Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1855-09-20
An Interesting Incident.

Free-thinkers and infideis often
ridieule religion, and those who en-
brace it, but there is that within them
which tells them that religion is real
ity,- and that those who are actuated
by the spirit, and governed by its prin-
ciples, are entitled to confidence and
respect.
The following anecdOte was related
to us few days since. 1t has been
published and better than We can tell
it-but it will bear repetition.
Two men were travelling In the Tar
west; one a skeptic and the other a
Christian. The former was on every
occasion ready to denounce religion
as an imposture and its professors as
ihypocrites. According to his own
account of the matter, he always sus-
peeted those who made pretensions
to piety-felt particularly exposed IN
The company of Christians, took
special care of his horse and his
pockets when the saints were around
him.
They mad travelled late one evening,
and were in the wilderness; they at
last drew near to solitary hut, and
rejo;ced at the prospect of shelter
however humble. They asked adj
mission and obtained it. But it was
as draary and comfortless within as
without; and there was nothing pre-
possessing in tie appearance OF its
inhabitants. These were an elderly
man, his WIFE,, and two sons-sun
burnt, hardy and rough. They were
apparently hospitable, and welcomed
Ith8 travellers to such homely fare as.
the forest afforded; but this air Of kind
ness might be assumed to deceive
them, and the travellers became Sc
riously apprehensive that evil was
intended. 1t wasa lonely place, suited
to deeds of robbery and blood. No
help was at hand. The two friends
communicated to each other their
apprehensions, and resolved that on
retiring to their part Of the hut
for there were two apartments IL
it-they were to secure it as well
as they could. aglinst, the entrance
of their host--would have their
weapons of defence at hand, and
would take turns through the night
in Watching, 50 tha5 one OF them
should be constantly on guard while
the other slept. -
Having hastily made their ar
rang8m1nts, they partook of their
homely fare, and spoke of retiring to
rest. The old man said it had been
his practice in better times, and he
continued it still, before his family
went to rest at night, to commend
them to God, and if the strangers had
NO objection he would do SC row. The
Christianwas surprised to find a brother
in the wilderness, and even the skeptlc
could not conceal his satisfaetionat the
proposition. The Old man took down
a well worn Bible, on which RO dust
was gathered, though age marked It,
and read with reverence a portion OF
the. Sacred Scriptures. lie then sup
plic4ted the Divine protection, ae-
knowledgcdthe divine goodness, and
prayed for pardon, guidance, grace
and salvation. He prayed, too, for
the strangers; that they might be
prospered on their journey-that they
might have home in Heaven. He
was evidently man Of prayer, and
that humble cottage was the place
where prayer was wont to be made.
The travellers retired to ther ap-
artment. According to their pre-
vious arrangements, the slkeptic Was
to have the first watch of the night,
but instead of pliming lis pistols and
bracing his nerves for TIE attack, he
was wrapping himself in a great coat
and covering himself in his blanket,
as if be never thought Of danger
His friend reminded him of their
arrangement, and asked him how he
had lost his apprehension OF danger?
The skeptic felt the force Of the cues
ton, and Of all it iInplied-and be
had the frankness to acknowledge
that he could but feel himself as safe
as at New England freside, in any
house or in any forest where the Bible
vas read as the old man read it and
PRAYER was offered as the old man
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