Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-11-28
WAS he A RERo, Or ONLY An 0DDITY :
A TRUE HISTORY.


Ihirty-fvs years ago., or thereahQpts,
a rowdy Of the superlative degree "a
dalnkard of course), and carpenter by
trade, was leading a vagabond life,
rowing about from place to place among
the towns and villages along the Onta-
RIO frontier of Canada.
! A vagabond he was, but by ne means
a lazy one for though he detested reg
ular employment, no daredevil prank
or drudgery Of mischief was too hard for
him ; and SO it happened that he had
drlfted into the line of doing odd jobs of
the desperate order, in the service Of a
distant relative-a schemlng, rapacious
rascal, but an energetic, plausible man,
who knew how to use tool and keep
his own hands unsoiled.
AT his chiefs bidding, Billy Orr, the
yagabond and bully, would pick quar-
rel and thrash the victim of grudge,
or head petty mob to browbeat and
drive off competitors, intimidate voters,
&c. (the chief was for one or two terms
a member Of Parllament); and, in re-
turn, the bully was always possessed Of
ways and means for hanging about
whisky dens and drinking at will.
One evening, when, by some unus-
ual chance, he was sober, as he was
walking along a street of Oakville, small
| village between Toronto and Hamilton.
| his atten ton was arrested by the sound
of voices singing hymns. He looked
| around and discovered that the psalm
singing was going on in church oppo-
site, where Finneyite Presbyterian
was holding evening services of a reyi-
val character. AS he looked and lis
tened, he heard, or fancied he heard, a
voice say in his ear, BILLY Orr, go in
there!" He was man of quick res
solves and instant action ; so in he
went, and before he came out he had
not only formeda resolution to change
mis- whole course of life, but had also
responded to the minister's invitation
to any who wished to become christians
by rising to his feet, and astonishing
that congregation with his concise yet
distinct declaration, that, by the helpl
Of God, he was going to quit drinking
and be new man.
Now, if old Nick himself had appear
in the meeting and made that little
speech, he would scarcely have excited
more wonder or been received with less
faith as to the genuineness Of his con-
version.
However, Billy Orr returned to his
inn and went quietly to bed. The next
morning he presented himself In the bar
room whimsical of calling for his Bit
tiers, he told bis old cronies that he was
done with that game and had drunk his
last glass Of anything that could intoxi-
cate. The crew stared and were ft1gh-
tened. Surely the man had gone mad land
he would be dangerous lunatic. Hav-
ing made this avowal, Orr walked of,
sought out the preacher Of the preceding
night, and asked for a temperance
pledge, an institution that was then in
its infancy.
The instrument was soon produced
and when, with much gravity and evil
| dent earnestness, he had placed his
name upon the roll. people began to
beleave that he meant business. He
attended those special services as long
as they lasted and though he never
made any holsy demonstrations, he was
several times much moved, even toI
tears.
| 1t must be mentioned that he was an
Irishman, though Protestant, and he
said to the clergyman who had been the
instrument of his conversion:
Il doubt the dival hasn't nanny bet !
ter subjects nor I've been to him, an
I'm purity ignorant of any other service;
but, by the help Of the Almighty, Pm
done with the ould fellow"
As soon as the meetings were at an
end he gathered himself up and address,
ed himself. like Bunyan's pilgrim, to
tread the new and untried paths Oft
Righteousness and peace. His first step
was to seek his wife for he was then a
man of thirty five, and had been marri-
ed some ten or twelve years. The wife,
tidy, brisk little woman, belonging to
a respectable and somewhat ambitious
family. had long been living among her
friends, and had quite given up all hope
in regard to her scape-grace husband.
Accordingly, he presented himself be-
fore her and announced his intention of
resuming his Office as her protector,
with this preamble:
'Well, Ann, you needn't be afraid
| to go with me this time for, by the
grace Of God, you've got new hus-
band"
| She looked at him very obviously,
and replied:
MAY be SO. William but that'll be
seen better by and by"
"Ah, Ann" returned he, gravely
shaking his head, rye ought to have
more faith in the Almighty. You
could't keep Billy Orr straight, but He
can"
He was a new man, but made out Of
the old materials /; and original these
were, in every sense Of the word. He
was an ingram fighting character and,