The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-09-23
COMPULSORY PRAYER.
An Adventure of Tom Wood, tho Con
tederate Scout

federate Scout.
"Well, now, .ell us, old friend, when
scouting inside of the enemy's lines, did
anybody ever detect you as Confeder-
ate spyP"
Never. But / was mighty near
oeing caught up once, and the only way
| escaped was by being mistouk for my
orother jim" Here the smile on his
lace spread into broad grin, and the
OLD man chuckled as his mind went back
to the serio-comical adventure, Tom
wood, or Uncle Tommy" "as he was
known 10 General Lees camp, had never
been with the army in Flanders, but he
had learned their habits all the same
and was perhaps rs wicked a hunter as
ever shouldered rifle.
But I'll tell you about how liked TO
have been caught. 1t was late in De.
cember, and it occurred to me that l
would take my Christmas frolic by
making little scout out to my home in
Randolph county. We were camped at
the Warm Springs, and had nothing to
DO in camp and felt lonesome like. As
Christmas drew on, 1 got to thinking
about my old woman and the childrea
at home; they were away inside the
INES CT the enemy, and l thought that
Cnfistmas would be more like Christmas
to them if L could Unexpectedly drop
down an ong them. So I shouldered my
Ola gun, and away went, out through
Focahontas and down into Randolph.
got along hrst-rate on my way out;
saw no Feaerals; slipped around their
picKets; saw my family, and after en-
joying myself for season. started back.
'Of course kept out of the way of all
the settlements and stuck to the noun
tains. L stopped at nobody's house un-
less knew them to be true blue South
erners. One night / came to the
Greenbrier, and just as dark came on a
heavy sieet set in. was cold, tired and
hungry, and the only house where
could lind shelter was The home of old
Billy johnson, whom knew to be the
most ultra union man in all that region.
had no personal acquaintance with
him, and didn't think that he had ever
seen me, so concluded to risk myself
under his roof that night anyway. 1t
was my purpose to give him fictitious
name, for 4 felt pretty sure that if he
discovered that I was Tom Wood, the
rebel scout. l would not live to see day
light. Mastering up courage, and
helped along by the wet and cold, l
sought refuge under Johnson's roof, and
was Hospitality received. While sitting
by the fire warming myself, johnson
kept looking into my face very earnestly,
when all at once he arose from his seat,
approached, and standing directly in
front OF me, says: Amt your name
Woodp'
Here was a poser, and l thought l
was caught. l knew that if he recog
nized me it would do no good to lie about
it, so l owned up and said that was my
name. We'll, said he, this is Brother
JIMMY Wood, amt itP' This relieved
me. You see he mistook me for Brother
Jim, and seeing how it was, humored
the mistake, though Jim is a BLASTED
sight uglier man nor me. But 1 wasn't
standing on looks then; the circum-
stances didn't admit of it. We'll,
really says he, Brother Wood, am
glad to see you. l amt seen you since
the camp-meeting on the hill, nigh on to
twenty years ago. And he took my
hand and shook it like he was glad to
see me. But could hardly keep from
laughing in his face at being taken for a
class leader. You see, Jim is Metho-
dist and a leader in the church, and so is
johnson, and that's now he called me
Brother Wood And then he sot
down and talked over old times and
the camp-meeting in the hills, and as
the old man was willing to do most OF
the talking, was willing for him to
do it.
u got along very we'll until we sot
up to supper, when johnson called on
me TO say grace. / had done many IL
hard days work; had been on many a
long scout; have been in some mighty
hot fights; but tell you honestly, boys,
the hardest and hottest work l ever
done was to get out that blessing in q
genteel way. But this was no time for
tlinching, and l got through with it.
Everything moved on smoothly, until
bedtime came around. Brother John
son put the Bible on the stand, snu(led
the candle and asked me to lead in fam
lily worship. had broken the ice by
asking the blessing at the supper table,
so l read a chapter in the book, and
kneeling dIwn offered up the first prayer
OF my hle, By jings, it was a good one.
didn't forget to pray for the restoration
OF the Union and the destruction OF its
enemies. Maybe it was answered. |
had a good nights rest, and when left
in the morning felt better than ever
did in my life. In fact, boys, believe
1t d ,es a man good to pray little once
i'll a while, even if he is forced to it. /
mean to do more OF it hereafter. But
that is the way escaped, by being mis-
took for my brother jim"
And the grin broadened again on the
Old scouts face, and the chuckie sounded
louder and deeper as he mused on his
atventure.-Ca Captain Mofet, IN Philadel-
phil Tunes.