Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1851-12-31

but the whiskey made him throw them at
his guests head all in a lump.
lam minister Of the gospel, my FRIEND
said the stranger, and am hunting after
the lost children of Israel, who are scat
tered throughout this wilderness
EFF thur as scary as the deer seed in
this neck Of timber down yar to-day, you'll
hev ah--ll* of a time huntin' on 'em up,
stranger responded Sam. :,
Nevertheless said the minister, WIN
the help of the Lord will endeaVor 70
save their precious souls z.,,
tThar you're right. said sam still
thinking Of his i'll luck in hunting
Wouldn't give up tryin', but OF the Lord
don't help you better than my old rifle
did me to-day, youth have an awful time,
SIRE
The minister told Sam that the Lord ne
yer missed His aim when He pointed con-
viction at the heart of sinner, that lie
generally brought him down wounded to
his knees, but that bless His name He al
WAYS healed tho wounds He made, and
raised heavenward His fallen game,
Thar he jest differs from me- said
Sam, for eff ever gifts game to its
knees, it smells birthstone afore 1t gifts up
agin,"
Sans wife who had been for some
time endeavoring to catch his eye, that
she might check the rudeness of his
speech to his minister, now interposed her
voice.
you SAM said she, can't you talk
to the preacher about nuthin but how you
git game? Why don't you talk about
Scriptur' and your precious SOUL and quit
swearin' like heathen?'
well, I'll swar,' said Sam, avoiding
an oath, the old woman is goin' to preach
now, and as I'm rather too weak to stand
her sarmins, reckon III strengthen up
with a mite more of that new whiskey
afore she gifts fairly goin'. Will you
Ticker, stranger?' he enquircd OF the mis-
sionary.
NO, friend said the minister, and l
wish could persuade you to seek strength
only from the liquor which God, in His
infinite mercy rolls in pure floods past
your cabin door, He never designed that
his creatures should drink any other. 1t
is to mans body that the word of truth
is to his soul, the waters of life, while rum
is the dark current which sweepeth body
and soul to the stagnant pool of physical
as well as moral death. Cast it far from
you, my friend, for there is poison in the
cup
well, said Sam, its a lively kind of
p1zeN, anyhow, and eff it's taken in small
doses thar amt mite of harm in it.
you shan't fetch drop more tonight,
Sam, said his spouse, for the minister's
goin' to preach, and I've sent round for
the neighbors,'
Sam greeted the intelligence with a
long, low whistle-it took him all aback,
as the sailors say, and fearful that the
occasion would overcome him, he con-
trived, notwithstanding Mrs. HIS. objec-
tons, to fortify himself with another
drink.
The neighbors soon began to flock in,
and ere long the inhabitants of the whole
settlement were gathered in Sans cabin.
The minister commenced, and although
his sermon was brief, twas fervent out
pouring of natural eloquence, uttered from
the heart of one worthy of his mission
He was one of those pioneers of truth
whose style might not have pleased the
refined ears of the city hearers, nor was
his discourse delivered with that studied
grace which rounds period with flour
ish, and marks pause by wiping the
smoothed chin with perfumed white lin
men, but the great truths of christian reli-
gion came from his lips, with honest
warmth, and he impressed them upon the
minds of his hearers by troops and figures,
suggested by the everlasting hills and
mighty forests through which he journey
ed on his mission of peace.
The sermon being ended, he invited all
to kneel, while he implored the throne OF
grace that the words he had uttered might
take root, and in good time bring forth
precious fruit. When the prayer was
ended, all arose but Sam--his head was
still bowed down upon his hickory chair.
His wife gently shook him, but without
avail, she then pinched him but it was
no go. The minister approached him,
and his wife, now knowing his situation,
made desperate effort to arouse him,
and partially succeeded. The minister,
good man, who thought Sam was keeping
on his knees in prayer-wrestling. as it
were, with a wounded spirit'-had by
this time reached him, and putting his
hand kindly upon his shoulder enqui-
red:
Brother. how do you feel, now p
Like h-ll, old fellar.' responded Sam,
that thar new whiskey is a'gfM,'
OF course Mrs. II. was terribly NORTH
fed at this exposure before the whole set
Element of Sans infrmities-and after the
neighbors had gone she shed flood of
tears. Sam tried in vain to soothe her
but she would not be comforted. At
length grieved to the heart at seeing his
wife sobbing so, Sam promised to do any
thing she wished if she would only cease.
He loved her to the full depth of his hon
est nature, and he had good reason TO- for
she had been his fearless companion in
the wilderness, and had made cheerful,
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