The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1874-03-26
ztIE9sN q gzgTIPToN. IOWA. MARCH &C. 1874.


, do hate to see a feller-being hung,
that's sartain shore"
Il "a horse thief says that he knows
me ?? said the parson, not yet fairly
!, awake to the situation. Indeed,
/ I'm in great hurry. What does he
want? Wants me to pray with him,
/ suppose. Wen, it is never too
late. Gods election is Of grace, and
often he seems to select the greatest
sinners that he may thereby magnify
his grace and get to himself . great
name. I'll 60 and see him.
| And with that Donaldson rode
back to the tavern, endeavoring. to
| turn his thoughts out Of the polemi-
cal groove in which they had been
running all day that he might think
! Of some fitting words to say to
malefactor. But when he stood be-
fore the young man he started with
surprise.
"What. Morton Goodwin! Have
you taken to stealing horses?
shesald have thcaxAe that the uuhap-
| py career Of your brother, 30 soon
cut short in Gods righteousness,
would have been a warning TO you.
My dear young man, how could you
bring such disgrace and shame on
the gray hairs-"
Before Mr.. Donaldson had gotten
to this point murmur Of excitement
went through the crowd. They be-
lieyed that the prisoners own wit
ness had turned against him and that
they had second quasi sanction
from the clergy for the deed Of vio-
lence they were meditating. Per.
ceiving this, Morton interrupted the
minister with some impatience, cry
ing out:
"But, Mr.. Donaldson, hold on; you
have Judged me too quick. These
folks are going to hang me without
any evidence at all, except that |
was riding a good horse. Now, |
want yos to tell them whose flley
yon is"
Mr.. Donaldson looked at the mare
and declared to the crowd that he
had seen this young man riding that
colt for more than year past, and
that if they were proceeding against
him on charge Of stealing that mare
they We're acting most unwarranta-
bly,.
"Why couldn't he tell feller
whose mar he had and whar he was
a goiny" said the man from the other
side of the river.
II don't know. How did you
come here, Norton"
"Well, I'll tell you straight story.
was gambling on Sunday night
| ''Breaking two commandments at
once" broke in the minister.
"Ics, sir, l know it, and ] lost
every thing l had-horse and gun
and ALL seemed clean crazy. L
lost hundred dollars morc'n l had,
and give the man l was playing
with bill of sale for my horse and
gun. Then he agreed to let me go
where ! pleased and keep 'em for six
months aud | Was ashamed to 90
home; SO rode of, like fool, hop
ing to 6nd some place ~hors I could
make the money to redeem my colt
with. That's how l didn't give
straight answers about whose horse
it was, and where l was going"
i swell, neighbors, it seems clear
to me that you'll have to let the
young man go. You ought to be
thankful that God in his good provi.
dence has saved you from the guilt
Of those that shed innocent blood.
He is very respectable young man,
indeed, and often attends church
with his mother. l am sorry he has
got into bad habits"
"I'm right glad to git shed Of
ugly job" said one Of the party; and
as the rest offered no objection, he
cut the cords that bound Morton's
arms and let him go. The landlord
had stabbed Dolly and fed her, hop
ing that some accident would leave
her in his hands; the man from the
other side of the creek had taken
possession of the rife rs s.his sheer,
considerin' the trouble he'd tuck"
The horse aud gun were now reluc-
tantIy given up, and the party made
haste to disperse, each one having
suddenly remembered some duty
that demanded immediate attention.
In little while Morton sat on his
horse listening to some very earnest
words from the minister on the sin
fulness Of gambling and Sabbath
breaking. But Mr.. Donaldson, hav-
ing heard of the Methodistic excite
mcnt in the Hissawachec settlement,
slipped easily TO that, and urged
Morton not to have anything what
ever to do with this mushroom re-
ligion. thai grew mp in a night and
} withcred in day. In fact the old
man delivered to Morton most Of the
speech be bad prepared for the Pres
bytery ON the evil of religious ex-
cltemcnts. Then he shook hands
with him, exacted a promise that he
would go directly home, and, with
few seasonable words on Gods mer-
cy in rescuing him from miserable
death. he parted from the young
man. Somehow, after that he did
, not get on quite 50 wen with his
speech. After all, was it not better,
perhaps, that this young man should
, be drawn into the whirlpool of a
Methodist excitement than that he
should become a gambler? After
thinking ovcrit while, however,
the logical intellect Of the preacher
luckily enabled him to escape this
dangerous quicksand, in reaching the
: sound conclusion that religious ex-
: citement could only result in spiritual
pride and Pelagia9 doctrine, and that
: the man involved IN these would be
lost as certainly as q gambler or q
I thief.
Now, lest some refined Methodist
of the present day should be htle
too severe on our good friend Mr..
Donaldson, | must express my SYM
2 pathy for the worthy old gentleman
as he goes riding along toward the
0 scene Of conflict. Dear, genteel, and
!, cultivated Methodist reader, you who
Q rejoice in tho patristic glory Of Meth.