The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-08-21
THE DEACON'S DAY.


be found on the side OF law and order
and charity The only thing In this
world that troubled him and his good
wife was the fact that they had a
nephew over at saltville who was a
loud young man. Money had been left
him by an aunt, and he sported. He
not only aported at home, despite the
protests Of his widowed mother. but
he came over to Riverton and sported
there The deacon struggled and strug
gled with him, but it did no good
He would drink cocktails, and be would
speed bis auto around the town and on
the highways. and finally he was or.
dered out Of the deacon's house aud
told never to return. Then the sporty
youth began to study how to get even.
Now, the deacon had weakness for
sweet cider, though he didn't 10 tell
Ing It around. When cider making time
came he carted apples to the mill and
had one barrel Of cider made-never
more. The cider would retain its
sweetness for about month. When
i began 70 get an edge on it it was
provided with mother" and rolled
aside to become vinegar.
OF course this little one barreled az.
fair was known to the nephew, and
after a little thought be saw bis way
clear When the apples and the barrel
had been taken to the mill he was
ready with his plot. Perhaps he had
the aid OF the owner of the min. but
that has never been satisfactorily set
tied. There are thirty-two gallons OF
cider IN the average barrel How many
gallons Of something else went into the
barrel has not yet been solved by Sher.
lock Holmes II was sufficient. no mat
ter what the number.
When the deacon went after his bar
rel it was ready for him, and never did
cider barrel look more innocent. It
was rolled down cellar to cool and was
not tapped until the afternoon Of the
next day. Then the deaeon's wife
went out to visit neighbor, and be
put spigot in the barrel and drew a
glass to drink. He had been drinking
cider for twenty-three years, but never
did cider taste ike that before. 1t had
a peculiar taste 1t had an agreeable
taste. The palate just cried out for
more. The deacon gave 1t more. He
was little bit frightened when he
found himself laughing. for he had not
laughed for sixteen years by the al |
manac but he drew another glass and |
slowly slipped it and figured that he
must have mixed a lot Of Seek No Fur ]
Their apples In with the pippins AT
any rate. be wasn't going to seek any |
further for a good thing Who can /
tell just how many glasses Of sweet
cider a man will drink under favorable |
conditions? You can't even guess at it. /
When Deacon Hardstone assembled 1
from the cellar his eyes were shining |
and his hair curling He put on bis
hat and walked out to the gate, won
dering why his heels were SO springy.
and down by the postoitice he saw an
auto It was the one belonging 70 bis
sporty nephew He walked down there
to give tile young man a blast: but. not
finding him, he was seized with sud-
den desire TO take a ride all by his I
lonesome. He had been shown how to
start and stop the machine Before
leaping Ia he whooped He didn't 4
mean to whoop. but the whoop sorter
whooped itself Then he whooped
again as he started on
The town Of Riverton will never for
get that day. In fact, it is observed as
a sort Of holiday under the name Of /
''deacons day" He put that auto at /
its fastest clip and went up and down
the four or I've streets. He drove
everybody within doors. He immo
lated twenty different runaways lie
whooped aathe corners. and he whooped
in the middle Of the blocks. Sometimes
he whooped and swung his hat at the
same time.
When this happened the machine Ell
Their grazed tree or took to the side
walk and cleared Off the Kerosene bar
reIs In front Of the groceries OF
course it was plain that something was
wrong. and a hundred people would
have extended help II they could, but
the trouble was they couldn't.
But they stopped the deacon at last,
They piled dry goods boxes on the
street and ran him into a millinery
store and captured him. He was still
whooping. but he didn't fight back
when they carried him home and put
him to bed. or course there was some
thing done about it. No deacon can
perform that way after SO many years
Of probity without bit OF scandal fol-
lowing. He had to toe the mark before
his church He was dimly conscious
that be had drunk too much cider and
be Intended to own up like man and
ask that the contents Of the barrel be
investigated. He was saved from this,
however. a brother deacon suggested
that he submit his head for medical ex-
animation, and the suggestion was fol
lowed. A doctor felt Of his bumps,
asked him q lot Of questions and then
made medical report to the effect;
This Is to certify that have care
fully examined into the mental condi-
tion Of Deacon Hardstone, and I find
that his late performance was begot,
encouraged and finally
developed BY what is known to alien /
lsts as brainstorm. don't think he'll
be dangerous again for several years to
come"
And after the charges against the
deacon had been dropped he went home
ana said Ia his wife.