How Deacon Tubman and Parson Whitney Kept New Years

How Deacon Tubman and Parson Whitney Kept New Year's

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New Year's, by W. H. H. Murray This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Title: How Deacon Tubman and Parson Whitney Kept New Year's And Other Stories
Author: W. H. H. Murray
Release Date: July 16, 2005 [EBook #16308]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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How Deacon Tubman and
Parson Whitney Kept New Year's
And Other Stories BY
W.H.H. MURRAY
Illustrated BOSTON
CUPPLES & HURD
_94 Boylston Street_
1888

CONTENTS
How Deacon Tubman and Parson Whitney Kept New Year's
The Old Beggar's Dog
The Ball
Who Was He?

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
I
HOW DEACON TUBMAN AND PARSON WHITNEY KEPT NEW YEAR'S
(Illustrated by THOMAS WORTH)
Vignette Initial--"New Year's, eh?"
"What's the matter with the pesky thing?"
"Miranda belonged to that sisterhood commonly known as spinsters"
Miranda's chirography--"A Happy New Year"
"Ha, none of that, you woolly-coated rogue, you"
"I want to talk with you about the church"
"Tell the folks that you won't be back till night"
"It was found that the parson could steer a sled"
"Little Alice Dorchester begged him to stay"
"Old Jack was a horse of a great deal of character"
"Hillow, Deacon, ain't you going to shake out old shamble-heels to-day?"
"Jack was going nigh to a thirty clip"
"Go it, old boy!"
Tail piece
II
THE OLD BEGGAR'S DOG
(Illustrated by A.B. SHUTE)
Vignette Initial--"Trusty"
"The old man and his dog were constant companions"
"He was teaching the dog a new trick"
"It was to the honor of the crowd that they hooted the officer roundly"
Tail piece
III
THE BALL
(Illustrated by A.B. SHUTE)
Vignette Initial--"It was evening"
"The Lad began to play"
"The God of Music was there"
"Even the waiters caught the infection"
"The music stopped with a snap"
Tail piece
IV
WHO WAS HE?
(Illustrated by J.H. Snow)
Vignette Initial--"John Norton watched the approaching fire"
"A deer suddenly sprang from the bank"
"Past mossy banks where the great eddies whirled"
"Come ashore--you and your companion"
"The four sat in silence by the fire"
Tail piece

How Deacon Tubman and Parson Whitney Kept New Year's
I
[Illustration: Vignette Initial N]
"New Year's, eh?" exclaimed Deacon Tubman, as he lifted himself to his elbow and peered through the frosty window pane toward the east, where the colorless morning was creeping shiveringly into sight.
"New Year's, eh?" he repeated, as he hitched himself into an upright position and straightened his night-cap, that had somehow gone askew in his slumber. "Bless my soul, how the years fly! But that's all right; yes, that's all right. No one can expect them to stay, and why should we? there's better fish in the net than we've taken out yet," and with this consolatory observation, the deacon rubbed his head energetically, while the bright, happy look of his face grew brighter and happier as the process proceeded. "Yes, there's better fish in the net than we've taken out," he added, gayly, "and if there isn't, there's no use of crying about it." With this philosophical observation, he bounced merrily out of bed and into his trousers.
I say Deacon Tubman bounced into his trousers, but, to be exact, I should say that he bounced into half of them; and, with the other half trailing behind him, he skipped to the window and, putting his little, plump, round face almost against the pane, gazed out upon the world. Everything was bright, sparkling and cold, for the earth was covered with snow and the clear gray of the early morning spread its rayless illumination over the great dome, in the fading blue of which a few starry points still gleamed.
"Bless me, what a morning!" he exclaimed. "Beautiful! beautiful!" he repeated, as he stood with his eyes fastened upon the east and, balancing himself on one foot, felt around with the other for that half of the trousers not yet appropriated. "Bless me, what a day," he ejaculated, as he saved himself by a quick, upward wrench, from falling from a trip he had inadvertently given himself in an abortive effort to insert his foot into the unfilled leg of his pantaloons. "Ha, ha, that's a good un," he exclaimed; "trip yourself up in getting into your own trousers, will you, Deacon Tubman?" and he laughed long and merrily to himself over his little joke.
"A happy New Year to everybody," cried the deacon, as he thrust his foot into his stocking, for the floor of the good man's chamber was carpetless and so cleanly white that its cleanliness itself was enough to freeze one. "Yes, a happy New Year to everybody, high, low, rich, poor, south, north, east and west, where'er they are, the world over, at home and abroad--Amen!" And the deacon, partly at the sweeping