The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-02-20

seemly words, my friendf' objected the par
"well, dono's can, and dono as I can;
might be, seemin'ly, and Pm used to them
words you tell about. Lordy, what's wordsi
They don't mean nothin' when you're used to
'em, no mors,n cat-bird's scoldin'; come
"Weili well I go oonl" calculated the parson,
who really felt much more like swearing than
Calvary, for 1t was late in the week, and
happy train of thought in his sermon curtly
"Well, you see Pm a-worl,in' for Deacon
Flint; ben aploughin' and seedin' down and
harrerin' that 'ere ten-acre medder o. his'n.
He don't pay fust- rate, ye know; but for sar-
tain private reasons, such As the man had that
killed the goose, wanted job that want
nigh hum, SO took up with that. Well, I
was harrerin' away this mornin', most to the
er or no I'd go to chopin to-morrer or
whether I'd 90 10 on to the mounting and snare
a mess o. pa'tridges."
"Boast not thyself of tomorrow" put in
the parson, solemnly. 49,
want, as knows of; but kinder hank
cred arter them birds; they've ben a-fattin'
up on the deacon's buckwheat this four weeks
back, and they'll be plump as punkins. Well,
that amt here nor there. But, as was sayin',
got nigh about to the road eend o. the lot,
and see somebody a-comin' full tilt down the
road. Thinks me, that's Jim Beebe, so llet
the critters stop. They'd alters ruther stop,
- -eS SNSAA "ONNS sNSy Az
slower'n molasses."
The parson wipes his damp face. To q man
OF his temper this prolixity was maddening.
| 60 on, Calvary"
"Why, was a-goin' on. Well, YOU see. 1
kinder leaned up agin the fence to wait for
him, but when he come along l see 'twa'n't
ever see sfore nor
ful dark-complected man, reel spry appearin',
one that looked as though his name was
Smart, now tell ye. Myl how them eyes o.
his'n did snap! Jest like Pollythi's when she
throwed the piggin at my head, only he didn't
act noways mad, and I didn't think nothin'
strange o. his eyes till come to rec'lect them
ara,, arte, he'd he'd gone: You know, paTson, folks
call 'em to mind, SO to speak, as it might be,
arter they've gone by. Well. he come along
and spoke reel civil: sez, How be YET or
say-I guess twas bout the weather; but he
went on fur to say, Got q job, haint YEP
Well sez /, i hev, and hain'ti I've got
through here; there's quite aspen O. choppin'
hankered to- 'Wen,' says he, 4 want afeller
OF bout your heft to work for me spell: Pll
give good wages SO l eez, .What'n ye
Deacon Flint's q dreadful near man; he dursn't
look at dollar outside his pocket, 1t scares
him so. So reckoned here was a chance of
betterment, and ef he didn't up and offer me
AA&hs OA, ouu AOuuuI
Filthy lucre," groaned the parson.
No, he want filthy mite; he was dressed
up for lection, 1 tell ye, ef he was lookin';
butt but snapped him up jest as pickeH5el H does
he, you might 60 long an hire out to some
body It offered ye more; let's hev it in writin'.
1 b'liere in contracks.' 'Hev it your own
be whipped a little book out o. his pocket, an
sez he, keep my 'greements writ out in
here. Pm hirin' out a lot o. men for tins
here coalin' job 1 dono's I mentioned, per.
job. so now sez he, write your name down
here.' 'Jeerus'lem y sez /, Il don't keep pen
and ink In my breeches pocket, do you' He
larfed q little, and then he sez, We'll, prick
your finger; there's a crows feather; T'n make
pen for ye.' Sure enough he did, and Jest
scratched a place on my arm till fetched a
little mite o. blood, and writ my name down
in the book with that crow-quill, as sure as
you're hvin' critter."
"Singular," /" muttered the parsou.
"singlar! Iguess it was. Fust knew he
WANT there. I'd dropped my whip stock
while was writin', and when ia writ, sez I,
down by the Kingdom seq he; but III come
and fetch ye Friday come two weeks, to-day
bein' Saturday So then bent down to git
whip stock, and, as sure as you're born, when
| Strengthened up, that black feller, want
there; but there was the all-fredest stink
Thunder! ef you'd had a bonfire o. roll brim
stone. 'twouldn't ha' ben no wuss. That
struck me all Of heap. know'd what that
meant quicker'n punk. Sartin as you live, I'd
gin a contrack to the Enemy, and he'll be
arter me immediate. Now what be a-goin',
to do parson!" o-i =
Parson Robbins paced up and down his
small study, his eye kindled and his head
erect, like one who snuffs the battle afar on,
muttering to himself, half aloud: "He goeth
about like roaring lion, seeking whom he
may devour; but resist him-yea resist the
devil and he shall flee from thee. This kind
goeth not out to save by prayer and fasting.
Calvary Culver''-turning to the victim, who
sat watching him with peculiar look OF in
telligence and craft In his half-shut eye
Calvary Culver, this is an awful warning to
you. Repent and fee from all your evil do
ing. You have lived kind of a shiftless life,
not profitable to God or man, nor according
to have thee. But the Adversary shall be put
to fight. will appoint day Of fasting and
prayer in the church. 1t shall be the day Of
your masters arrival to fetch you, but by the
yea. we will put ten thousand to flight"
give ye no seeh trouble said Cal, looking a
little uneasy 81! thought I'd oug6ser oug6ss tell
might kinder suspect whereabouts was; and
l did't know but what you could give me
suthin, some kind of a word, ye know, like
them long ones in the fust part Of the Bible,
81 win have the day Of prayer appointed
very shortly" went on the parson, giving lit
tie heed to Calls remonstrances or suggestions.
ITO morrow is already occupied with another
"Well, tits everlastin' dry, that's fact;
dono's that winter wheat ever will come up.
anyhow" assented Calvary.
Besides, think it better to appoint the
day the Evil One hath himself set, for think
he will scarcely venture into the house of the
Lord to seize his prey"
And the parson smiled grim smile, az
who should say, 81 have outgeneraled the
So Calvary left him and went his way, finish
ed his days work, and told Pollythi the whole
story at the tea-table. r.
inclined to accept the tale, but education and
superstition were too much for her; she ended
by believing it all, and prepared for church in
the morning with sense OF personal impor,
her husband Of enough consequence for even
the devil to come after him.
1t was a splendid October day; the abundant
forests burned in the soft red sunshine like
crusted gems and dead gold; the air was sweet
and sad with odors of dying foliage and fading
flowers. A rich silence brooded over the hills
and fields Of Bassett, broken only by the first
sounding of the bell for service, which arous-
ed here and there, in answer to its summons,
clouds Of dust from the ash dry roads, stirred
by the heavy wagons and deliberate horses of
the more distant farmers.
The day was quiet, SO serene, the blue
heaven and the gorgeous misty hills so lovely
in their calm repose, that Bassett might have
passed for a bit of paradise. But to the as
constituent of everybody Parson Robbins trot-
ted across the green to church carrying
great green umbrella.
"Why, parson," asked Squire Battle, who
was standing around" on the meeting house
steps, saint ye kind Of prematoor! There
amt the first sign o. rain.'' --.
az shall fetch her! I shall fetch her!"
sharply answered the parson, as II his neigh
Dor had been doubling Thomas; and to be
sure, before the second service was well be-
han
blackness, light winds sighed through the
forest and died out in ominous quiet, thun-
der growled afar of, drew nearer and near
er and then the heavens opened suddenly,
dashing their stores of rain upon the thirsty
earth, and drowning the parsons triumphant
burst of praise and thanksgiving in the clat-