The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-06-17

break down in private. Finally matters
were brought 10 crisis by Mose"-no
one knew his other name. Nose uncover
ed sandy head, face and beard, and re-
marked:
81 don't want TO put on airs in this
here crowd, but eff nobody else ken say a
word to the Lord about Billy Bent, am a
gOin' 10 do it myself It's biZness I've
never bin In, but theirs nothin' like tryin'
This meetin' ii cum TO order to wunst."
Hats off in church, gentlemen - COM
manded PentecOst.
OFF came every hat. and some Of the
boys knelt down. as Nose knelt beside
the bench, and said:
80 Lord, here's Billy Bent needs tend
in TO! He's panned out his last dust,
and he seems TO hev a purity clear idee
thet this is his last chance. He wants you
to give him lift, Lord, an it's the Opin-
ion of this house thet he needs il. "Tain't
none of our business what he's done, an
if il wuZ. you d know more about it than
we cud tell yer, but it's mighty sartin that
a cuss that's been in the diggin's fur years
needs sight of mendin' up before he
kicks the bucket"
"Ihat's so.'' responded two or three
Others emphatically. -.
"Billy's down, Lord, and no decent
man b'leeves that the Lord 'ud hit man
when be s down, so there's one of two
things got TO be done-eitherh he's got to be
let alone, ur he's gotto be helped. Lettin'
him alone won't do him ur any body else
enny good. so helpin' the holt, an as emmy
one NV us tough fellers would help him if
we knew how to, its only fair to s'pose
that the Lord'll do it mighty sight quick
er. Now, what Billy needs is to see the
thing in that light, an you ken make him
do it a good deal better than we ken. It's
mighty little for the Lord to do, but it's
mt at an drink an clothes TO Billy Just
now. When we wuZ boys sum Nv us read
some promises NV yOur'n in thet book
thet was writ good spell ago by chaps in
the old country, an though Sunday-school
teachers and preachers mixed the matter
up in our minds, an got us all tang e.
footed, we know they're thar, an you'll
know what we mean. Now, Lord, Billy
is just the bOy-he's hard case, so you
can't find any better stuff to work on
he's in a bad fix, thet we can't do nothing
fur, so it's just yer chance. He amt ex-
actly the chap TO make No. angel NV,
but he amt the man to forget friend, so
he'll be handy feller to hev aroun'."
Feel any better. Billy?" said Nose.
stopping the prayer for moment.
"A little" said Billy, feebly, "but you
want to tell the whole yarn. I'm sorry
for all the wrong I've done.'
Hes sorry for all his deviltry, Lord
"An' amt got nOthin' agin the Judge"
continued the sufferer.
An he don't bear no malice agin the
Judge, which he shouldn't, seein' he gen.
orally gin as good as he took. An the
long am short Of it, Lord, is jest this-he's
dyin' and wants his chance to die with
his mind easy, an nobody else can make
it so, so we leave the whole job in your
hands, only putin in, fur Billy's COM
fort. thet we recolect, hearing how yer
forgive a dyin' thief, an thet 1t always
amt likely ye- a-goin' to be harder on
chap thet's always paid for all he got.
Thet's the whole story, Amen"
Billy's hand rapily growing cold, reach
ed for that Of Nose and he said, with con-
siderable effort; "Mose, yer came in ez
handy eZ a nugget in a gOne-up claim.
God bless yer, Nose. feel better inside.
Ell get through the clouds, an hev liv-
in chance to say a word TO them as is the
chiefs thar, that word will be fur you,
Nose; an ef my blessin's no account, it
can't cuss yer, ennyhow. This claims
washed out, fellers, an here goes the last
shovelful, to see ef there's emmy gold in it
or not"
And Billy departed this life, and the
boys drank 10 the repose OF his soul.