Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-07-28

The Sabbath bells rang out clear
upon the frosty air, and people put
on their best garments to 90 up to
the house of God and pray. The
SIoio,b- hollis tiuyIed over tnG 'oIIIUUuII
road as the more favored ones flew
by, and ever and anon more hum
BILE church -goer stepped out into the
deep snow to let the equipage pass.
BY and bya thin, pale face appeared
in the entry of the church.
"Hain't you got no better clothes
than them to wear to meetin', bOy?"
the sexton asked.
"NO, sir; / have none other"
"Well, never mind. Here, I'll
show you a seal" CO
Shortly after this Mr.. Davis Not
worth entered the church. He was
habited in black, and the deacOns
all bowed to him as he passed them.
He did not see the poor boy under
the gallery.
1t seemed a strange coincidence
that morning that the minister
should have preached the sermon
he did. He took the whole of the
thirteenth chapter of "Paul's First
Epistle to the Corinthians'-tha
chapter devoted to Charity 1t was
a noble theme, and the speaker was
warm-hearted jealous man. On
the present occasion he allowed his
zeal to mount into the upper fields
of pathOs and stirring appeal; and
he made it a plain case that all the
phases of charity are necessary to
Christian life.
By-and-by the sermon was closed
and the last hymn was sung. Paul
started to his feet, and had moved
a step forward; but he came nigh
fainting beneath the task he had
imposed upon himself. In a mo-
ment more the benedictiOn would
be pronounced, and then it would
be too late. He gave one deep thrOe
he thought of his mOther-and his
soul was strong once more. The
clergyman was on his feet when the
boy Sprang forward. On he went,
up the aisle until he reached the
pulpit steps.
cone word, sir! Oh, one word !!
In the name of Him whom you
serve, hear me ~
The man of God dropped his hands
upon the cushion before him, and
gazed upon the boy in SPECIFICS
establishment; Tegaining his COM
pOSure, he said
"What is it, my son ?''
With one mighty effort Paul
stilled his wildly beating heart, and
then raised his head. He knew that
then was the time, if ever, for the
people were anxious now to hear
him. He raised his hands, clasped
firmly together, toward the pulpit,
and in a wild, frantic tone he ut
tered
ooh, sir, have heard you preach
to-day such truths as / know are of
God, and l hope they are not mere
idle sayings here. Oh, pardon me,
and listen. / mean no WrOng-i
only ask you as you, love your God,
to hear me" Here he turned to-
ward the astonished people, and his
voice now became more calm and
clear. "YOu, many of you, knew
my father; YOU know he is dead.
But blame him rs you will you can
not blame my mother or myself.
We were not to blame that he be-
came low and degraded; we were
not to blame that he became a vic
tim of the fell destroyer. My mother
prayed for him on her knees, and
never, never, in his most degraded
moments, was she cold or harsh.
He died, and he left us poOr-very
poor. Ny mother has been sick
sick even unto the shadow of death,
and | her only would work
if could leave my mother, but |
cannot. can beg-I have begged
i have begged the food that has
sustained us. Last night a man
came to turn us from the house we
occupied he would have turned my
mother out into the cold, chill, win
terry air, had / not, boy as l am,
made him afraid to do the deed.
But we cannot live there always so.
We owe our landlord twelve dollars
for rent, and he has sworn with an
oath that he would turn us out of
doors by force of arms if we do not
leave. 'TwOuld kill my mother to
be removed now. Do this, and so
may God bless you! !"
This had not been spoken cOnnec-
tedly, as we have written it, but at
spasmOdic intervals, broken by sObS