Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-05-02
NO. 1914.
Tales and Sketehes.
THE GUIDING HAND.
CONTINUED FROM YESTERDAY.

Il Will never degrade myself or caiilnS
by doing so," he determined as he smooth
ed out the page before him, preps ratory to
reading the evenings lesson. and in the
prayer that followed, there was the bold
ness and freedom of utterance that utter
fearlessness alone can give.
But later, as he sat alone in his cham
Der, the remembrance of Mrs. Crosses
caution recurred to him with unpleasant
distinctness, and he recalled with some
secret trepdation q casual remark let fall
by his host during the evening:
81 pay third of our minister's salery
out OF my own pocket, and think have
a right to say who he shall be, and what
he shall say"
The following morning was bright and
clear, just the day to tempt everybody
| abroad, and as Mr.. Bryce entered the spa
cious church, with its elaborate rather than
tasteful decorations, its comfortable up
holsterng and modern congeniences for
ventilation and warmth, he felt thrill of
satisfaction at sight of the well filled pews,
whose occupants cast many curious yet
approving look at the tall, we'll knit figure
and intellectual face of the stranger.
The opening prayer had been offered up.
the opening hymn sung. and the young
preacher stood up before the people, with
an earnest appeal for guidance and sup
| port in his heart, and upon his lips the
! text that, written at the head of his
manuscript, he read aloud without any de-
| liberation:
Cursed be he, who putteth the cup to
his neighbor's lips
For an instant the church and its sea Of
astonished, upturned faces. became blank
before bis eyes, and his own voice had q
strange. unfamiliar sound in his ears as
he read the words that were to him even
more of a surprise than to his audience !;
but the next. the sturdy, manful nature
within rose triumphant over the momen-
tary weakness, and regardless of the an
cry eyes that glared upon him from the
pew of the rich distiler, he slowly repeat
ed with solemn distinctness the suggestive
words of the subttuted text:
Cursed be he who putteth the cup to
his neighbor's lips"
1t was all plain to him now in his hur-
ry of departure he had taken the wrong
manuscript. and here in the very face OF
its friends, he must do battle with the de-
mon of intemperance, armed with the fiery
plain spoken appeal that had been prepar
ed for altogether different occasion and
audience.
"Onc of Gods accidents, he tho ought,
with reverent submissiveness, while a sud-
den sense of freedom swept over his soul
| for the first time since he had set foot in
Rockrest, and earnestly, freely, he pro-
Ceeded to set forth with the burning elO-
quence of Il tongue touched with the Di
vine fire. the terrible consequence Of any
dallyng with the fiend who has been the
cause OF more freless hearth-stones, more
broken hearts and blighted lives, more
lost souls, than any other emissary Of Sa-
tan since the world began.
And the people listened.-a first is all
absorbed astonishment, at what seemed
to them the unaccountable audacity Of the
youthful preacher; then growing SYM
pathetically affected by the eloquent ap-
peals, one after another began, almost
unconsciously to take those words of
solemn warning to his own heart, and be-
fore he was himself aware, many life
long friend and companion of the spirit
fend, found his eyelids wet with symya-
thetc tears as the preacher painted, with
bold yet tender touch, the evils attend
ant upon this God accursed traffic, evils
that, presented daily to their eyes in real
! life. had been regarded with the cold in-
difference to cUstom-hardened natures,
now, for the first time, presented their
pathetic side TO these suddenly enlight-
ened minds, and startled them from their
dreams of comfortable self-compacency.
to the terrible, soul-ssarching question Of
an offended God and Judge
Where is thy brother?'
Even Mr.. Biodgett. angry and indig-
nant as he undoubtedly was. could not
wholly escape the contagion of the young
preachers eloquence, nor could he bring
himself to treat him with undiminished
respect during the remainder Of his stay.
although at parting, on the following
morning, he spoke with plainness not to
be misunderstood in regard to his SER
vices in the future: 81 like such preach-
ing as you gave yesterday, if it does hit
on me, but let me tell you, young man,
you'd spoil my trade before you'd been
here six months, and | can't afford that
Why, only last night" with a CLEAN OF
his natural good humor, Il found my
wife cryin' her eyes out because she said
She was afraid we wasn't doing right
maxim and sellin' liquors. So you see
you've got me right into hot water even
in my own house. ready. Butt drop
ping the bantering tone, and speaking
| iulCh anu ucclslNtiy, tue sOclcly Will
call meeting this week to decide on Civ
ing you CALL and | tell you as shall
tell them, that not one dollar can they
count on from me to help support you."
The minister smiled a little proudly
II shall not accept call to Rockrest, !"
he said, "for | will never go where must
either be the cause of dissension in the
church. or consent to put my conscience in
another mans keeping"
"Humph well, here's ten dollars for
your time an trouble. Goodbye, and
good luck to you," and without waiting
reply. the tree-spoken gentleman was out
of the car and into his carriage in far less
time than it takes to tell about it.
As the cars bore him swiftly along OH
the homeward track, Philip wondered at
his own freedom from modification and
disappointment, while he looked back to
the bright dreams in which he had indulged
only Il few days before. as to pleasant
tale of his boyish days, now only remem-
bered with feeling of calm indifference
That he should, even for an instant, have
dreamed of the possibility of living under
the supervision of any man. of bringing
CONCLUDED on FOURTH PAGE.