The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1880-09-15
Made Preacher by Fraud.
A MAN WHO CHANGED THE TENOR OF
HIS WAY UNDER PECULIAR CIR
CUMSTANCES.

CUMSTANCES.
Near the river, in the upper part OF
Arkansas, lives old jeremiah Winfrey,
known all e the neighborhood as
possessing a fund of profanity so great
that no one, no matter how desirous of
Swearing" distinction, could hope to
rival. Old jeremiah, although named
for one of the most distinguished pro-
phets, made no effort toward reform.
He would not allow a preacher to come
to bis house, so great was his aversion
to the Gospel. One night, when the
wind blew cold, and the sleet beat
against the window pane with that
sharpsrattle 30 brightly tending to pro-
duce thankful emotions to those who
are within a warm room, and so ex-
a~sperating to the traveller, q man
raped on the door of Jeremiah's
house.
Come in" exclaimed the old man,
as he put aside aplate of popcorn. The
door opened, and young man carrying
a pair of saddle-bags entered. jeremiah
Immediately began a series of atten-
tons. He gave the stranger a seat in
the corner near the churn, while his
wife and daughters flew around in that
hurry-furry only known to women
preparing supper for the "poor travel
ler." After supper, when the stranger
had been invited to smoke, and when
Abe, Jeremiah's son, had been sent to
shelter the strangers horse, the old
man, cycling the stranger, asked:
'"What trade do you foller?"
II am engaged in the Lords mer
chandise. I, my kind Christian friend,
am a meek and lowly circuit rider
"Then git outen my house, SIR ex-
claimed jeremiah. "Git right out, or
I'll apply a par of cow-hide boots to
that part of your physical arrangement
that rests in the cheer. A circuit rider!
Why, ding your soul, I snapped horses
with a circuit rider when l was a boy,
and got cheated 80 bad that my father
thrashed me. Git out of here; mosey."
81 am sorry, my Christian friend"
"Git out. Abe, git this feller's horse.
Move On"
When the preacher had gone, the old
man sat for an hour, swearing and
smoking.
Father" said Abe, "I1l bet my
bay FLY again the sorrel nag that you'll
be a circuit rider in six months"
"Go to bed, you young varmint, or
I'll whale YOU"
YOU'D better take the bet, pap.
Here's yer chance to win the fly"
"All right; I'll take the bet. Go to
bed"
All next day the old man swore about
the preachers impudence, and in gen.
eral terms expressed regret that he did
not use a stick on him. Next night,
while the old man wa feeding the cat
tie in the barn, a voice SO strange that
it made the old mans blood creep,
moaned, rather tina exclaimed:
Jeremiah Winfrey!"
"Who's that?" answered the old
a
Jeremiah Winfrey!"
"Well?"
"Ride the circuit of the Gospel"
"I,n show you what it is to fool with
me-" holly exclaimed the old man, and
he climbed all around in the barn, look
ing for the offender. He could find no
one, and when he went to the house he
reused Abe out of bed and told of his
strange experience. Next day, when
the old man was irving boards in the
woods, a voice over his head exclaimed:
Jeremiah Winfrey!"
"Where are you?" said the old man,
dropping his froe and gazing up.
Jeremiah Winfrey"
"Well?" still gazing.
ride the circuit of the Gospel"
"Oh, Lordw exclaimed jeremiah,
dropping on his knees. "Oh, forgive
for my sins, but keep me from riding
a circuitw
The old man went home and ex-
perienced some trouble in trying to con-
vince his wife and Abe of the fact that
something supernatural had spoken to
him. The old lady sighed, and said
that she was afraid that Jeremiah was
not in his right mind. Thus matters
went on for months. Nearly every
night the voice at the barn would call
the old man, and every time he went
to the board tree the same solemn ad-
monition would come from above.
Unable to longer endure such mental
torture, the old man, who had by this
time protested religion, made applica-
ton to conference and was accepted.
On the morning when he first started
out as a circuit rider he presented Abe
with the sorrel nag. He soon instituted
a revival, and was so successful that he
received a complimentary letter from
religious headquarters. Several nights
ago, just after family prayers, and
while Parson Jeremiah was upbraiding
Abe for not joining the church, the
young man said:
uDo~ ,rI var, did hooomo O cirauif