Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-07-17
Mr. Noodle came out Of the post-office with
his letters

his letters.
A small darkey. whose notions of raiment
were limited to one coffee-sack and a hole to
stick the head out.-having more particu-
Lar eye to the luggage, since childhood must
see strange men enough every day,-remarked
that the visitors were circus and, at first
MIR. Noodle was inclined to agree with him.
1t not long before both were unde-
ccived. The singular-looking people drove
to no tavern but went straight, as by pre-ar-
rangement. to an open, amphitheatrical spot
under the bluff, where they speedily set doubt
at rest upon the nature of their baggage, bv
pitching it, in the shape of tents on the sun
dried grass. But these tents had nothing
either martial hStrionic about them.
They bore no flags nor parti-colored cano-
pies. Their nearest approach to ornament
were the large placards which were imme-
diately hoistcd high upon their sides. while
several of the strange -comers went out along
the street of the settlement, to distribute re-
duced copies Of the same, to every one they
met. The placards read variously. but a
good idea of them may be formed from this
selection
{" Come to jesus" " Now's the accepted
time - - Camp-meetng every dav and
evening this week on Nodowav Fla t.
A shiver of inexpressible disgust passcd d
through Mr.. Noodle. . A carnp-meeting :
To him the idea had all his lifelong been
synonymous with superstition, credulity, and
spasms. He hurried to the tie post of the
tavern, where he had left his horse and got
quickly into the saddle, to be beyond the
reach Of fanatics. repellant to every intellect
ual fibre of his religious nature. As he rode
out Of the inn-yard, one Of the newcomers
stretched out Il card to him
- No, sir = replied Mr. Moddle'' | to-
tally dsapprove of the whole thing
If God agrees with YOU, we shall fail, =
said the man, grayely.
Mr.. Noodle bowed, in stern conclusion Of
the interview, and rode past. He had not
gone many rods before his recollection of the
mans sober hut kindly face made him ask
himself if his manner had not been too Sc
we're. Indeed, all the singular-looking peo-
pie were as singular in this, the quiet cheer
funcss and goodwill of their countenanccs
and manners, as they were in the neat but
somewhat auatere simplicity of their dress.
Whatever feeling Of regret he had was
taken away as he stopped his horse upon the
bluff and looked down into the settlement of
Muddy. Though, to get back to Binks' he
must eventually return TO the first bottom.
he always took the best and longest road on
the top of the divide. From the bluff, Mr.
Noodle could get full view of the whole
brawlng, struggling, quaggy, uninteresting
and wicked street which 1anked the post-office
Of Muddy Greek Following this along the
base-line of the bluff. his eve came t. the
Nodoway flats where the recurring creek IN
tersected 1t. Already those newly pitched
tents were swarmng with eager men, women.
and children. Every idler in the town seemed
drawn to that one magnetic focus Already
on an open-air platform. somebody was ad-
dressing company of upturned, inquisitivc
faces. and, as Mr.. Noodle looked. he could
constantly see fresh stragglers dropping in.
lie took out his watch it could not Vet be
an hour since those singular looking wagon
loads drove in. And he had been irving all
these years to save-then only presumably
here and there a soul. Those ranters
Those charlatans In one little hour they
could gather greater audience than he had,
counting the entire twelvemonth.
= 1t is enough to make one despair of
the people = said Mr.. Noodle, bitterly.
turning his mare towards home. = can do
nothing with them. wish had stayed at
st. Simon no no | wish, what were
better vet that had died God NAV save
these people, but ne has part in the work
tor me.
While the camp-meeting was in progress.
the clcrgyman's little child. Daisy, was
brought to the point Of death by sickness.
and Mr.. Noodle was brought in his aft flction
to see that he had been working according to
his own method. not as God would have him.
in his ministry, and that he ought to welcome
as brother every laborer in the Lords vine
yard. One Of the ministers in attendance
upon the camp-meeting had visited Daisy in
her sickness The story continues
The next day in camp-meeting brother
Linn publicly thanked God for the recovery
of Daisy, and there was not a dry eye in the
tent when the people heard for the first time
at once of the sickness and recovery of fine
old Bink's grandchild. From that hour the
tender LAYER Of the Muddy Greek nature
seemed u have been reached The raging
drunkards, the quarrelsome bullies, the card
sharpers, and the irreclamable loafcrs, all
began docking into the cents, seemingly for
no other reason than that simple little
story had been told of popular favorite' :
granddaughter who had been given
back from death in answer to agonzing
PRAYER. | know people who think this n
most ridiculous reason for making such a
stir but have to deal with facts they
universally are among mankind in this
particular instance among the Missourians of
Muddy Creek. They were powerfully moved
by the incident, that great. shaggy fell
lows, whose appearance at the window Of Il
+ drawing-room would have thrown all the wo-
men into Mysteries, were to be seen sobbine
like children. They evidently believed it
was an answer TO prayer, for they fell to
praying Immediately. The result, while the
camp-meetinS stayed in Muddy Greek, was a
settlement freer from its worst vices thar
Binks himself had ever seen.
And after the camp-meeting went, what
Not the millennium. 1t is no one-dose
remedy which will ever cure the world
Muddy Greek settlement, sharing with the
world in this respect, did not become So gooC
that there was not much left for Mr.. Noodle
Nothing was absolutely perfect there wa
no day when trenching not as large
part of the Christian soldiers work psalm
singing the best people in the parish were
not SO good but they could conccivably b.
better : but Mr.. Noodle had become a changed
man, who could tolerate the world it is
and do his share in it.
Not that the change in the place was i'm
preceptible. There was a shutting up of al
the worst dens, the restoration of peace il
families to which it had been n stranger 70
wears. the addition to Mr.. Noodles churcl
of many whom the camp-folks had reclaimed
For as old Binks said.
There are lots Of people who could tax
real comfort with their heads, if they onl
got their hearts saved first Perhaps, also
the preaching of the rector is to tn
hearts of men than il used to be; for man
more people than he ever found before, nov
feel a sincere affection for him. Old Blink
has now two desires of his heart-an abb
: man for Muddy Creek and house to prais
God in. The latter is an unpretending fran
structure, with a small organ. cross on tn
spire and no mortgage anywhere.
Daisy and Susie shall paint little pictur
/ m close This view of Mr. Noddle,s oyperi