South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1877-04-13
Preaching with . shovel.
~ Es,Ly uurYssaros nrtLsa.

in the middle Of most delightful story.
Tho boys we're playing IN the corner.
and now aid then she caught . scrap OF
their talk. bvt abe paid very little IT.
tention to il. Rob WAS putting his 10.
connective together, aud Fred was arranx-
Ing An orphan asylum with his alphabet
blocks. Twenty.seven orphans we're
ranged about the carpet; some Of them
in bed some eating soup out OF Lsura's
china dishes. one desperate fellow in
solitary confinement behind the door,
and long row learning tn read from
bits Of newspaper. The only trouble
was that they all had such jolly faces
they would grin all the time and what
can you do with boy that grins even
when you whip hims
So presently the orphan asylum was
turned into ~ runasium, where twenty.
seven little acrobsts stood on their
heads, walked on their hands. turned
somersauits. and performed all manner
OF wonderful fcats. Then they were AL
convicts in State Prison. and Rob came
and preached them sermon. This was
the sermon:
"My bro.hrcn."-
people in Jail aren't jrofhre,," said
Laura, looking up from her book.
''Oh yes. they are." said Rob ..broth.
rem is just a kind of preach word, and
means everything but the minister
My brethren. folks ought to be good.
and not steal things. and quarrel, and
get angry. When you begin to be bad,
you can't tell how bad you may get to
be. The minister knows Of boy that
begun by not letting his brother take
his skates when he didn't need 'em at
all himself, and he grew up so't he set
house afre.
us that true, Robbys" asked Fred,
with very big eyes.
Course not; that's n Illustration.
Sermons are true, and Illustrations are
just to make you understand 'em. Now.
my brethren, you mustn't steal, or do
any more bad things, ''cause you can't do
it any way. and IL you try to get out
they will shoot YOU"
The convicts now marched back 20
their cells under The sofa. Rob Law up.
on the carpet with his arms under his
head, and said, very slowly: when
am man. shall be minister"
IL thought You were going to be an
engineer" said Laura.
We'll. p'raps shall. Cars don't run
on Sunday, and could think un nv
sermons all the week, and then 60 and
preach EN-
"Oh, you can't make sermons Jus,
thinking them up on an engine" said
Laura. positively; "you have TO do 'ein
in study with books and writing"
81 could" persisted Rob; IL shall
say my sermons like Mr.. Challis, and
know lots of texts"
Laura looked at papa, who was smil.
ing at them over the top of his paper.
and asked, doubtfully. Could he. papas"
II suppose he could" said papa.
But thought ministers had to he
just ministers. and no. part something
else"
II know OF boy" said papa, who
breaches first rate Sermons, anil he doss
great many other things-poes to
school. brings in wool, takes care of n
horse"
ME, papa?" asked Rob.
Papa laughed. and shook his head
"iie breaches them to people on the
street; he preached one to me to night"
"Oh y said Laura and Rob sat straight
tip and looked at papa.
"He breaches them with n shovel"
Rob laughed heartily ut this, and
Laura looked more puzzled, than ever
Fred camo and leaned his arms on papa's
knee.
Now. papa" he asked. show could
any body preach with shovel?"
"Fll tell you" sail papa. "All through
this month OF snowy whether there has
been one hundred feet on Beech Street
OF clear. clean side walk. No matter
how early go down town, il is always
the same-clean TO the very edge orthe
walk. People pick their way through
the slush, or wade through the drifts. or
follow tue narrow. crooked path the res.
OF the way; but when they come 20 this
place, they stamp their feet. and stand
mp straight, and draw long breath. Il
makes You feel rested just TO look nj It.
The boy that keeps that sidewalk clean
breaches sermon with his shovel. II
is sermon on doing your work we'll
and not Sinking; a sermon on doing
things promptly with delaving. a
sermon on sticking to things day after
day without wearying n sermon on DOING
your own part without waiting for other
people to DO theirs
Maybe man does it," said Rob.
mo. it Is boy: have seen him at
1t. saw him one day when IL was
showing very fast, and I said, '.why do
you clean your walk now? 1t will soon
he as bad as ever" Yes, sir" said he
but this snow will he out Of the way
can brush II of now easily, hut when
II - tramped down il makes hard work"
] call that first rate sermon. and every
one who does his work in his very hest
way breaches n sermon TO all around
him"
The bell rang, and somebody called
papa away, bat Rob kept thinking Of
the little crooked. uneven path I've had
made to the barn and we'll, and whal n
At anel -