Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-03-13
4 SENATOR sNUDBED.


what He Said to the PreacheE
One of our Senator'S tells about his hav-
ing been asnubbsda in his young days,
'sonce upon time" t
Said he: aBfy father was hard-working,
energetic, economical man, and be made me
do all sorts Of jobs when was young lad.
While was growing up there was q nice
young man, agraduate of al Eastern col
lege, came into our section, in the eastern
part of Tennessee, to preach for US as q
temporary supply. Although didn't wear
very expensive garments, l could have
bought this young chap out and then had
some money left 10 bank on, for all the
property he had in the world consisted OF
an old sorrel horse, pair of rusty saddle
backs, bible and o hymn book.
The young preacher and got to be very
good friends, as my fathers house was
sort of headquarters for all the Methodist in
that country. used to feed the preachers
horse, brush up his old saddle bags and do
all kinds of errands for him.
In the course of time the preacher left
our section, drifted into Middle Tennessee,
and then to st. Louis. While all this was
going on didn't stand still, but kept on
growing, until finally got married to old
Major IS daughter, which thought was
a mighty exemplary arrangement. as she
was one of the finest girls In that whole
country. About this time they run mighty
short Of timber to make Legislators out of,
up there, and very much to
my surprise they elected me
to the General Assembly. 1 told my wife
1 thought it was rather big thing for a
young man to get married and be elected
4 ~ r k1,-f II 4 II NulA
stand it. So invested in pair of doe
skin pants and some other good clothes
and come to Nashville, and the first thing
did after got here, was to buy copy Of
sThe legislators Guide,' "a bumbug of
book and / set to work studying up
| didn't know the first thing about my du
| ties, but didn't propose to make that fact
public. / knew i'll talked much, the PEG.
pie would soon discover how little knew,
so / just sat still and said nothing, but
locked wonderfully wise, and 30 created an
impression that was very deep mau.
One day it was announced that Bishop
Soule was at the Capitol, and he was in
vited inside the bar of the House. Then a
mast-fed member made himself very Off
cious showing the Bishop around, and in
Producing him to the other members. 1
took that good man by the hand and felt
humble, for / felt that stood in the pre-
sence of a christian gentleman. l was in
troduced to the Bishop as a son of a
Methodist preacher and Ifelt proud of that.
Just behind the Bishop stood my old &C
quaintance-the shabby young preacher Of
the old days. was mighty glad to see
him and reached out my hand in very
hearty way. He drew himself up in dig
niaed sort of way and looked down at
me from height of six feet and several
inches, and says he 1-ah--excuse me,
but-ah-I don't believe l know you.'
That made the devil in me rise at once,
for l knew he knew me, so l said sThe
HI you don't. Why man, you and used
to be cronies in the days when you were
travelling Methodist preacher, Pve curried
your old sorrel horse for you, brushed up
your musty saddle bags, and Pve chased
down more'n a thousand yellowlegged
chickens for you when you stayed at my
fathers house, and now don't know me?
ought to have been ashamed of myself
for rippin' out so before the Bishop, and l
was afterwards, but the fact is, l was mad
just them"