Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-06-20

other folks call nervous, but I call CROSS
before night comes; and I knew it
fetched on spells of low spirits, when
our folks couldn't get word out of me
mot q good one. anyway, so I thought
I'd try on that to begin with. I tell you
it come hard! I hankered after that
drink of coffee dreadful! Seemed as
though couldn't eat my breakfast with
out it. I know how to pity man that
loves liquor more'n 1 ever did in my
life before; but I feel sure they can stop
it if they'll try, for I've stopped and I'm
a goin' to stay stopped.
Well, come to dinner, there was an
other fight. l do set by pie the most of
anything. was fetched up on pie, as
you might say. Our folks always had it
three times day, and the doctor he's
been talkin' to me about eatin' pie. l
have the dyspepsy like everything, and
1t makes me useless by spells, and unre-
liable as weather-cock. An'Dr. Drake
he says there won't nothing help me but
to diet. l was readin' the Bible that
morning while I was waiting for break
fast, for twas Monday, and wife was
kind of set back With washin' and all.
and came across that part where it says
that the bodies of Christians are temples
OF the Holy Ghost Well, thinks I, we'd
ought to take care of 'em if they be, and
that they're kept clean and pleasant, like
the church; and nobody Can he clean nor
pleasant that has the dyspepsy. But,
come to pie, fell as though T C uldn't !
and, look ye! I didn't! I eat a piece
night agairst ny conscience; facin' what
I knew ought 20, went ard did what
ought not 10. tell ye my conscience
made music CT me considerable, and /
said then 1 wouldn't rever sneer al
drinkin' man no more, when he slipped
up. I'd feel for him and help him, for
l see just bow it was. So that days
practice give out, but it learnt ne a
good deal more than knew before.
"I started ont next day to look up ny
Bible-class. They haven't really tended
up to Sunday school as they ought to
along back. but was busy here ard
there, and there didn't seem 10 be a
real chance to get to it. Well, 'twould
take the evenin' to tell it all, but found
one real eick, been abed for three weeks,
| and was SO glad to Gee me that I felt
fairly ashamed. Seemed as though l
heard the Lord for the first time, say in,
Inasmuch as ye did it not to one OF the
least of these, ye did not to Me- Then
another mans old mother says to me,
before he came in from the shed, says
che: HES been a.sayin' that il folks
practised what they preached, you'd ha'
come round to look him up afore now,
but he r ckoned you kinder looked down
upon the mhl-hands. Is'e awful glad
you come Bretherirg, so was I. I
tell you that days work done me good.
GOT poor opinion of josiah Emmons,
now, l tell ye, but learned more about
the Lords ways than a month of Sun
days ever showed me-
A smile he could not repress passed
over Mr.. Parkes's earnest face. The
deacon had forgotten all external issues
in coming SO close to the heart of things;
but the smile passed as he said,
brother Emmons, do you remember
what the Master said, If any man will
do His will, he shall know of the doc.
trine, whether it be OF God or whether
speak Of myself"
"Well, it's s." answered the deacon,
"Its SO right along. Why, I never
thought SO much OF my Bible class nor
took to sech interest in 'cm as do to-
day--not since I begun to teach. I
b'lieve they'll come more regular now,
too"
"Now comes fellowship day. I
thought that would be all plain sailin';
seemed as though I'd got warmed up till
felt pleasant towards everybody; so I
went around sseiu' folks that was neigh
bors, and twas easy; but when come
home at noon spell, Philury says, says
she, Square fuckers black bull is into
the orchard term round, and he's
knocked two lengths O. fence down
aatr We'll, the old Adam 1iz up then,
you'd better b'lieve. That black bull
had been b1eakiu' into my lots ever
since we got in tn aftermath and it's
! Square fuckers fence aid he won't
make 1t hullstroog as he'd oughte1, and
that orchard was young one just COM
in to bear, and all the new wood crisp
as cracklm's with ost. You'd better
b'lleve didn't have much teller feeling
with Amos Tucker. I jest put over to
the house and spoke up pretty free to
him, when he Looked up and says, says
be. Fellowship meetin' day, amt it,
deacon? I'd rather he'd ha' slapped
my face ! felt as though should like
to slip behind che door. l zee pretty
distinct what sort of life I'd been ]ivin'
all the years I'd been a professor, when
/ couldn't hold on to my tongue and
temper one day.
"Breth-e-ren," interrupted a slow
harsh voice, somewhat broken with emo
ton, I'm tell the rest ont. Josiah
Emmons came around like man an
Christian right there. He asked me to
forgive him, and not to think twas the
fault of his religion, because twas bis'n
and nothing else. 1 think more of him
to-day than ever done before. I was
one that wouldn't ssy I'D practice
with the rest of We. I thought twas
everlastin' nonsense. Id rather 20 to
forty nine prayer-meetin's than work at
bein' good week. I b'iieve my hope
has been one of them that perish; it
haint worked, and leave it behind to-
day. I mean 10 begin honest, and it was
seem one honest Christian man fetched
me round to't.'
Amos tucker sat down, and buried his
grizz ed head in bis rough hands.
Bless the Lord!" said the quivering
tones of still old man from tar conner
of the house, and many glistened eye
gave silent response.
$50 on, Brother Emmons," said the
minister.
swell, when next day came I got up
to make the fire, and my boy Joe had
forgotten the kindlin's. I'd opened my
mouth to give him Jesse, when it came
over me suddin' that this was the day of
prayer for the family relation. I thought
[ would say nothing, so I just fetched in
the kindlins myself, and when the fire
burnt up coed called wife,
:'Dear, me. said she. 'Ivegot such
a headache. 'Siah, but I'll come in
mint didn't mind for women are
always havin' aches, andI was jest agoin'
to say so, when remembered the tex
about not bein' bitter against 'em, so I
says, Philury, you lay abed. expect
Emmy and me can get the vittles to-day
1 declare she turned over and give me
such a look; why it struck right in.
There was my wife that had worked for
and waited on me twenty odd yea, most
scarf because smoke kind Of feelin' tn