The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1877-04-12
CHAPTER TX.

The mail-stage did not make its APP
pearanee ut the usual hour on the day
following Crupp's conversation with
Father Baguss, and during lull in
the desultory conversation which pre-
vailed among those who were waiting
for the mail the postmaster displayed
at his window his large round face de-
void of its habitual jolly smile and re-
marked:
"Too bad about wainwright, isn't it?,
"What's that?' asked half dozen
at once.
The postmaster looked infinitely
more important all in second. 1t is
but seldom in this world that a man
can tell bit of news to an assembled
crowd, and in an inland town before
the day of the omnipresent telegraph
pole the chances were proportionately
fewer than elsewhere. The postmas-
ter had generous heart, however, and
ut the risk of losing his importance he
opened his treasure-house all at once:
Hes been pretty high on whiskey
for two or three days. said he, "and
they say he's got snakes in his boots
now; anyhow he's made sudden
break for Louisville-he started on
foot, an hour or two ago, for Browns
Landing, seven miles below here, to
catch down river steamboat: he was
clear-headed enough to find out first
that it wasn't likely that the Excel
lence." that's about due, would
have any freight to stop for here. His
wife's half wild about it, but theres's
nothing the poor thing can do"
Poor, misguided mani" sighed
Parson Wedgewell, who had arrived
just in time to hear the story. "The
ways of Providence are undoubtedly
wise, but they are indeed mysterious.
Judging according to our finite capac-
tiles, it would be natural to suppose
that capabilities so unusual as those Of
Mr.. wainwright would be divinely
guided"
II saw him coming down the walk"
observed Squire Tomple, ''and l
thought he looked rather peculiar, SO
| stepped across the street. I don't
like to get into row with men in that
fix
"Of course getting into row was
the only thing that could be done,"
said Crupp, who had apparently been
carefully reading posted notice of q
sheriff's sale.
The squire did not enjoy the tone in
which Crupp's remark was delivered,
but before he could reason with the
new reformer the Reverend Timotheus
Brown dashed into the fray in defense
of beloved idea which the rival pas
tor had seemed covertly to assail.
"The reason such natures aren't di-
vinely guided said he, in a voice
which suggested nutmeg graters to the
acute sensibilities Of Parson Wedge
well, lis that they don't implicitly
submit themselves to the divine will.n
"A man can do nothing unless the
Spirit draws him." said Parson
Wedgewell valiantly.
That's rather hard on o fellow,
though, isn't it?" soliloquised Fred
Macdonald.
Not bit of it," spoke out Father
Baguss. "Bless the Lord, the parallels
of the lost sheep that theshepherd left
the rest of the flock to look for, and
the lost coin that the woman hunted
for, wasn't told for nothin'. The Lord
knows how to tend to his own busi-
ness.n
"And nobody else can do q thing to
help the Lord along, can they ?' said
Crupp, passing his arm in the window
and extracting from his box o copy Of
the Louisville journal" then the
paper of . large section of country;
'all that men have to do in such cases
is just to talk"
Crupp departed, encountering ON
the way the wide-open countenancc
Of Tom Adams, who was waiting for
Deacon Jones's mail. The two pastors
preserved silence, that of Mr.. Brown
being extremely dignified with visi-
BILE trace of acerbity, while that OF Mr..
Wedgewell was strongly suggestive Of
mental unquiet. The distribution Of
the small mail, which had arrived
soon after the conversation began,
gave everybody who chose an excuse
to depart-an excuse Of which most Of
them availed themselves at once.
Tom Adams went straight to his
employers store and exclaimed, not
in his usual ingenious manner,
Deacon, old Berry won't take that
load of bricks unless he gets 'em right
off, gness I'll take 'em right out to
him. It's long trip, but thers's three
hours yet fore dark"
"Be sure You do. then, Thomas,n
said the deacon.
Continued on Fbartk p0es.)