us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and
keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." Eccl. 12:13.

March, 1966--Lawrence D. Pruitt, Publisher

The Deacon of Dobbinsville

By John A. Morrison

CHAPTER I

Mount Olivet church at the time of which I am about to write had
received the zenith of her glory. She was possessed of a full measure of
the denominational pride and prejudice common to the day and the
community in which she existed. Since Mount Olivet church is to occupy
so conspicuous a place in my narrative, it is fitting that I should take
time and space right here to describe her. I must also give my readers
an idea of the community of which Mount Olivet church formed the hub and
center.

Well, to begin with, Mount Olivet church was old. And like, all other
things old she had a history, partly respectable and partly otherwise.
The date of her organization reached back into the fifties, before the
days of the Civil War. Some great notables had lived and died in this
church. Tradition had it that one of the charter members of this church
was a candidate for president of the United States against James
Buchanan. Of course he was not elected, as you know, and I suppose you
have noticed nothing in our national history about this particular man
running for president, but you recall that the history of a nation and
the history of a local country district have a way of reading
differently.

But this aspirant to the presidential office was not the only great man
who had been a member of Mount Olivet church. The older citizens told of
a certain Preacher Crookshank who was pastor of this church during and
prior to the Civil War and was also a member of the State Legislature;
and, according to these biographers, he was the sole cause of the State
remaining in the Union. It seems from all reports that Preacher
Crookshank was not only a statesman of renown, but also a masterful
theologian of Mount Olivet's particular faith. It is reported how he
defended his theology with his splendid oratory, and how when this
failed he resorted to his fists. His oratory was said to be simply
overwhelming. They recounted how, in his oratorical frenzies, he used to
fling his homespun coat in the air and crack the heels of his red-topped
boots together with an emphasis that would stop the mouth of the most
impudent gainsayer. They told how by this masterful eloquence opposers
were silenced, h