Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1875-03-23
MisGELLkME Gus.
JIM'S MINUTES.
by NJ, uARTwELL.

tSe!ecteo roSs he spirit OF Jefferson
/ Jim started around after he shut the door,
Sums saloon had greatly changed, thought
Jim. Was that the bar-that round thing
with books on the top? But where were the
glasses, aud bottles, and rows of kegs, and the
background Of. billiard tables? And why
were the men ell sitting in sleek, respectable
rows, listening so attentiVely to Stun Was
that Stun, spreading his arms and speaking
in tender voice? Tho fact of the speakers
tenderness convinced Jim that it was not Slnu,
and that he had stumbled into another edifice
than a saloon.
Jim's head whirled, and he seemed to catch
only brief glimpse of the place at each rev.
olutiou. He had shut the door aud groped
along the wall some distance. and felt utterly
incapable of finding that door again without
help. His desire was to withdraw A gen.
tleman, catching sight of him, rose hastily
and beckoned him to a scat. Jim opened his
mouth to make enquiries concerning the
present situation of Slum's saloon, but the
floor proved SO unsteady that he was glad to
sink into the seat and breathe moment.
Jim was unfamiliar with the inside of
churches His strongest impression concern.
ing the same had been received from barn
like place, whittier older hands used to draw
his unwilling Juvenile hand; where he watch
ed tallow drip from candles in tin sockets.
So Jim did not perceive that he was in
church; but voice grew upon his ear till it
filled all his sense of hearing.
"We take upon our weak shoulders" said
the voice, call the burdens which belong to
yesterday and forever, forgetting that we
were made to live minutes, and not ages at
time
'tThere was One upon a mountain, whom,
for season, the devil tempted and tormented.
Yet moment by moment lie stood against the
tempter, although when his trial was over he
lay an exhausted victor upon the mountain"
'Ive heard bout that" muttered Jim,
rolling his head. "Pye been t Sunday school
mister"
lyon are on the mountain of temptation" )"
pursued the voice, land no man can help you.
You cannot resist temptation. You have been
down thousand times /; you feel that you
will fall again.
''ChilGreu, he is on the mountain of temp.
tation with you. Though all men forsake, he
presses closer. He knows how the lions rise
and rage in you, and He only knows how to
hold them. Children, hold to His hand
And while He steadies you, give Him the
minutes of yoar lives, one by one: Don't
try to live more than minute in minutes
time. The yesterdays are gone. No man
has to- nAorrows. just stand against tempta-
tion this minute. He asks you tO-this Man
who loves you !"
The voice, through such few words as it
could seize, pushed It's plea deeper and deeper.
You have seen a sky which was spread
thick aud dark part suddenly, and show you
the moon and stars sitting in state far mp the
blue sky.
Through such gap in the fog of his head
Jim caught sight of Man on mountain
aud though Jim was drunken wretch, lost
TO the world, the slow destroyer of his own
family, and SO besotted at that instant that
the remainder of the service was never clear
to.him, he kept that picture of the Man on
the mountain till it grew vivid in his weak
.ened mind.
'.TII give him this minute" rnuttered Jim
next morning, pulling his feet past Sums
door
"ADd I'll hang on to this minute for him, y
said Jim, tightening to his work in therOll-
iDg-mill. when thirst woke mp and burned
him iuWardly worse than the furnace fires
could burn him outWardly.
''Aud this here minute likewise I'll give