Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-10-27
As0THER M4RK TWAIN YARN.
An old salt Explains % That usi ness
Win the Prophets Of RaaIn


From the Atlantic for NOUeBiber.l
one trip the captain had clergyman on
board, but did not know he was a clergy
man, since the passenger list did not betrsy
the fact. He took great liking TO this Rev.
Mr.. Peters, and talked with him q great
deal; told him yarns, gave him toothsome
tering streak of profanity through his gar
rulOus fabric that was refreshing TO spirit
u al was weary of the duh neutralities ofu1-
decorated speech. ODe day the captain said,
Peters, do you ever read the Bible?'
Well-yeS.'
al Judge 1t Amt often, by the way you say
IL. Now. you tackle Ii in dead earnest once,
and you ii find it'll pay. Don't you get dis
I cOuraged, but hang right on. First, you
won't understand IL; but by and by things
viii begin 10 clear up, and then you won't
lay IL down to eat
Eyes, / have heard that said"
O. And it's so, too. There amt book that
begins with it. Ii lays over EN- all, Peters.
There's some pretty tough things in ft-there
amt any getting around that,-but you stick
TO them and think them out, and when once
day '' ' ''' y - ; ''s pa '- o.
1.-THE miracles, too, captsin?''
g Yes, sir the miracles, too. Every one of
them. Now, there's that business with tn
prophets OF Baal; like enough that stumped
you
Gown up, now; it stumped you. Well, !
don't wonder. You hadn't had any expa-
rienCe in raveling such things out, a nd natu
| rally ii was too many for you. Would you
hRe to have me explain hat thing 10 you,
ard show you how to get at the meat of these
matters?"
. Indeed would, captain, If you dol'i
mind"
; Then the captain proceeded as follows:
''I'll do ID with pleasure. First, You see, 1
/ read and read, and thought and thougIt. TIL
got 10 understand what people they We're in
! the old Bible times and then AT e. that IL
was all clear and easy. Now. this was the
wsy put s5 up TbeTq wss soe hS
| sharp men amongst the public characters of
| that old ancient day, and Isaac was one Of
| them. Isaac had his fail ngS-pleuty of them,
too; IL amt for me TO apologize for Isaac, he
played ii on the prophets OF B3al. and like
enough he was jdStlhable, considering the
odds that was against him. No, all say is,
'twan't any miracle, and that I'll show you
SOs't you can see II yourself.
- Well, times la been getting rOugher and
rougher fer Ir|pheiS-lhat Is, prophets of
Isaacs denomination. There was 40
prophets OF Baal in the community, and only
one Presbyterian. that is, If Isaac was Il
Presbyterian. which l reckon he was, bat it
don't say. Naturally, the prophets OF Btal
took all the trade. Isaac was pretty low
spirited, reckon, but he was a good deal OF
man, and no doubt he went a prOphesying
arIund, letting GA TO be dong a laui-1ffice
business; but 'Lwant any use; he couldn't
run any opposition 10 amount 10 anything.
BY aud by things got desperate with him; he
SET his head to work, anu think il all Ou., and
then what does he do? Why, he begins To
throw out hints that the other parties this
that and tother-nOtL ng very definite,
reputation in a quiet way. This made talk,
of course, and finally got to the king. The
king asked Isaac what he meant by his tall
Says Isaac: 'Oh, nothing particular; only,
can they pray down fire from heaven on an
altar? 1t Amt much, may be. your majesty,
only can they do IL? That's the idea 50 the
king was good deal disturbed, nd he went
10 the prophets Of Baal, aud they said, pretty
airy, that II h. had an altar ready, they were
ready; ard they intimated he better get it
insured too.
$50 next morning all the children of Israel
and their parents and the other people
gathered themselves together. Well, here
was tie great crowd or prophets of Btal
packed together on one side, AMI isaac walk
ing up and down all alone on the other, put
ting up his job. When the time was ctlleI
Isaac let on TO be comfortable aud indifer-
ent; told the other team TO take the first in
nings. So they went at il. Ih3 whole 49,,
praying around the altar, very hopeful, AMI
doing their level best. They prayed al hour
two hours,-tLree hours,-and so on, pldm5
till noon. It want any use, they hadn't took
a trick. o, course they felt kidd Of aSha n Il
before all these people, and we'll they glt.
Now, what would nagnanim0us mar d.?
Keep still, woI'dn't ne? OF cOurse. WHAT
old Isaac dc" lie grave'ed the prOphe.s of
Baal every way tie could think of. Says he,
'IoI don't speak UP loud enough; Jour gOi's
asleep, like enough, or may De he's takiCg
walk; you want 10 hOiitr, you klO g'-or
words TO that effect; Il dnu't rccOllect the
exact language. Mind, don't apologize for
Isaac, he hat his fauhs.
"Wtll, the prophets of Bial p-styeI along
the hes, they knew how all the after .oo1,
and never raised a spark. a las. a5JuJ
shutdown, hey were AL tucker i out, and
they owned up ard quit,
What does Isaac 10 now? Ii steps up
and says to some friends o. his there, 'POIr
four barrels OF water on the altar Every
body was astonisned, for the other side hal
prayed at 1t dry, you know, AID gDt whit
washed. They poured IL OF. says he, 'hetve
on four more barrels Then he says. 'heave
on four more Twelve barrels, you see, a.
together. The water ian all over the altar
and all down the sides, and filled up a trench
around Ii that would hold n couple of hogs
headline asures,' it says; L reckon il means
about q Eogshead. Some OF the people were
going to put on their things and go, for they
allowed ne was crazy. They didn't know
Isaac. Isaac knelt down and began to pray;
he strung along, and strung along, abou: the
heather In distant lands, and about the sis
ter churches, and about the state and the
country at large, and about those that's in
authority in the government, and all of the
usual progra mime. you know, till everybody
had got TIE ] aud gone to thinking about
something else, and then, all of a sud len
match and rakes IL on the under side of mis-
leg. and puff up the whole thing blazes like
house afire! Twelve barrels of water? Pc
troleum, slr, petroleum. That's what it
wasi'
Petroleum, capt ain?"
90 Yes, sir; the country was fall of il. Isaac
knew all about that. You real the Bibie.
They amt tough when you come TO think
them out and throw light on them. Tnare
amt a thing in the Bible bat what is true; all
you want Is to go prayerfuly 10 work and
cipher out how twas done"