Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-09-27
MORAL POWER OF MUSCLE.
BY JUDGE CL

| the terminus of civilization and the Wham-
melover railroad. And "a hard road to
travel' that was. 1t had sleeper grades,
sharper curves, and more of them than it
is to be hoped, ever put in peril the public
life and limb before or since.
1t was Saturday afternoon, and we were
to reach Jericho at some indefinite hour
| that evening, ''time not being of the es-
sence of the contract
| At place called Blueruin we stopped
| fifteen minutes to ''liquor." There had
been a cock-fght, and several other fights,
and big crowd there that day, and every
body was in high glee.
! The New Jericho delegation returned by
| our train, and rougher looking samples of
rustic rowdydom it would have been diff
cult to find, even in that favored region
Among them was s;x-footer, a very Her.
cules i'll proportions, with a cock-O-the
walk sort of swagger about him, who took
possession of two seats, depositinG his body
OH one and dead-heading his legs on the
other. One cheek was pulled out by an
underlying quid, while ever and anon,
with back-action jerk, he would send
near a gill of tobacco juice over his shoul-
der, which those within range had the
privilege of lodging or taking the ~onse-
quences of, as they liked. AS for his con-
versation, the curse of Ernulphus, or the
table-talk of Flanders mess-room in
Uncle Tobys time, in point of maiedictory
power, was weak in comparison.
AT the next station young lady came
on board, beautiful as Venus and modest
as Diana. How SO rare a flower came to
bloom in such wild was a question to
puzzle over. But there was no time to
settle it. The lady was standing, and all
the seats were occupied. | was on the
point of Offering mine, when a youthful
Cf
ners and appearance, stepped forward and
addressed the couchant Hercules
"AllOw me-" he said politely, 'to turn
over the back of this seat
Hey ," the other 9rtlntcd.
The requested was repeated.
g See you dod darned first :" Was the
grulf response.
g But sir" the gentleman began to cx-
postuiate.
LOokee mere, you," clustered the bull
~, "dOn't You offer for to go to rile me -
That's my advice, on gives it free gratis,
cause feel a intrust in You.''
d" But this lady is entitled to a seat" the
stranger persisted.
Give her your own then, dOd drot you
an stop your chin music. or, by II0ky, yo;l
will rile me ~
AS last resort, the gentleman appealed
to the conductor, who CHANGED TO be IsaS-
sing. But the latter declined TO interfere.
Such things must be left TO courtesy. be-
sides, it wasn't his place to take part ia the
disputes of passengers.
SO saying, he went his way, pl;ncii;
tickets, and taking no futher heed.
g DOd blast you, yOu lIeV Ilt;i me -
shouted the bully, spIlngiHg 10 his feet and
stridin9 up to the yOung man, who didn't
seem quite sensible of his danger ''yOll've
gone and stuck your nose into other pco-
pies business, an I'm gon to pun it ~
An attempt was made to suit the action
to the word but bef re the metaphoricaI-
! ly offending member had been SO much us
touched, sOmething-it moved SO swiftly |
couldn't be positive it was the gen!leman'5
fist-tO0k Hercules directly between the
eyes, and sent him sprawliug to the other
end of the car. lie didn't get up immedi-
ately, and when he did he seemed little
bewildered as to whether lie had been
knocked down or the train had run off the
track. lie had had enough ut all events,
| wherever it came from, as was evident
from the subdued air with which he took
his departure for the smOking-car, whittier
his companions soon followed, no doubt Sc
| cretly chuckling at the result, as usually do
the chums of whipped bully.
Pap kilderkn, the proprietor Of the New
Jericho Rest, was the most communicative
thoroughly and accurately cup" i'll all the
gossip Of the place, and had lis scandalous
statistics at my fingers ends.
Among other things, l leaned that
''stated preaching" had hitherto been
among the wants Of the community, but
that supply had been at length Ob-
tanned, and the new minister was expected
to enter ON his duties on the morrow.
"And refresh;n season he'll hev of it,"
said Pap.
"Why So" I asked.
"Oh, Bill Grinkey an t'Other chaps
goin' to brake him in tomorrer; an eff you
want to see fun, I'd edwise you To go
thar
And 1 did go-not "to see fun" as Pap
Kilderkin suggested, but, trust, from bet
ter motives. Pap went, too-by what
prompted, prefer not judging.
When we reached the church, the min-
lster had not yet made his appearance,
though goodlY number of hearers had
already assembled. A few minutes later,
yesterdays delegation to the Biue-l yin
cOck-fight, headed by the varquished bully,
with both his eyes in full mourning, sauu-
tered i'll, and walked noisily down the
aisle.
"That's Bill Grinkey," whispered Par,
ssan' them'5 t'other chaps.''
| sEMake way for the nlOurners - s4ng out
Bill, crowding with mis- companions into a
| front seat, where a boisterous conversation
was struck up, mingled with an incessant
| cracking Of peanuts.
81 kin tell you that progranny," Pap
continued; ga pack O shOotin'-cTackers Ill
be tecned off doorin' the ftlst hyme an a
pair O. game chickens as couple O. them
chaps got in thar pockets III be sot fighting
as soon as the tex's gin out, arter which
Gan'ral Ned Ill be i'm Order''
A sudden silence fell upon the con9re-
CATION Not a mulmur was heard and the
peanuts ceased to crack. Looking up,
saw the new minister in the pulpit; and
guess my surprise at recognizing him as
the young man that had struck out SO
deftly from his shoulder the day before.
With clear, manly voice, he gave out a
hymn, which was sung Though without
Interruption A prayer was offered HT
amid profound and decorOus silence. AL
other hymn followed, and then a sermon
earnest, plain, practical, and without q
word Of cant III it. From the beginning tC
the end Of the exercises, save a single III
cipient crow, prOmp ly choked off, from OFT
of the invisible chickens, order was OBJ
seIvtd.
81 say, Bill," overheard from one o
st'other chaps" as they made their way
out, s. that parsons Il trump he preache
d downright good lick, an fights fair, with
out bitin' or gOu9in'.'
1t was easy to see the new minister
status was settled. have since heard tina
Bill Grinkey has become all eXemplar.
[ meml er uf the church, and the parson tn
happy husband of the young lafiJ, d
, whose champion be first achieved popular
ity.