The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1874-04-16
Che Circuit Rider:
A TALE OF THE HEROIC AGE.
By EDWARD EGGLE>ToN,
Author Of" Tie Xoosier School Nus
ter" End Of tic World" etc.
From the Christian rnion.l
CHAPTER Xxx.

CHAPTER NN.
THE CONFERENCE AT HICKORY RIDGE
More than two years have passed
since Morton made his great sacrifice.
You NAV see him now riding up to
the Hickory Ridge Church-a thew
ed-log" country Westinghouse. lie
is dressed in homespun clothes. At
the risk Of compromising him for.
ever. must con'e ess that his coat IS
stra' oh, breasted - had-beliicd as
the proianc call it and his best hat
white one with broad brim. The
face is st,ll fresh. despite the con
ficts and hardships Of one years
travel III the mountains Of Eastern
Kentucky, and the sickness and cx-
posure of another year in the ma
larious cane-brakes OF Western Ten
nessee. Perils of Indians. pe,ils of
fl ,ods, pariIs Of alligators, perls of
bad food, perils OF cold beds, rcrils
of robbc,s, perls OF rowdics. rerils
of fevers. and the we ,riness of FIVE
housand miles of horseback riding
in year, with FIVE or six hundred
preachings in the same time. and the
care Of numberl.ss scattered churches
in the wilderness, have conspired to
give sedateness 10 his countenance.
And ye' there is youthfulness about
the sun Drowned cheeks, and Il linger-
ing expression Of that sor, of humor
VIII ch Western people cs.ll smschief
about the eyes, th,t match but gro
tesauely with white hat and shal-
bt HE'D coat.
He has been Il preacher almost
ever since he became a Methodist.
How did he get his theological tdn-
cation? ii used 10 be sad that
Methodist preachers Were educated
by the old ones telling the young
ones all they knew: bu, besides this
oral instruction, Morton carried in
his saddle bags John Wesley,s sim
pie, solid sermons, Charles Weslevs 5
HYMNS. and Bible. Having little
Of the theory and system Of theology.
he was free to take lessons III the
larger school Of life and practical
observation. For the rest, the free
criticism to whicl. he was subject
from other pre-. hers, and the com
tact with few rmiles OF refinement,
had oblltcratcd h, dialect. Natur-
ally gentleman ST heart, he had.
from the few stately gentlemen that
he met, quickly learned to be gen
t,emau in manners. He is regarded
AS a young man of great promise by
the older brethren: his clear voice
is very charming. his strong and
manly speech and his tender feeling
are very inspiring, and on his two
circuits he has reported extraordi-
nary revivals. Some ol the old mel
sagely predic; thar she's got bishop
timber III hin." but no such ambitious
dreams d uro his sleep. He has
not "gone into Il decline On account
Of Patty. \ healthy nature will bcal
heavy blows. But lhere Is II pam
somewhcrc-c everywhere in his be-
ing, when hr thinks of TN" girl who
sto d jus, above him in the 5 cling
class. and who looked so divine when
she was spinning her two dozen cuts
day. lie does II like this regret
ful feeling. He prays to be forgiven
for it. He acknowledges in class
meeting and in love-ft ast that he Is
too much like I.ot's wife--he finds
his hear, prem. to look back toward
the obie, t he once lpvci. Often in
riding through 'hc stiffness OF a deep
forest-and the prmeval forest is to
him the peculiar alb dc oi the Al
m gh,v his noble voice rugs out
ferven,ly and even pa hcticallv with
that stanza:
"The dearest idol have known,
What er that idol be,
Help me to tear II from thy thron"
And Worship only Thee"
No man can enjoy joke with
more yes, than he, AID none can tell
story more effectively in genera
ton OF preachers who are all good
story-telie,s. He loves his work
its dangers and d. ffi ultics satisfy the
ambit on of his boyhoood; and he
has had no misgivings, except when
once or twice he has revisited his
parents in the Hissawachce Bottom.
Then he longing to see Patty has
seized him and lie has been fan to
hurry away. praying to be delivered
from every snare of the enemy.
He is n t the onl Y man in a
straight -breas,ed coat who is APP
p. oaching the country Westinghouse.
1t IS conference-tl time. and the greet
lngs are hearty and familiar. Every
body is glad to see ever, body, and,
after year Of separation. nobody eau
afford to stand on ceremony with
anybody else. Morton has hardly
alig ghted before half dozen preachers
have rushed up to him and taken him
10y the hand. A tall brother, with a
grotesque twitch in his face, cries
| out:
"How do you do, Brother Good
win? Glad to see the alligat9rs
haven't finished you.'
To which Morton returns a laugh
ing reply; but suddenly he sees.
standing back of the rest and waiting
his ,urn, young man with solemn
sallow lace, pinchcd by sickness and
exposure, and bordered by the
straight black hair that fails on each
$ de of it. He wears over his clothes
a blanket with arm-holes cut through,
and seems to be perpetually await,
ing an ague-chill. Seeing HIM, Nor,
ton pushes the rest aside, ard catches
the wan hand in both of his own with
a cry: "kike, God bless you. How
are you, dear old fellow? You look
sick"
kike smiled family, and Morton
threw his arm over his shoulder and
looked in his face. 81 am sick
Mort. Cast down, but not destroyed
you know. ! hope ! am ready to be