Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1881-06-08

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! bust. Wheneversomever men like him
begin to holer that way in their family
PRAYERS, and get to talkin' about Gal
iio-like gineration, and the gald of bit.
terness, and the bounds of in-iquitty
and a-askin' the Almighty if He and
everybody else don't know about their
conditions, and all sich, they are goin
to try to be preacher, or exhorter,
one or tother. But Neelus Peeler )!
and Sam laughed aloud.
Howsomebeever,' he would continue
'Neelus have mighty power of words
and he can have mighty cryin' and
pleadin' way when he wants to; and
them wire-grass people, sich as | seen,
might be satisfied with Neelus. And
as he aint no manner of account to his
family, he might jest a well GO. to
preachin' as to stay at home and dc
nothin'. So joy 90 long with you,
Neelus, in your new spores. Only L
wish your son 'Lijah wasn't so much
like you. Poor Betsy! Poor Betsy
But she shall never want bad, as long
as can raise hand to work
And sure enough, the news soon
came up into the old settlement that
the Rev. Neelus Peeler was minister,
and an acceptable minister, of the Cos
pei. For three or four years Mr.. Peel
er held forth in pulpits, in both stated
and missionary labors. His previous
thoughts and reflections bad been SO
constant and so long continued that
when he did begin at last, he was at
least as good preocher as he ever be,
came afterward. This began to be re-
marked more and more frequently as
the time elapsed. Having discovered
that his forte lay in the pathetic, and
that he was not as likely, as he at first
believed, to do great things in other
departments, he grew year by year
more and more plaintive; his brow and
eyes, and especially his mouth, assum'
ed mournful shapes; the hymns he gave
out were all of melancholy kind, and
the texteses Gas be called them) were
generally of wrath and threatenings.
| Yet. 10 matter what was the text, his
own conditions "a word of everlasting
use with him) were the main burden
of his discourses, and he would often
sing out:
And oh, my brethering and my sis
ters, and do you know my conditions
And yes, you know 'em, and no, you
don't oh no, you don't and if it was
MT for grace-oh, it's all for grace-lt's
all for grace! Pm thankful for grace,
| and oh-and oh-and ah- and oh
What was commonly understood as
being meant by his conditions was that
his wife, so far from cordially approx,
ing his undertaking the sacred minis
try, was not even a member OF the
church; and further, that her worldly
minded brother who sometimes even
got drunk, lived on her parents. and
was likely to eat up and drink up oil
they had
At last the old people died. and died
within a week of each other. The
mother went first. Then the old man
said he couldn't stand it.
Il can't stand it, Sammy. 1've lived
with her 80 long, and she have been
such TO me that | can't stand it to be
without her.
Sam tried to demonstrate with his
father: but sure enough be followed the
sixth day afterward
There was no will Sam at once
proposed to his sister that, as neither
was able to purchase the others inter
est and as the estate could not conven.
iently be divided, they should own and
occupy Jointly. The death of her par
ents greved Mrs Peeler sorely; but
she became thankful to be allowed to
return to that peaceful home and to the
society of the best of brothers. Mr.
Peeer felt-well, there was no telling
exactly how he did feel. He had had
no fondness for his wife's parents and
he positively disliked Sam, though
Sam had never spoken a harsh or
sighting word to him. He hardly
knew why he disliked him, but he
rather persuaded himself that it was
because Sam was such anawful sinner
and that if II wasn't for Sam he might
have begun preaching sooner and got
ten on better with it after he did be
gin. He said to his brethren and his
sisters, especially his sisters, that ai
last the poor old people were brought
down with sorrow to their graves, anc
that now his conditions were likely to
become more afflicted than ever before
And don't the death of his poor
father and mother have no bearin' up
on the poor worldean p asked Sister
Peacock, his favorite hostess whenever
he found himself that far from home
They were sitting at the supper Ia
BILE. Brother Peacock was there too
hut Sister Peacock was the main one
who. though female c,-often acknowl
edging, as she said she was willing tt
acknowledge, that she Dds n female -
was the strongest pillar of Harmony
Church.
| And is the poor creeter yit on hl
! Gallio-like way, a-kcerin for none o
these tbingsY
The gald of bitterness and the
bounds Of iniquitty!' answered Mr.
Peeler, as be sat and ate the biscui
and fried chicken and drank his coffee
They are his'n If ever they wer
anybody's; leastways Pm afeerd so
DO he just lay about drunk and d.
nothin'?'
oh no., mildly and generously re
piled Mr.. Peeler not AZ bad as that, -
not quite as bad as that. He do wor
some, and he do keep sober sometime
for while; but oh--it's his world.
heart, and his worldly ways, and hi
worldly behavior, and oh meP An
oh mcp And Mr.. Peeler wiped hi
, mouth with his cotton bandana, too
: another biscuit, passed his cup for NOR
coffee, and mcckly accepted anothe
: piece Of chicken.
r It's TO be hoped that when you 81
r thar, and he can have some examples