The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-08-02
Old Jeremiah's Conversion.

as possessing a fund of profanity so
great that no one, no matter how deslr-
Gus of swearing" distinction, could
hope to rival. Old jeremiah, although
named for one of the most distinguished
prophets, made no efforts toward reform.
He did not allow a preacher to come to
his house, so great was his aversion to
the gospel. One night, when the wind
blew cold and when the sleet beat
against the window pane with that
sharp rattle so brightly tending to pro-
duce thankful emotions to those who
are within warm room, and so ex-
asperating to the traveller, man raped
on the door of Jeremiah's house.
"Come In, :" exclaimed the old man,
as he put aside plate of popcorn. The
door opened and a young man, carrying
pair of saddle bags entered jeremiah
Immediately began series of attentions.
He gave the stranger 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 traveller" After
supper 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 do you foller?"
81 am engaged in the Lords mer-
chandise. 1, my kind christian friend,
am meek and lowly circuit rider"
"Then git out o. my house, SIR" ex-
claimed jeremiah "Git right out, or
III apply par of COW hide boots to that
part of your physical arrangement what
rests in the cheer. A circuit rider, why,
ding your SOUL l swapped horses with a
circuit rider when was boy, and got
cheated so bad that my father thrashed
me. Git out of here. Mosey !"
"I am sorry, my christian friend"
"Git out Abe git this feller's hoss.
Move on
When the preacher had gone, the old
man sat for an hour, swearing and
smoking.
Father" said Abe, "I'll bet my
filly agin the sorrel nag that you'll be a
circuit rider in six months"
''Go to bed you young varment or I'll
whale you"
"You'd better take the bet pap. Here's
your chance to win the filly."
"All right, I'll take the bet. Go to
%d."
All next day the old man swore about
the preachers impudence, and in gen
eral terms expressed regret that he did
not use stick on him. Next night,
when the old man was feeding the cattle
in the barn, voice SO strange that it
made the old mans blood creep, moaned
rather than exclaimed:
Jeremiah Winfrey !"
"Who's that p'' answered the old
man.
Jeremy Winfrey !"
Well"
Ride the circuit of the Gospel"
en- show you what it is to fool with
me-" hotly exclaimed the old man, and
he climbed all around the barn looking
for the offender. He could find no one,
and when he went to the house he
aroused Abe out of bed and told of his
strange experience. Next day, when
the old man was irving boards in the
woods, 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, Lord,' supplicated jeremiah,
dropping on his knees. "Oh, forgive
me for my sins, but keep me from riding
a circuit"
The old man went home, and expert
enced some trouble in trying to convince
his wife and Abe of the fact that some
thing supernatural had spoken to him.
The old lady sighed and said that she
was afraid jeremiah was not In his
right mind. Thus matters went 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 admonition would
come from above. Unable to longer
endure such mental torture, the old
man, who had by this time professed
religion, made application 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 revival, and
WAS so suocessful that. he received a