The Bottineau courant., 1912-07-12
When a Deacon
Broke Loose
By NJ. QUAD w.
Copyright. 1912, by Associated Lit
erary Press.

the country. was erected. Methodists.
Baptists, Presbyterians and Adventists
went In together in the building aud
used it alternately. AS the village
grew the different denominations built
churches for themselves, and finally
the old church was left to one. This
happened to be the poorest one t1nan'
cially. and it wasn't in human nature
to look around on the newer edifices
and not feel bit envious.
As matter of fact. the old meeting
house was little better than barracks
II reckon any one can praise the
Lord from the midst of a brush heap in
the woods. but also reckon that he
can do it with leetle more steam in
comfortable meeting house," said Dea
con Pegram.
The deacon was the financial man of
the church. but It was years and years
before he saw his way clear for the
erection of new edifice. Several
freight cars loaded with cement got
smashed up iu the suburbs Of the town.
and the deacon was told to help him.
self.
he got wagon loads of the stuff.
for that new meeting house was to be
a concrete one. The concrete industry
was then in it's infancy. but Deacon
Pegram had found man to put the
matter through and guarantee q salts
factory job.
Oriah struck town. and things were
changed. He knew all about the &C.
ment business and was ready to take
of his coat and carry the job through
If any family would board him gratis
in return. Deacon Pegram jumped at
the chance. Uriah was told to eat all he
could and go to the head of the class
and manage things. he took hold as
II he had dabbled in cement all his life.
Uriah hustled. He made everybody
else hustle. If any one Jagged he was
right on the spot to say:
Nov. then. don't do no loafing on
the Lord. This is his Job, and he ex-
poets things to move lively"
We all know now, though few kne
at that time, that there are severa.
grades of cement and that cement
workers do not shovel sand and cement
together in haphazard way. There
must be due proportions. according to
the work to be done. Uriah simply
went ahead and shoveled. Providence
stood back of him with dry weather
until the walls were ready for the
roof, and then she got tired of good
thing. There were those who said the
blocks were too soft and others who
thought they could see bulges in the
walls and still others who predicted
that two hours rain would spoil every
thing. but to all such Deacon Pegram
said:
"Didn't the floods rage and the lum-
ber come down?"
"Yes."
'Didn't we discover the sand pit in
the nick of time?"
Eyes
"Didn't Brother Higgs see the error
of his ways just when we were won
dering what we should do for the
bricks:"
HE did,"
"And didn't Providence ordain that
those freight cars should be smashed
up and the cement scattered over an
acre of ground?'
1T looks like it."
"And then came Uriah Kingston. At
the crossroads he might have turned to
the left aud gone to Liverpool. but
Providence guided him to the right and
to u.s." ..
but it may rain, and If it does"-
1T will not rain for month to come.
Providence won't permit it to-
The deacon talked that way and be-
lieved what he talked. and Uriah talk
ed and believed still stronger. And
then the rain descended. 1t set In at
dark one day and came down In a way
to soak things. Just at daylight next
morning, with the rain still coming
down. the two men crept forth to see
how it Jared with the enterprise. There
were no walls left. In place of them
was a small lake of mud. Every last
block of concrete had melted In the
rain. The deacon and Uriah stood and
gazed for five long minutes like men
stupefed.
And then Deacon Pegram broke
loose. 1t was years ago, but they still
date things from that day. he whoop-
ed. he threw down his hat and jump
ed on it.. He knocked Uriah down and
jumped on him. As people came out
to see what the trouble was he threw
them into the lake of mud and whoop-
ed again. he went home and kicked
his dog and cuffed his wife's ears. and
then he ran amuck through the streets
| and tore gates of their hinges and
uprooted sidewalks. Men ran and
women lodged. and it took two light
ming rod men and q chicken buyer to
tie him up. He continued to whoop
until his voice gave out, and for three
days he was expected to die. These
three days allowed Uriah Kingston to
get sixty miles away and Nthe lake Of
mud to crust over. The deacon's pas
tor called when things had Quieted
down, and, laying his hand on the pa