Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1867-05-30
LUCY HOODS BIBLE.

LUCY HOODS BIBLE.
YEARS ago, when postal arrange
ments were not as perfect as they
are now, the mail was carried be-
tween Boston and the little town of
Primrose by young fellew named
John Hedwig, who used his eyes
and his ears well, and never-fond
as he was of story-told lies. To
say, "John Hedwig says so," was to
certify to the truth of a statement,
which certainly was to his credit;
and, moreover, he was as honest as
the day, and could have been trusted
with untold gold or unacceunted
diamonds. Morally, you could not
find fault with John. Mentally, he
was very well for an uneducated
man; but he had one great falling
great, particularly in the eyes of lit
tie Lucy Heod, who otherwise es
teemed Johns perfection. He chose
to consider himself superior to all
accepted dogmas and to be what he
termed ''free thinker"
This theological differences at last
led TO quarrel; and John tried to
get Lucy out of his mind, and failed
to do it; and Lucy was very mis-
erable, as well for the state of Johns
soul as for herself; for though she
had offers in plenty, not one-not
even rich Deacon Boulder, who had
goodness knows how many acres of
land, and was certainly orthodox in
his views-could be compared for a
moment in her mind to John, had
John only held proper sentiment
So, though they kept apart for a
whole fortnight, at last one bright
morning, as John rode slowly and
stupidity with his mail bag before
hiln, he saw sitting under a tree at
the roadside little figure in a blue
dress that he couldn't pass for his
life. So he stopped Dobbin sudden
ly, and called:
'Lucy Hood, is that you?"
eyes John," said Lucy, showing
pair of wet eyes. 81 came here on
purpose to see you; I've talked in
my poor weak, womanish words, but
yeu talk so much better than / that,
of course, it's of no use; and all the
while there's One who talks so plain
ly to US, and His words are here;
and I've brought them to you, and
please, dear John, do read them, and
perhaps"
She did not finish the sentence; but
she put pretty little Bible into his
hand.
81 had it bound, and your name
put on it in gilt letters; and oh, for
nay sake read it said Lucy. "You
can read it a little at time, before
you sleep and when you arise, and
even on the way in lonely places, and
it will teach you so much John-so
very much.
John took the book. For mo-
ment he felt very angry, and very
much like sneering; but Lucy was
very dear to him; he kept his anger
under for her sake, thanked her for her
present and placed it carefully in the
bosom of his vest.
GAS if was to be converted like
sinner in tract said John loftily,
after he had ridden on little. "But
women are not to be expected to
have minds like ours" And out of
his pocket book John pulled an in
fdel tract, which friend, an un-
believing German doctor, had loaned
him, and fell to reading. 1t was not
wise thing, as the event proved,
for the horse, left to himself,
stumbled over something on the
road, and lamed himself, not badly,
it seemed, but it forced John to dis
mount and lead him, and to stop, af-
ter while at tavern, and examine
and bathe the limb, and to let the
beast take his own time afterwards;
SO that, instead of trotting briskly
into Boston before sundown, John
Hedwig found himself belated on
lonely road, some hours after the
sun had quite vanished, the horse
growing lamer, and his hopes of
supper more and more distant every
moment.
sHang the tracts said john
What did I bother over it for" and
he gave the paper a toss over a
clump of bushes, and then his mind
reverted to Lucy Hoods Bible. He
felt for it. 1t was safe. He wished
that he was some better, and he
walked along with the bride over
his arm; and his lame horse clump
ing on behind him, in quite melan-
choly mood.
Suddenly something reused him
from it. Straight before him in the
road stood a mounted man, with a
black mask on his face and pistol
in his hand.
HHalt," ssid this individual, fe-
rociously; and John halted, while
his beast ceased to halt. Said the
man,-"I only want your mail bag.
/ happen to know that it is worth
something tonight, and I've follow
ed you from the tavern. There amt
soul within hearing, and you may
as well take it coolly.l I am armed,
you see, you are not. Hand over
the bag.
Never" said John. "The bag