Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-04-07


streak o. fat, with lean predominatin'.
Twas a streak o fat when l found n
good woman an she said yes an
streak o. lean when I was bamboozled
| by a lawyer into buyin' n gold mine
| I've KEEP that hole ever since an paid
taxes ont to prove to myself Jest how
big fool n man can be an live.
"I'vc never wrongcd nobody nor done
much prayin'. an when the Almighty
calls me think I'll stand Jest as good
chance O. gittin a harp as those
whose done more ont. The worst
skinnin' ever got was done by this
ere lawyer. who never sot down to
meals thOut askin' Il blessin an mcb-
be that's the reason I'm Il scoffcr. I've
observed good deal since | left the
old farm. an have come TO the belief
that thar's q sucker born every mint
and two ter kctch him. When I was
young took hold o the big end o the
log an did the liftn', but now | take
hold O. the little end an do the crunt-
in. Thars one thing I've larncd. an
larncd it for sartin, an that is thars
few people in this world that cut a
ham in the middle. Most on 'cm cut
few slices an cut 'em thin"
Among the Southport islanders I'm
Gle Terry was considered an odd stick.
and yet one who would go out of his
way to do good turn to others. He
| was seldom seen ut church. though bis
wife and Tclly usually were. AS he
once remarked. ITS good thing for
'cm. cause it takes up thar mind an
is more sociablc, though prayn' allus
seems to me n good deal Ike man
tryn' to lift himself by his boot straps.
1t keeps him busy, though, an it's
healthy exercise"
In spite of his investment in mine
he had been frugal and owned most
of the land between the village and
the point and was also joint owner.
with two other men. in n small trad
ing schooner that made semimonthly
trips between the Cape and Boston.
She carried fish. clans. Holsters, hay
and potatoes and fetched an "all sorts
cargo useful to the islanders. from n
paper of needles to a hogshead OF mo-
lasses.
The most pronounced characteristic
of Uncle Terry was his unfailng good
humor. tinged with a mild sarcasm.
He loved his fellow men and yet on
joyed puncturing their small conceits,
but so droll was his way of doing it
that no one felt the sting. To Bascom,
who kept the only store and also post
Office ut the Cape and dearly loved Ia
9
said: "You've got the greatest gift o
Cab over hccrd, Bascom. an you
could a made your forth in the show
business. But il you're ever took with
religion the hull island II turn infid'
die"
And, again. when Deacon Oaks. the
leader at all prayer meetings. assured
him how great n blessing religion was
and how much he enjoyed divine serv
ice, Uncle Terry answered: Your tax
in the lead at meetin's Is q blessin Il
the rest. for none of EN- has to wOrr!
bout who's gon' TO speak next They
know you're allus ready"
In this connection il must be STATED
that the spiritual life OF Southport wa.
|
: implanted church at the Cape, above
which hung a diminutive bell, was the
only place of worship. and to this ever!
other Sunday came minister from the
mainland. 1t was furnished with lonl
wooden settces. and a small cottage or
gan graced the platform. upon which
D an antique desk did duty is pulpit anc
y a storage place for hymn books. Fou
wall bracket lamps lighted this room
for evening service and their usual,
smoky chimneys lent a depressing Of
= feet to all exhOrtation. Mandy Oak
presided at the organ and turned eos
r pei hymns into wheeZy and rather lon
drawn out melodies Most of the audi
u pnce tried to chase the tunes along an,
J. imagined they were singing. which per
u, haps is all that is necessary. On III
u Sundays between the minister's visit
only evening services were held and ey
= cry Thursday evening prayer meet
y ing 1t was on these latter occasion
1 that Deacon oaks was in conSpicuou
. evidence. The Widow Leach. Il poo
{ unfortunate woman who had seen bet
" ter days and in whose poverty striCkc
y life religion was the only consolation
II wGs also prominent. and her testimony
A unvarying in tenor ms the tunes rlaye
by Mandy, helped to I'll out the serN
ice.
= It's lucky the widows sure o lot
o happiness in the next world" oil
served Uncle Terry once, for she ain
/ gittin' much in this,
, Il can't hear Oaks. though. thou
, thinkin' O Deacon Rogers up In Wo
: colt. who never mentioned the need
, rain till he'd gst his hay in. He was
sly fox an allus thanked the Lord fC
n sendin' rain nights an Sundays so til
{ poor hired man could rest.
y II used to have him held up Ms
= shinin' example, but he opened my eye
h arter | began dickerin' by sellin me
\ lot o eggs that had been sot on tw
=, weeks, an the store man | sold EN- {
=. never trusted mo agin. Twas a cas-
=, o the ungodly sufferin' for the sins
: the righteous that time. which may b
n peryarsion O. Scripture, but the trut
just the same.
but | got little comfort ina ly
for when the deacon died. by some il
advartnncc the choir sang Praise God
J. From Whom All Blessn's Flow an
u want the only one who felt that wa