Democratic Sentinel, Volume 4, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 May 1880 — The Minister’s Reminiscence. [ARTICLE]

The Minister’s Reminiscence.

“ There is nothing, seems to me,” said the good deacon, “so lasting as the impressions of our childhood.” “ That is so—that is so,” musingly replied the aged minister, who had been engaged in the exciting occupation of looking through the broken-backed family album. “ 1 recall to my mind one incident of my boyhood: We had been swimming in the river just behind the blacksmith shop, into which we had come to dress and dry ourselves by the cheerful blaze of the forge. This smith —a hardy man—how I remember his arms of brown—had for a moment laid down a bit of iron which he was working. The iron had lost its glowing color, but was still warm, I think—in fact, am quite positive. There was one of the I toys who was a very nice boy. He never did anything wrong. I seem to see him now, as he used to cut up in the school, and unselfishly throw the weight of the affair upon a companion. The most of us boys went barefooted then, but this one was an exception, so he sat down to pull on his stockings. I don’t know,” continued the aged minister, smiling softly through his glasses—“l don’t know to this day how that bar of iron ever got under that boy, because I moved it only a very little ways, but I i hope I may never have another donation ■ if he didn’t sit down so squarely upon it that it took him fully a minute to get up again, although I assure you, my friends, that he arose with all the precipitate enthusiasm that ought of necessity to characterize an occasion of that nature. And I believe with the deacon,” lie added, beaming happily upon the assembly, ‘ ‘ that the memory of that early impression still clings to that boy, though he now is aged and sedate and an exemplary member of our parish.” And then the people smiled in a pleased manner, and said how funny the minister was, while the good deacon said: “Ah!” and “ H’m !” and “ BTin !” and tried to look so unconcerned that everybody knew he was the boy.