Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-08-27

When one or their heighbors, who aaS
ridden down that morning with Seth \
Plunkett, stumbled in, more dead than
alive from the severity of the storm.
They brought hot drinks for him and
rubbed his nearly frozen limbs; and
soon he was able to say, brokenly:
"Seth's comm, but Pelt's stage is all
broke up, down below the bend in the
straight cut. Lost the road an run off.
Somebody go fetch two they had to
leave, and the horses"
Several men started up to go, and,
hastily gathering together such things
as they needed, they pushed off to find
the wreck, leaving team to follow.
They had hardly, gone when the door
swung violently open and Seth Plunkett
entered, bearing in his arms, as if it had
been baby, the apparently lifeless
form of Pelt Cressy. The village folk
had learned the news in an incredibly
short time, and came flocking in, in
spite of the storm which ragged outside,
till the store was full. Seth could not
speak at once, but he managed to call
for the things that he wanted, while
some one took his exhausted horses to
their stable. Three male passengers
had alighted from the coach. Between
them they bore the body Of woman.
She was one Of their neighbors, and was
taken to her home near by.
Pelt Cressy was stretched upon set
tee by the fire, with coat for pillow.
They brought snow and rubbed his
frozen feet and hands. There was an
ugly cash on his forehead and the Doc
tor announced that one of his ribs was
broken.
Under the genial influence of heat and
stimulants, however, the poor fellow be-
gan to revive, and the white face, which
no one would ever have recognized as
the handsome young face of Pelt Cressy,
showed little color once more. The
watching crowd heaved sigh of relief.
He's all right" said the slow old
Doctor, counting his pulse. "Better get
him home at once" Then he stopped
and looked around him in perpleXity.
Pelt Cressy's home was back on the
hills, five miles away. He had boarded
sometimes at the tavern. Should they
take him there?
Seth Plunkett, who had been sitting
in q semi-stupor by the fire, got up at
this point with sort of wrench, and
shook his shaggy coat like colossal
dog.
"Take him to my house," he said in
a firm voice. "Het'll take care of him."
The men looked at each other in
amazement; but silently fixed the young
man according to the Doctors direc-
tions, and bore him through the storm
to the warm cottage of the Plunketts.
There he was laid in Seth's own white
bed, and for many days thereafter till
he was strong and well once more,
"Het" jOyfully "took care of him."
The week after the storm the meet
ings, which had suffered temporary
relapse under the overpowering sensation
of the hour, took on a new vigor. One
of Pelt's horses had been killed, and he
had declared that he never would carry
the mail again. So it was finally ar
ranged that Seth Plunkett should take
his old place and pay, and harmony
| plON OuNO lllOl . bllC Nlloll ISu-
ed inhabitants of Clearpond. They
could even joke about the furious pas
sions which had divided them only a
few weeks before. They could not,
however, clearly understand the mental
processes in Seth and Pelt, through
which these extraordinary changes had
been brought about. Nobody but them
selves, of course, knew anything about
it, and they had been mysteriously silent
as to the particulars of their reconcilia.
ton. Even the most adroit of the village
gossips interviewed them, only to be baf-
fled; but at lastit all came out.
Seth Phnkett grew more and more
interested in the revival as the Spring
wore on; but he was man of deep feel
ing and the work of conversion in him
was not rapid. He rose for prayers
night after night at the meetings. The
brethren all labored with him; but he
said he "couldn't seem to see no
light" ..rs.g..
One night, after the elder had made
a particularly moving appeal, the last
part of which Seth Plunkett had come
in in time to hear, the latter rose, with
vehemence which nearly upset the
seat in front of him, and began to speak
earnestly. The Judge was there, and
even the Deacon had stopped in "to
see the fun" as he expressed it, and all
hung anxiously upon Seth's words.
" Friends and neighbours" said the
poor fellow, while the sweat oozed from
his temples and tricklod down his rug
ged face, "I've ben a-tryin' and a-tryin'
but you know can't seem to see no
light; an it's come to me, friends and
neighbors, that mebby I've got suthin
| orter confess. Before men, you
know. I've confessed it to my Maker
and the rough man looked up reverent.
ly; "but l hain't confessed to you, an
mebby if do I'll find that peace they've
ben a-tellin' about. @
, "You see, my friends and neighbors'
) and his voice grew deeper and the 81
! lence became painful" see, al
most committed murder last March
{ only the Lord saved me. I'll tell you
about it. You remember the night o
the twelfth O. March? Likely none OF
us won't never forget it. Wal, didn'
: love Pelt Cressy then; l hated him; an
r as 1 see him that day, full o. passen
gers, goin' out o. Selborn, with his spry
! young team, l didn't love him no bet
} ter. | was cold and cross 1t was al
Y awful night, an it seemed to grow wus
an wuss. My! How it tore round OF
\ the top o. Selborn Mountain! An wher
r we come over SCOTS Bridge it seemed
/ 'sif 'twould 60 down every minute.
"Wal, l started out considerabl,
L i IL L l. LIE