Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1876-04-15

shake the dust off their feet as a wit
ness against this town while she had q
shelter, an loaf of bread in it"
"Shes one good woman p exclaim-
ell Miss Patty. "But I'm ashamed OF
this Christian town! My father al
ways made it rule TO shelter slran-
ger, if it was only n dog and /, my
self, have taken in Indians and stray
glers a hundred times at the risk OF
having my buildings burned down.
Pretty Christians these folks are
Paul, you may go up to the village to-
morrow morning aud ask the men 10
stay here anu welcome, just as long
as they like, even if they are Mctllu-
dists. They can't hurt us. I'll show
the folks what | think Of themp
Abel threw up both hands and both
eyes in token OF his gratitude-he was
SO curious to see " the men who had
left their work for nothing but just
to save souls"
If there had been party or q wed
ding in prospect, there could not have
been more joyful activity on the part
of "the girls" than there was the next
morning. Sarah, who vas iimid
lover of the beautiful, asked in
doubtful tone, would you mind my
putting some flowers in the glass
dishes, Miss Pattyf
mo, you may put them in The soup
tureen and the choppin9 bowl, if YOU
like. You may make fire in the
best parlor, set the table with grand
mothers chila, and also air the best
chamber, just TO show folks that /
know what hospitality is, if | amt
professor, and that Pm afraid TO
withhold it from any Of Gods crea.
lures, even if they are Methodists !"
Miss Patty believed that she was
only rcbuking the village people for
their hgotry and inhospitaIity, but
the truth was, her poor, tired, over
worked nature was wearing her out,
and she was longing for the resi-
which the humble preacher had offered
the weary and unhappy, while she sat
nnnoticed by the wood-box in the
school ouse.
Before her guests arrived, she had
fixed up nice little speech which she
meant to insert among her favors,
giving her opinion of those who went
about setting up Il new religion among
folks that were satisfied with theil
own religion, etc. But when the two
men walked in, calm and cheerful, and
thanked her in the name OF their Mas
ter who was once homeless on earth,
she forgot her lecture. A benedlcCion
seemed to fall on the house and its
inmates the moment their shadows
fell across its Threshold. Miss Patty
forgot they were clad in homespun,
without even the name Of ministers t.
give dignity to their rough exterior.
She forgot they were interlopers come
to stir up strife in the Church of her
fathers, and thought only Of the de-
sire for peace and rest which their
presence inspired.
The boys and girls, charmed with
guests Of amy kind, were SO deeply inn
pressed by the fatherly tenderness of
the strangers that no service WAS too
great to offer them. Abel, now that
all fear Of Miss Patty was removed,
listened to their accounto tile success
which had crowned their labors else
where, with open mouth and eyes,
ejaculati z, Want to know! you
don't say So" and the like apprccia-
tive remarks.
The nelghborS had heard of Miss
Patty's late enmity to q" these crazy
men" and when they saw her and her
family going with them towards the
school-house, they GUESSED that ore
Of them was Whoever, asd was lay
ing plans for big farm" But that
night both the humble men told of
their wives and children when they
accepted the crest" offered in the
Gospel. Some one, after meeting,
boldly asked Miss Patty if she was
going to turn Methodist, and be like
old Jim's wife, and Miss Patty re-
piled, in her own peculiar way, "I've
got to turn good deal before l am
anything"
There had been very little shouting
at these meetings, the two strangers
having it all to themselves. But one
night, after manifestation Of Gods
power among the people, there was Il
new voice heard. 70 the amazement
Of all in the schoolhons (therc was
no room in the churches for such
men). Miss Patty cried out, "Retum
unto thy rest, o my soul, for the Lord
hath dealt beautifully with thee" A
score of startled old professors who
had dropped in, perhaps as spies, for
got their prejudices and cried OFT,
Thank the Lord !" and the strangers
lifted up their voices and shouted as
they had not before in that town,
"Glory to God Hallelujah! Amen
and amen !"
The news fed from house to house,
and from town to town, that "NIiss
Patty had gone crazy, or become a
Methodist, or--something."
1t proved that she had found rest to
her hitherto restless soul, and was 50
filled with glory that she could not be
peut up in the stiff Journalism that
girded, as with iron bands, the sleep
my Christians about her.