Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1877-10-31

tray the TACT. he tOOk q great NElng 10
this Rev. Mr.Pe.ers, and talked With him
a great deal; told lin yarns, gave him
toothsome scraps .of persona, h:stoEy: and
through his %garrulous fabric that was re.
freshinRjtoa lispiitWeary Of thu dull lneu-
~tralities of undecorated speech. One day
the captain said, "Peters, do Vpu.eyer read
the Blble!"
II judgeh ain't often, by the way you
say it. Now, Youytackle, il. ,in,dead earnest
once, and youM fnd lill pay Done you
get discouraged. bu. hang right on. First,
you won't understand it: but by and BY
Things VIII begin to Clear up. and then you
wouldn't lay it down to en-"
Yes | have heard that said"
And it's so, too. There ANT a book
that begins with it. 1t lays over'em all,
Peters. There's some pretty tough things
in it-there, amt any getting around that
but you stick to them aud think them out
and when once you get on the inside
everything's plain as day"
"rThe miracles, too, captains?
Yes, sir!, The miracles, too. Every one
Of them. Now there's that business with
the prophets Of Baal; like enough that
stumped you"
well, don't know but
Gown up, now; it stumped you. Well,
I don't wonder. You hadn't had any ex.
perience in travelling such things out, and
naturally it was too many for you. Would
you like to have me explain that thing to
you, and show you how to get at the meat
Of these matters" rI9iE IN
Indeed, l would, captain, II you don't
mind" - a. q IL
Then the captain proceeded as follows:
"Tll do it with pleasure. First, you see,
Tread and read, and thought and thought, |
till / got to understand what sort Of people
they were in the old Bible times, and then
after that it was all clear and easy. Now,
this was the way l put it up. concerning
Isaac* and the prophets Of Bsal. There
was come mighty sharp men amongst the
public characters of that old ancient day,
and Isaac was one Of them. isaac had his
fhnipgs-penty ofthem, too: ), il, ain't for
the prophets of Baal, and like enough he
was against him. No, all l say is, 'twa'nt
any miracle, and that Ill show you so's't
l you can see It yourself. : tfllSi
!. "Well, times had been getting rougher
, and r0ugher for prophets--that is, prophets
Of Isaac's ydenomination. There was $50
: prophets of Baal in the community, and
: only one Presbyterian that is, if Isaac was
q Presbyterian, which. I reckon he was, but
it don't say. Naturally the prophets of
Baal took all the trade. Isaac was pretty
low spirited. 4 reckon, bat he was a good
deal Of man, and no doubt he went a
prophesying around, letting on to be doing
q land Office business, but WANT any use
y he couldntrun any opposihon. to amonn,
: to ANYTHING. By andb ~ things got desper.
thinks it I'll out, and then what does be
D do: Why, he begins to throw gu,
hints that the other parties are
! this and that and fother-nothing very
: definite, may be but just kind Of under.
mining their reputation ina quiet way
b This made'talk, of conrse, and finally got 4
the king. The king asked Isaac what he
meant by his talk. Says Isaac: o, nothing
particular; only can. they pray down fri
from heaven on an altar? 1t amt much, MAJ
j. be, your majesty, only can they do it? Thati
g the idea So the king was a good deal dis
a turbed. and he said, pretty airy, that ifhe hai
= an altar ready they were ready; and the,
= intimated he better ct it injured, too.
a. $50 next morning all the children of Is
rael and their parents, and the other people
!. gathered themselves together. Well, her
was that great crowd Of prophets of Baa
!, packed together on one side; and Isaa'
3 walking up and down all alone on the other
putting up hil job. Whsn time was called
s1saacilstonstoSbe comfortable and ;indif
ferent; told the other team 70 take the fir
innings.. Rsothey went atit,y tie whole $50
and doing their level best. They praye'
n an hour-two hours-three hours-and 9
on, plumb till noon, It want any use
a. they hadn't took a trick. Of course the,
Il. felt kind Of ashamed before all those people
and we'll they might. Nov, what would
= m~agnanimodS man do! Keep still wouldn'
ct he? Of course. What did Isaac do? II
. graveled the prophets of Baal every. way b
= could Think f.-s BsysIhe,, You dop't sped
:: loud eDouSk ypnr Sgod'S aslesp,, like enough
= or may be hes taking a walk; you want t
ed holler, you know'-or words to that. effec
to1 I don't f~ecollect the exact language. Min
IA I don't apologize for Isaac; he had hi
faults. ego
vs "Well, the prophets of Baal prayed alon
'cs the beat they knew how all the aftsruool
and never raised q spark. At least, sibo,
tie .undown, they were y tEpekssfedsout, an
1tAVhot does Isaac do, now? He steps u
and says to some friends Of his, there, POT
four barrels Of water on the atari Ever,
body was astonished, for the other side ha
Of prayed Att dry, you k1ow, and gce whit
~ Masheo. Ahey poured 1t on. Says b
Heave on four more barrels Then he say
y Heave on four more Twelve barrels ye
be *, altogether. The water ran all over Il
ri altar, and all down the sides, and filled !
rth q trench around it that would hold a o
I'VE Of hoseheads-imsasurei,' II ssys; l recks
Inn it means about . hosshead. Some Of Il
oflpsople were going to pat on their thin
~ RSbq Sa9 tri@i