The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-05-17
THOSE CHURCH
SPIRES
BY NJ QUAD
Copyright. 1910, by Associated Lit
erary Press
BY NJ QUAD

churches. The MethOdisls built
house Of worship With cupoa and
hung bell there. The Baptist ediflee
was also to have cupoa aud bell.
but the funds ran short at the roof. 1t
was the intention 10 walt IA year or so
and then finish up. but five years had
passed and nothing more had been
done. Meanwhile one bell pealed for
all, and both sects dwelt together in
unity. There was no envy. no jealousy.
no criticism.
Then the blow fell II came like
thunderbolt. Deacon Wheeler of the
Methodist church and Deacon Ames of
the Baptist leased ten acres Of land In
partnership and planted 1t to corn
Each furnished half the seed and was
10 do half the work. One day when
the corn was tall enough for the first
hoeing and the two deacons were
working side by side Deacon Wheeler
pointed to patch of grass aud OBJ
served:
Deacon II strikes me that that is a
good place for bumblebees' nest"
Eyes, kinder looks that way" was
the reply.
"Bumblebees orter be rooted out"
WAL. dunno. The Lord made
'em"
But they are pesky things. We
shall be blowing this corn with horse
next time. and s'pose they pitch into
him? reckon III root 'em out"
But don't kill any more'n need be.
It's wicked to take life II you don't
have to-"
Deacon Wheeler found bumbebees
there. They also found him They re-
scented his Intrusion AT once They
likewise resented the near presence of
Deacon Ames They went for the two
men hot foot and got in their work
and chased them from The field II
was after the bees had given up the
pursuit that Deacon Ames turned 10
the other and exclaimed:
NOW see what we've got by your
meddling. II you wasn't an old fool
you'd have let them bundles alonew
"Old fool? Why, Deacon Ames. you
are six years older'n be-
"But told you to let em alone"
SAY. Deacon Ames. you are talk
ing mighty Sassy
But I've got n right TO-"
Yes, talking mighty sassy for
Baptist"
And what about the BaptstsT'
WAL. you eau see your meeting
house from here Does 1t look Ike a
meeting house or cooper shopl |
guess more'n one stranger has had to
ask TO find out"
Are you digging at me because we
hain't got cupola or belly
I'm a-saylng that II more humble
bees had been stirred up mebbe your
folks would have finished the build.
ing"
It was all over between the deacons
Deacon Wheeler went home to tell his
wife about IL. aud Deacon Ames
walked straight TO the parsonage and
said 10 the minister:
"Parson Jones. something has got
TO be did I've been insultcd. our old
building has been insulted. ana now
II we can't 20 AZ II ana finish II up
I'll sell out and move away
We don't want no cupola nor bell
Cupolas are for schools aud bells are
for factories What we want and
what We are going to have Is splre
IA thing shooting up In the air about
sixty feet-somethiug that can be
seen for Eve miles around Cooper
shop. Wen show the Wheeler crowd
whether we've got cooper shop or a
church. That ere splre shall pierce
the clouds on the one hand aud the
hearts Of the Methodists on the other.
I'm be before their eyes night aud
day They'll have TO walk In its
shaddcr 10 get to their own church.
Cupolas and bellsg Why. they haIn't
had nothing Of the kind In New York
city for dfty years past. Our build
Ing Is going TO be right up TO date.
even II we have TO put In bathtubs
aud electric bells"
OF course Deacon Wheeler aud his
scct heard u these things. aud the
deacon winkcd with his left eye and
replied:
Going 10 have n splrc. ehf Going
TO be seen for Eve miles around. is M
WAL you jest wait little. Mehbe
therell be two spires TO be- seen"
Aud so there was. The Baptsis
had no sooner begun work ON theirs
than the other sect started In and
sold the bell demolished the cupola
aud began on n splrc. Then It was a
race TO see which splrc should be the
nlghest Zach one jealousy guarded
Us secret As matter of fact, as
measurements aftcrward proved. the
baptist spirc was Just threc.Quarters
Of an inch the longest. hut one rubber
uccklng from the earth could not have
been sure.
After six mouths the spires were
completed. aud each church planned
FOR festival TO be held the same
Night Two hours before night fierce
storm Of thunder. lightning. rain and
ssstnd u,f Ia IL had hD,f, racine half