Connecticut western news., 1874-05-22
THE CIRCUIT.RIDER.

Two rosy lips gave the answer so true "Good to love you, mamma good to love you!
 
 THE CIRCUIT.RIDER. He Meets the Champions of Satan on theiv 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 hls success in organi- zing class in the Hissawachee settle ment that he resolved to favor them with 8 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 g preacher should rise at four o'clock and spend the hour until five in reading, meditation, and prayer. Five o'clock found Magruder i'll the saddle on his way to Hissawachee, refecting upon the sermon he intended to preach. When he had ridden more than an hour, keep. ing himself company by lusty singing of hymns, he came suddenly out upon the brow of hill overlooking the His sawaohee Valley. The gray dawn was streaking the clouds; the preacher checked his horse and looked forth on the valley just disclosing it's salient features in the twilight, as 8 General looks over Q battlefield before the en- gagement begins. Then he dismount- ed, and, kneeling upon the leaves, prayed with apostolic tervor for victory over |" the hosts of sin and the devil. <" When at last he got into the saddle again the winter sun was sending it's first horizontal beams into his eyes, and all the eastern sky was ablaze. Ma gruder had the habit of turning tEe 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 a scene.
 O 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 inf1ame.
 By the time he had finished the sec- ond stanza, the bridle 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 McC Donkey and Jake Singer.
 "Looky yer," said Bill, catching the preachers horse by the bridle; "you git down
 "What for ?" said Magruder.
 "We're going to lick you tell you promise to go back and never stick youl head into the Hissawachee Bottom agin."
 "But won't promise" "Then we'll put fnishment to ye. v "You are two to one. Will you give me time to draw my coat ?"
 "Wal, yes, Tow we will. The preacher dismounted with quiet deliberation, tied his bridle to beech limb, offering 8 mental prayer to the God of Samson, and then laid his coat across the saddle.
 "My friends" he said, "I don't want to whip you. I advise you now tc let me alone. As an American citizen I have 0 right to go where please. My father was 8 revolutionary soldier, anC I mean to fight for my rights. l "Shet up your jaw r said Jake swearing, and approaching the preach from one side, while Bill came up o1 the other. Magruder was one of those short, stocky men who have no end O. muscular force and endurance. In hi unregenerate days he had been celebra ted for his victories in several rude en counters. Never seeking fight ever then, he had, nevertheless, when an. ambitious champion came from afar fo the purpose of testing his strength felt himself bound to "give him wha he came after" He had now greatl. the advantage of the two bullies in hi knowledge of the art of boxing.
 Before Jake had finished his pre- liminary swearing the preacher hat surprised him by delivering blow tha knocked him down. But Bill had takel advantage to strike Magruder heavily on the cheek. Jake, having felt th' awful weight of Magruder's fist, was { little slow in coming to time, and tho preacher had chance to give Bill most polemical blow on his nose the1 turning suddenly, he rushed like mao bull upon Sniger, and dealt him on' tremendous blow that fractured two of his ribs and felled him to the earth But Bill struck Magruder behind knocked him over, and threw himsel upon him after the fashion of the West ern free fight. Nothing saved Magru der but his immense strength. He ros' right up with Bill upon him, and then by delft use of his legs, tripped hi antagonist and hurled him to thu ground. He did not dare take ad ventage of his fall, however, for Jak' had regained his feet and was coming up on him cautiously. But whel Singer saw Magruder rushing at hin again, he made 8 speedy retreat into the bushes. leaving Magruder to figh it out with Bill, who, despite his sorry looking nose, was again ready. But h. now fought shy" and kept retreatins slowly backward and calling out ':Com up on him behind, Jake Come up be hind !" But the demoralized Jake hat somenow got a superstitious notio1 that the preacher bristled with fists be fore and behind, having as many arm as Hindoo deity. Bill kept backin ! until he tripped and fell over bit Q