The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-05-21
THE CIRCUIT-RIDER.
He Meets the Champions of Satan on tn cir
Own Ground and DemOlishes Them.

THE CIRCUIF-RIDER.
He Meets the Champions of Satan on tn eir
Own Ground and Demolishes Them.
Eggleston tells the story of circuit
rider in the early days of the West, who
was evidently man suited for the time
and the occasion -
Magruder. the circuit-rider, had been
so pleased with his success in organi-
zing q class in the Hissawachee settle
ment that he resolved to favor them
with a Sunday sermon on his next
round. He was accustomed to preach
twice every week day and three times
on every Sunday, after the laborious
manner of the circuit-rider of his time
And since he expected to leave Hissa-
wachee as soon as meeting should be
over, for his next appointment, he de-
termined to reach the settlement before
breakfast, that he might have time to
confirm the brethren and set things in
order.
When the Sunday set apart for the
second sermon drew near, Morton, with
the enthusiastic approval of Captain
Lumsden, made ready his tin horns to
interrupt the preacher with serenade.
But Lumsden had Other. plans of which
Morton had no knowledge.
John Wesley's rule was, that
preacher should rise at four o'clock and
spend the hour until five in reading,
meditation. and prayer. Five o'clock
found Magruder in the saddle on his
way to Hissawachee, rejecting upon the
sermon he intended to preach. When
he had ridden more than an hour, keep.
ing himself company by a lusty singing
of hymns, he came suddenly out upon
the brow of hill overlooking the His
sawachee Valley. The gray dawn was
streaking the Clouds the preacher
checked his horse and looked forth on
the valley just disclosing its salient
features in the twilight, as a General
looks over battlefield before the en-.
gagement begins. Then he dismount-
ed, and, kneeling upon the leaves,
prayed with apostolic fervor for victory
over "the hosts of sin and the devil"
When at last he got into the saddle
again the winter sun was sending its
first horizontal beams into his eyes, and
all the eastern sky was ablaze. Ma
gruder had the habit of turning the
whole universe to spiritual account,
and now, as he descended the hill, he
made the woods ring with John Wes-
ley's hymn, which might have been
composed in the presence of such
scene.
sun of righteousness, arise
With healing in thy wing
To my diseased, my fainting soul,
Life and salvation bring.
These clouds of pride and sin dispel,
BY thy all-piercing beam
Tighten my eyes with faith my heart
With holy hopes infame.
By the time he had finished the sec.
ond stanza, the bride path that he
was following brought him into dense
forest of beech and maple, and he saw
walking toward him two stout men,
none other than our old acquaintances,
Bill McConkey aud Jake Singer.
Looky yer" said Bill, catching the
preachers horse by the bride "you
git down J.
"What fer % said Magruder.
We're going to lick you tell you
promise to go back and never stick your
head INTO the Hissawachee Bottom |
agin."
But 1 won't promise"
Then Well put fnishment to ye."
You are two to one. Will you give
me time to draw my coat ?"
oval, yes, I low we will"
The preacher dismounted with quiet |
deliberation, tied his bride to beech |
limb, offering mental prayer to the
God OF Samson, and then laid his coat
across the saddle.
+" My friends" he said, SET don't
want to whip you. L advise you now to
let me alone. AS an American citizen,
!! have right to go where please. My
father was revolutionary soldier, and
mean to fight for my rights"
7" Shet up your jaw !" said Jake,
swearing, and approaching the preach
from one side, while Bill came ND on
the other. Magruder was one Of those
short, stocky men who have no end of
force and endurance. In his
unregenerate days he had been celebra-
ted Tor his victories in several rude en-
counters. Never seeking a fight even
then, he had, nevertheless, when any
ambitious champion came from afar for
the purpose of testing his strength,
felt himself bound to "give him what
he came after" He had now greatly
the advantage of the two bullies in his
knowledge of the art of boxing.
Before Jake had finished his pre-
liminary swearing the preacher had
him by delivering a blow that
knocked him down. But Bill had taken
advantage to strike Magruder heavily {
on the cheek. Jake, having felt the {
awful weight of Magruder's fist, was a
little slow in coming to time, and the.
preacher had a chance to give Bill l
most polemical blow on his nose then t
turning suddenly, he rushed like mad c
pull upon Singer, and dealt him one t
blow that fractured two {
II his ribs and felled him to the earth. c
But Bill struck Magruder behind, l
inocked him over, and threw himself t
ipon him after the fashion of the West /
,rn free fight. Nothing saved Magru- a
Ter but his immense strength. He rose G
light up with Bill upon him, and then, S
" deit use of his legs, tripped his l.
antagonist and hurled him to the {
He did not dare take ad- f
'entage OF his fall, however, for Jake Y
lad regained his feet and was coming b
Up on him cautiously. But when f