The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-08-06
A MATTER OF
CONSCIENCE.
ny M. QUAD.

Deacon Uriah Hart ofithe village OF
Poolsville was an ex-decon, az a mat
ter Of fact, but the title, stu chung TO
him. II was the same with Deacon
Abraham Noble. For ten years there
was a neighborly and brotherIy feel
Ing between these two men. Then
came rupture They traded horses.
and each felt that the other had taken
advantage OF him. There was no
scandal over It, but the two men were
cool 10 each other and had moth.
ing to explain. even to their wives.
The minister Of their church sought to
smooth over matters, but found them
noncommittal
At the end Of the year Deacon Hart
rose up IN prayer meeting one night
and said that, while be had tried his
best to be good man. he had made a
slip or two IN his life. One Of those
slips rested hard on his conscience and
he would ask forgiveness. He wasabout
20 make a statement when big piece
Of plaster fell from the ceiling and
struck him on the head, and his In
juries were such that he was IN bed
for a fortnight
He had been out Of bed and walking
around for month when he and
Deacon Noble met on the bridge. They
were about to pass with q nod when
the latter deacon stopped and said
"Uriah, don't feel right IN my mind.
It isn't about that horse trade, but
something else. think Of 1t and can't
sleep nights. I'm going to own up
and ask you
But he didn't own up. Just then a
farmers runaway team came along.
and they had to jump into the creek
to get out OF the way. They both
crawied out sopping wet and went
home, and after they had got dried
out conscience didn't seem to prick
quite so hard. Then Deacon Hart
wounded himself in the log with a
pitchfori, and after q day or two
symptoms Of blood poisoning set in.
He feared that his days were mum.
bered, and he sent for Deacon Noble
and said:
Abraham, may die Of this. and
want TO leave my house IN order Ny
conscience is pricking me about GER
tain thing in connection with you. and
] want to get It or my mind"
'yThat's right, Uriah," urged the 9TH
or. mo one ought to 90 to the grave
with anything on his mind. I'm ready
20 haaR rostr Qonfoocfap
But no confession was made. The
doctor came in just then to examine
and dress the wound, and he said be
was glad to inform Deacon Hope that
the bad symptoms had disappearee
and that the leg would now do nice
These words had a wonderful effe
on conscience, aud the deacon shut his
lips and waited for some other time.
That time didn't come for a year or
more. Then Deacon Mobiles wife was
taken IA with typhoid fever. When
the crisis approached and the doctor
said the chances were an against her
the husband broke down. He was out
under an apple tree, and when Deacon
Hart came along and began to express,
bis sympathy Deacon Noble decided to
relieve bis conscience.
But be didn't relieve it. The doctor
came to the door and beckoned to him
and whispered that be believed the crisis
was passed. 1t was such good news that
Deacon Noble wouldn't have confessed
anything for a hundred dollars His
wife convalesced, and time ran along
until the biannual camp meeting
opened. Both deacons were particu-
larly strong on camp meetings. They
were there and enthusiastic On the
third day Of the camping the spirits Of
all were aroused by the words Of a
visiting minister, and at length Deacon
Hart got up and said that he could
stand It no longer He was admon-
ashed TO make a full confession, but
before he could start out Deacon No
Bile, who was laboring under nervous
excitement. arose and said that be
had a burden on his conscience that
be was determined to get rid Of.
Something might have come Of the
two confessions then and there but for
some loafers who had planned to
break up the meeting They let lot
of bees loose on the people and created
a diversion lasting an hour, and when
1t was over 1t was found that both
deacons had been stung SO many times
that any matters Of conscience had
been adjourned to more propitious
occasion That occasion came just d
year later There was q food ID the
river. and both deacons turned out to
help the sawmil man save bis prop
erty They were engaged in this
neighborly task when both found
themselves seated on the same log and
being whirled downstream 1t was
then that Deacon Hart said
Abraham, we are in danger"
'sWe are, uriah.Y
eve may never see home again"
Elm afraid we WON'T
gThen TN make that confession to
sou, and you make yours to me-
Eyes; the time has surely come"
abraham. we traded horses. /
thought you cheated me"
"Just what | thought Of you. Uriah"
7 didn't say anything about 1t, but
10 get even with you sneaked into
your barn one night and cut off your
cows tall Can you, will you, forgive
d repentant manY
''With an my heart, Uriah. Thought
you had beat me in that horse trade,
and one night sneaked over into your
u.n.f,rrn and krnnlrnd Atn hnar,r sf