ipg'. What We wants Ia
plenty Of texts spilled with will, and
preacher what can't use his arms as
well as bio mouth Amt reckonod Of much
account.
Not TAT we ever seriously offended q
preacher by tellin' him what we thought
except once, and that warn't on account Of
his preachin'. We never found no fault
with that. Twas because we bested him,
and he went away thinkin' that Little Mar
pleton folks we're bit too many for him.
Twas pity he ever bore malice, for We
all said be was an acceptable preacher
but he meyer come near the chapel
again.
IL was this way. Every year we have
our Sabbath School Anniversary, and makes
a collection for the funds mornin', after
noon, and eyenin.' We generally asks the
church up at Dorchester to send us
preacher for the occasion. About ten years
ago, the Anniversary Sunday was s.drawin
nigh, and the Dorchester people told US
they were goin' to send the Reverend Eber-
,zsr Cripps, a man Of considerable power,
they said. We was pleased about it at fret,
but one market day, Just before the Sunday
Daacsn Brown came back from Dorchester
and called to see me.
LIS about that preacher for Sunday, he
says.
What about him z asked nothin' wrong,
hopes
No, there amt nothin' exactly wrong
with him, Deacon. He's godly minister,
so they tells me, but Les mighty mean.
He never gives nothin' to the collection,
though he's in the habit O. promsin' five
dollars condItionally. They wouldn't let
on any more about him. but they faid we
should fad out for ourselves when he
comes.
It's pity, said, for we want money
sorely-fifty or sixty dollars.
know 1t. And what's more we've
never got above twenty-five dollars at
any am iversary, incudin' the preachers
of.rin.
Well, says, we must leave 1t alone now. =,
Wen ask him to stir up their hearts, and
that's about all we can do.
Next Sunday mornin' the Reverend E5.
enezer Cripps came along. He was a tall.
thin man, with his coat buttoned close up,
aud black beard coming down over II.
de ard Deacon Brown met him at the :,
ioor Of the chapel and shook hands with
him.
Mornin brother, saysI, 81 hope you'll
p ch II strong a
What the Lord tells me, that speak, he
Iays.
S,rtinly, says Dascon Brown, that's the >,
rue gospel, that i,. And hope the Lord
will give you word to put 10 about the =,
olection. II He don't, msybe you'll say -
,metLin' on your own account. We're
adly pressed for The Sabbath School n
'und.
What's the highest sum you've ever col.
seted on a ssbhs.h, brotheii atked The "a
Minister.
Twenty. five dollars and ilf.y.four cents,
says.
O1, says he, I'll bear that 10 mind.
We mus. try and msie It more II we !,
An. a.
Well, be preached to us that mornln' and :"
iternoon. They were very acceptable y
ermons, both on 'em, a-d even Brother
" hmcb
hen he spoke Of tie curses laid on evil
oers. They WAS awful TO hear, and 1t
ID Us power CT good, we as krcwed we :. -
AZ Of the elect and hadn't rothin' to fear. ~
hen came the evenin' sermon. The little ~
spel Was packed SIS full ss Ii could hold -,
allow 1t WAS & sight to make q man feel ".
yiul. -,
The minister'd brought In lot about wy
,bbath school toward the end Of his dis ~
,urse, AND began a.touekln on the col a. a.,
ctIon. Then be rays, very impressive -, ~
se. A.
"Pfieuds, want this TO be = record day wi
. your school fcrds.. Now, IN told that
,u'ye reyer got more than about s25 or to
,tday here. Well, We uu,t make II more
an that tonight. Tits mornins aud thi, do
terpoous collections amour, 10 exactly