The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1860-09-15

I.ics ua'n's agoin' 70 hev Josh Crane. BE-
Ieaass be ua'a't professor. but she dida'
want asbody q tell ems - % everybody
did.
i vas, besides. trss. Mise Eunice vas .
sincerely religious woman, and though josh
Crane. simple, fsrvent, lore making had
stirred thrill within her she did not think i,
was right TO marry irrehgious man and she
told hun 20 With meek frmuese, that quite
broke down poor Uncle Josh, aud he wont
back TO his farming with profounder rever-
ence than ever fer Miss Euuice, and mis-
erable opinion Of himself.
But he was person without guile Of aAy
sort: he would have cut OF his pig tail,
.old his tahasco keg, tried not to swear for
her sake, bat be could not pretend to be
pious, and he did not.
A wear or two afterwards, however, when
both had qaiss Got past the shyness Of meet
ing, and sss aside If not forgotten the past.
there was revival Of religion in Pmin6eld
no great excitement, but quiet springing
up Of ssxood seed" sown in past generations
il may b, and among the sof,cncd hearts,
and moist cyes were those Of Uncle Josh.
His mo,her's prayers had slspt within the
leaves OF his mothers Bible, and now they
awoke 70 be answered.
II was straugely touching. even to old
Parson Pitcher, long nsed in such interviews
with tho oldest Of all people under excite
ment--rugged New Eagland--to SEQ the
simple pathos thatvivifed Uncle Josh's story
of his experience; and when 10 the midst Of
q sentence about his dead mother, and her
petitions for his safety with tears dripping
down both cheeks, he burst into hallelujah
metre tune, adapting the words
'Thoush seed lie buried long in dust" etc.
and, adding to the diversity Of rythn' and
the disordance Of his sea. cracked voice, it
was a doubtful matter to Parson Pitcher
whether he should laugh or cry and he vas
forced to compromise with a by ysterical snort
Just as Josh brought out the last word of
the verse on powerful fugus-
'.Cro-o-o-o-op!"
So honest and earnest was he, that for a
whole week after he had been examined and
approved BY tho church committee as pro-
bationer, he never once thought Of Misc Eu-
nice; when, suddenly, as he was read nc his
Bible, and came across the houoroLle men.
ton Of that name by the apostle, hc recol-
lectcd with a sort Of shame faced delight,
that DOW perhaps she would have him 90,
with no further ceremony than reducing his
gusty flax colored hair to order, by means
Of pocket comb, and washing his hands Mt
the pump, away be rode for the school.
house, where it was Miss Eunice's custom
to Iinger after school till her IRE was burn,
low enough to rake up.h
'Josh looked in ut the window IA he
''brought to" lin his own phrase) "along
1a sh.. eaha is.,s ..l -. a
OF his love knitting blue stocking, With an
empty chair most propitiously placed beside
her in front Of the fire place. Josh's heart
rose up nightly, but he kuock'd as little a
knock as his great knuekles could effect, was
bddeh in, and sat himself down on chair
In paroxysm of bashfulne.s, nowise help
ed by Miss Eunice's dropped and persistent
knitt'ng. So he sat full fifteen minutes,
every now and then clearing his throat in a
vain attempt to introduce the point, till ut
length, desperate enough, he made q dash
into the middle Of things, and bubbied over
with
"Miss Eunice, l've got religion I'm 30,
out Tor to be p'ous man; can't you feel
to hev me now ?"
What Miss Eunice's trembling little lips
answered cannot say, but know it was
satisfactory to Josh, for his fret rcverent
impulse, after he had gathered up her tow
words, was, to clasp bis hand and sny Amen
as II somebody had asked u blessing; per-
haps he felt that be had received one in Miss
Eunice.
When spring came they were married, and
were happy Yankee fashion without com.
ment or demonstration, but very happy
Uncle Josh united with the church, and was
no disgrace to his profession, save and ex-
cept in one thing-he would swear! Vainly
did deacons, brethren, and pastor sssail him
with exhortation, remonstrance and advice;
vainly did his meek wife look at him with
pleasing eyes vainly did he himself repent
and strive and watch, "the stump Of Dngon
remained" and was not to be easily up
rooted.
A, length Parson Pitcher being greatly
scandalized at Josh cxpletives, used iucki-
ly in somewhat excited meeting on church
business, (for in prayer. meetings. he had
never answered any calls to rise, lest habit
should get the better Of him, and shock the
very. sinners he might exhort). Parson
Pitcher himself made pastoral call at the
farm and found it's master in tho garden
hoe,ng corn manfully.
"Good-day master Crane - said the old
gentleman. 1881
"Good-day, Psrson Pitcher, good day!
d-d hot day s,r," answered The uncon-
scious Josh.
''Not so hot Is hell FOR swearers - stern
ly responded the Parson, who, being of
family renowned in New England for no
way mincing matters, sometimes vergsd up-
on profanity itself, though unawares.
Josh threw down his hoe 10 despair.
"Oh Lord" said he, '.there il goes again.
swear the D. dogs take IL! II 1 don't
keep goin'! Oh! Parson Pitcher, what
shall dew; it swears OF itself, am clean
beat tryin' to head it of, con--no! 4
mean confuse it all am such an old hand
at the wheel, strip
Luckily for Josh, the parsons risbles were
hardly better in hand than his own profanity,
and it took him now a long timeto pick up
his cane, which he hat dropped in the
currant bushes while Josh stood among the
corn-hills wiping the sweat from his brow:
10 an abjsct state of peni,encs and humility;
and as the parson emerged like foil moo,
from the leafy currants, he felt ID ore
charitably toward Josh than he had done
before.
s'lt is q very bad thing said b Midi,
"Not merely for yourself, but il .,capda .ixs,
the church members, and thin. YOU ,nonld
take severe measures to freak up your
habit"
"What on nirsh shal, l do, piteou.ly
asked Josh; sits the ID %, pIa,ue..
evan to man I've dGne it avin ~
And mere With long howl, Josh threw
himself down in 'iae weeds, md kicked ou,
ike hall bro..sn Cit, wishing in bis soul
the earth wou,. ~ hid. h,,n ara ,,.;r. :. 80