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

his battle array. Calvary was ushered Into
the gallery Of the meeting house, and placed
In the front seat. He had on his Sunday
bellious curls could be by the aid Of tai
low candle assiduously applied, and his
handsome face was shining with yellow
soap ana water; his boots had portent-
empty of all expression Us he sat there. his
great red hands clasping a still re(Ider BAN
dana handkerchief, and he himself supported
the object of all this hustle and attention.
At the head Of the stairs leading into the
gallery Simeon Tucker, the blacksmith hold
Ing mighty stick, stood on guard, lest the
Old Boy should take on himself to come in
person and nab Cal Culver before meeting
was over: and at tho foot of the stairs an,
other muscular brother, with another stick,
he kept double watch and ward. Jim Bee
be, escorting Cal to the door, as became q
true cOmrade, suggested the idea to him that
the parson had picked out Josiah on this very
account, and Calvary found 1t hard to repress
an indecorous chuckle.
But once in the church chuckling was at an
end. The parson read long selections from
the Bible; all the miDatory Psalms, to begin
wv anH 9very w ne t
ance; then certain awful hymns, minor in key
and minor in thought, were walled and groaned
out. by the congregation; then the parson
prayed, and Deacon Flint prayed, till the very
gates Of heaven seemed to be stormed. Then
there was more reading, followed by a short
discourse of twelve heads only, In which the
parson gave a full account Of "the young
mans" experience, and historic and bio
graphic account of the devil, going back to
Eden. During the first part OF the discourse
Cal sat on thorns. He was not overly modest
or shy, but to be the center Of all those eyes
was abashing even to him; and, moreover, he
was much bored with the whole matter-the
seat was hard, the day was warm, as late Oc-
tober days sometimes are; he was hungry and
thirsty too, for though he had tied up loaf
of rye bread and several slices of cheese in q
handkerchief that morning, and filed fiat
bottle with cider, he did not fetch them to
church.
After the sermon, praying began again
Every brother present ." desired TO jine'' in
the exercise, and the sun was ready to set be-
fore these jealous members gave out. Flesh
and blood could not bear it longer, and at last
Parson Robbins wound up the meeting with
pointed but brief exhortation to Cal and q
benediction. Then the two stalwart men,
clubs and all, escorted Calvary to his own
house, lest some outlying hend should snap
him up, while Pollythi fingered a little, to
talk it all over with Deacon Flint's wife.
The spiritual constables brought him safely
to the red house, and declared afterward that
he seemed much solemnized by the way, and
| thanked them kindly for their good offices.
conference.-the from that day to this CAL
vary Culver was never again seen in Bassett.
Many were the conjectures as to his fate,
though most people believed with ParsOn Rob
bins that the devil was as good as his word,
and had taken him on, body and soul, as well
lythi mourned him decorously, but in . couple
of years married again, in spite of Jim Beebe's
remonstrances and his wild idea that Cal
might turn up yet But he never did and to
this day Bassett people tell the shuddering
tale of Cal Culver and the devil.-Rarper's
Monthlu .---- 30 ....-