The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1869-07-16
An Effective Lesson.


The following narrative Of practical
joke is told by Grace Greenwood, OF GER
tain Doctor Elliott, noted character OF
noted old Connecticut town
Late one dark night, being summoned
TO patient in a ncighboring parish, DR..
Elliott went Tor his horse TO bis barn,
which was at some distance from the par.
sonage just as he was about TO enter he
heard some Que coming out, and imnedia-
tely concealed himself behind a large bush
in the land, hiding his lantern under his
cloak. Presently the wide barn door
swung open, and a man appeared, ben ling
beneath an immense load of hay hound
together by rope Through loops of this
rope he had thrust his arms and he carried
tie huge mass like peddar's pack
The Doctor suffered this thieving Atlas
to pass him then, takiug the candle from
his lantern, he crept softly forward and set
| fire to the hay, then again concealed him
self. Ir moment that moving hay cock
was one great, cracking blaze, and the
thief, with wild cries, was frantieally
fnging it from his head and back He
succeeded in extricating himself without
help, aud then ran rs though pursued by
! inrrus rr,,.as .ha SNOWY fields.
Some months after this there came to
the Doctors study pale, thin, melancholy
looking mau who after much painful
hesitation, expressed desire to make a
confession of sin. With q serious aud
sympathetic man, yet with, | suspect, a
slight twinkle in his eye, the minister set
himself to listen.
" I've had dreadful load on my con-
science, Doctor, for a considerable spell !;
and it does seem as ef 'twould kill me,
I'm ecny most dead Low"
" All is it possible ? What can you
have done. You are a respectable man,
a church member" replied the Doctor, in
seeming surprise.
" Yis, jued the church thirty years
ago. replied the old farmer then, sink
ing his voice to an awsome confidential
tone, he continued " But I'm dread
ful sinner, for all that, Doctor and boin'
a church member, my sin Was of too much
account to be wiuked at, and Judgment
folered close artcr it. o dear, 0
" Pray tell me your trouble, brother"
" Wen Doctor, it consarns ou.'
" Indeed
" Yis. One time, last winter, I got a
little short of fodder, ana | thought tn
myself as how you had morn enough Tor
your c,i;ters ; and so one night the Devil
tempted me tn 90 over to your barn, an' tu
@ dear, Q "
" 70 help yourself to a little Of my sur,
plus hay. ch ? ;"
" Yis, Doctor, jos so But never got
homo with that are hay. The Lord
wouldn't let me du it. had a load on my
back, and was carryjn' it away, when all
20 once it burst into blaze about my
ears
"Struck by lightning
'' No, Doctor, it was clear night,
I've Just made up my mind that the fire
dropped from Heaven and kiudlod that
are hay. Twas Judgment an' warn
in, an I'm aieard sort Of forerunnei Of
the flames of hell. haint had 10 peace
Of mind since, nor felt like eatin' a good
mean of vittals, At last, / thought
might feel lcetle better ef I'd jest own
up 10 you, an ask your pardon an your
prayers"
TO the astoDshment of the poor pen
ent the minister laughed out right mer-
:ily. Then he said ".Be eomforted
oeighbor your little thieving operation
vas hardly Of such. consequence TO Heav-
~ as al that. 1t was ! who caught you
At it, and set fire to the hay from my lan>
fern and must say you yelled Justify
and ran bri.kly for man Of your years.
Why didn't you tell me you wanted hay
Now 90 home in peace, got we'll, and steal
no more"
"You, Doctor You? Be you sartiu
sure you sot fire to that bundle ofhay?"
Yes, quito sure that was my own
little bonfire. | hope it didn't scorch
you much. J. noticed when You came to
meeting next Sunday, that your hair was {
little singed As For the flames of hell
neighbor, that's your lookout. l trust
there is time to escape.them yet"
So, so twas you did it all Th'
Lord be praised exclaimed the farmer
fervently. " 1t rally is an amazin, relief
an my ole woman was right ; for sh,
says 60 to the minister an confess,
says she, an that'll lift the biggest hei
Of the sin off your conscience, an be bet
ter than doctor stuff, says she An s.
you did it Well, folks say you're
master man for = joke but this ere on,
was more solemn than a sermon to me
an more efIectool Doctor, do believe"
So saying, the farmer departed in peace
and the parson kept the secret of his name
even in his own family, always, think.
, AT the hnnsn Of n lnHn n,hn hnh nnrn