Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-12-06

was arranged that Mr.. Surely shoulo be-
come pastor of Fallowdale, and that he
should give the people rain whenever they
asked for it.
When Mr.. Surely returned TO his lodg-
ings, his wife ives utterly astounded upon
learning the nature of the contract her hus-
band had entered into; but the pastor only
smiled and bade her wait for the result
Time flew on, and at length the hoi days
of midsummer were at hand. For three
weeks it had not rained, and the young
corn was beginning to curl up beneath the
effects of the drought. In this extremity
the people bethought themselves OF the
promise of their pastor, and some oil them
hastenedto his dwelling
Come" said Sharp, whose billy farm
was suffering severely. "we want some
ram. You remember your promise"
Certainly" rejorned Mr.. Surely. "li
YOU will call meeting Of the members OF
the parish, will be with you this evening"
With this the applicants were perfectly
satisfied. and forthwith they fastened to call
the flock together.
The hour for the meeting came round,
and Parson Surely met his people at the
church they were all there, most OF them
anxious and the remainder curious.
"Now, my friends, said the pastor, arl-
sing upon the platform, ii have. come 10
hear your request. What is it :"
1--WE want rain" bluntly spoke farmer
Sharp; land you know you promised to
give it to us"
"Aye-ran, rain" repeated half dozen
volces.
Very well. Now when will you have
lit?"
This very night Let it rain all night
long" SAID Mr.. Sharp. to which several
others Immediately assen!ed.
"No, no, not tonight" cried Deacon
Smith. Il have six or seven tons of we'll
made hay in the field; and | would moi
have it wet for anything
so have hay out" added Mr.. Peck
I'VE wont have it rain tonight" :"
"Then let il rain Tomorrow"
ut wtlrtake me all day tomorrow to gel
my hsy IN" said Smith.
Thus objections came up for the two sue
ceediug days, and at length by the way o.
compromise, Mr.. Sharp proposed that they
should have rain IN just four days. For,
, said he, 10y that time all the hay that Is
now out can be got in. and we need not Gu
any" =.
"Siop. stop" uttered Mrs. Sharp, pulling
her worthy husband smarty by the sleeve
That is the day we have set to go to SNOW
hill 1t mustn't rain then u
This was law for Mr.. Sharp, so he pro-
posed that the ram should come IN one
week, then resuming his seat. but thi'
would mol do. Many of the people woni'
not put off 20 long. IF we cannot have
rain before then. we'd better not have 1t a
all, " SAID they.
In short, the meeting resulted in just M
conclusion at all, for the people found II ut
tery impossible 10 agree upon time wheI
it should rain.
"Uutil you can make up your minds up
on this point" said the pastor. as he was a
bout leaving the church, ''we mu-t all trus
in the Lord" And after this the people
followed him from the place.
Both Deacon Smith and Mr.. Peck go
their hay safely in but on the very day
that Mr.. Sharp aud his wife were 10 have
started for Snowhll, it began to rain il
right good earnest. Sharp lost his visit
but he met the disappointment with gooc
grace, for his crops smiled in the rain.
Ere another month had rolled by, snoth
er meeting was called for petition of rain
hut this time the result was as before
Maay of The people had their muck 70 dig
and rain would prevent them. Some want
ed the rain immediately some in enc, some
in two. and some in three days, while 9th
} ers wanted to put it of longer. So Mr.
Surely had not yet occasion TO call for rain
One year rolled by, and down to that time
the people of Fallowdale had never once
been able to agree upon the exact kind o
weather they would have, and the resul
: was that they began to open their eyes t'
the fact that this world would be strange
8 place if the Inhabitants could govern it.
While they had been longing for powe
. they did not possess, they had not seen 1T
absurdity, but now that they had, in 1000
faith attempted to apply that power unde
the belief that it was theirs. they saw clear
ly they were getting beyond their sphere
They saw that Natures laws were safer il
the hands OF Natures God than in the
hands Of Natures children.
On the last Sabbath of the first year o.
Mr.. Surely's settlement at Falowdale, he
offered to break his connection with The
parish, but the people would not listen to 1t
They had become attached to him and tt
the meetings, and they wished him TO stay
But | can no longe: rest under our for
tIa hnr
said the pastor.
!, Nor do we wish you 10 returned Sharp
Only preach to us, aud teach us and oul
children how 10 live. and help US 10 oe So
ciaI aud happy"
And, added the pastor while a tear OF
pride stood in his eyes, as he looked for an
instant into the face of his own happy wife,
'.All things above our proper sphere we
will leave with God, for He doeM all things
,reH."
@5- "Where is your house?" asked a
traveller of a man he met in the depths oi
the "old solemn wild Arness" OF the Great
West. "Hou>e amt got no home"-
well, where do you live'" IL live in the
woods-slrep on the Government Purchase
eat raw bear and wild turkey, and drl1ls out
of the Mississippi" Aud he added :-''It is
getting too thick with folks about here
You're the second mar I've seen within a
month, and hear there is whole family
coming about fifty miles down the river.-
I'm going TO put into the woods again"
A Double PUN.-Mr. Forrest was scre-
naded at the Winthrop House on Monday
evening. The next morning, at the break
fast table of that excellent hotel, Mrs.