The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-03-29

piiSned with great noiSe and stamping and shouting and grooming and praying. Once when the church people came to I his fathers house the boy ran in and hid under the bed in alright. They had a new convert with them and they immedi- ateiy began prayer-meeting to give the ooGVer; opportunity 10 face frowning g world. and the child was kep, under the bed so long iha, he was half smo,hesed with heat. He says of this strange the oiogy:
 ] My fathers religion would have been unsatisfactory without a nell. l; was s par; Of his hope that worldly men who sccred al hls pie;y would be punished. One of the bes; evidences to his mind oi compassionate and loving Saw four was the bcilet tha, all though, of uD- fortunate friends T torment was plotted from the memory oi the redeemed. and the lake of fire he thought ot as remedy for the great number of dlsasreeaaie peo pie with whom se was compelled 10 come Tn con,ac; below. and oi whom he would be happily rid above. Religion WAS a misery 10 be endured on earth ;ha; re- ward migh; be enJoyed afet death . I l believe he woaid rather have gone ,o heaven w!:feat ihe members of his fam fly than with them unless they had earned salvation as he had earned IL
 And after al. this man oi ron ieli How. the reader will learn from gne story. This stern. forbiddlng teueaneg ,hls stony se,i-conS,tain;. this preaching of nell and denying himself of ali sweet. domestic joy was enly d hsh,ing agains; temptations n hls. own soai winch he faced steadily lil inc years and watched wh:ie they dragged hiu down to he 'n- evi;ahle end. He went ,o perd,tiou de- lberateiy. wi;h ms eyes open, because he could To, help Il; "I hope !; vi. TO; turn eu, that ie' sion is . 8ai th.ns tot h.m.a sad 10. Bring.
 IasS ot character painting The anal ysis q the lie and inner workings oi the SOU. oi kev. Iohn Wesuook k a stony ci >pifitaa, tragedy th&; has seaT e.y been eNcelled.
 etne would noi wish to ey .he im- p5eSs.or that there are TO faults III th,s ualgue beoS. On the contrary. they abound. There afe eradi;.es. there are now and then overwfough, bits oi fc- scrip;ion. The writer has | urious ma ma tor hearing tears plash upon the floor. Dld anybody ever hear a .eat thes plaSh The volume should be gu; down one-Quar;er e. account of repe,i- ,Ions that are areSeme. d .Aa,: oi far more famous novciists than Mir Howe. Then, too. there IS stiu, long dictionary ,ais, from boys and farmer wItes winch IS very absurd Tn any ease. Here Il is es- peoiaily so, because We are gwen ,o un- dersiand these particular farmers wiveS and boys had no educational advantages.
 lu, what of ;he fanl,s: Ne can well afford ;o lei the au.ho. correct them IT ! future novel. For ourselves we may pass or. The women n this rcuaikaa.c a.c tale arc those farilla, n every farm com muniiy, 'inid melancholy ard worked ,o death Whatever real enjoyment there IS ln real rustic life for men, pigs and children, ,he hapless farm-wife gets i.,;le of l.
 The robus, religious doctrines tha, Rev. John n'estlock pounded into the talrview people heads added 10 their misery.
 Fa.rview was afflicted with a nelan- oholy lha: could have resulted from no,h- ing else. There vas but little visi,ing < and there were no public gatherings eN- cep, those al the church already men toned. where the business of serving the Lord was despatched AS soon as possible 10 allow the people ,o return home and nurse their misery The people were all overworked. and still remember hos the pale. unhappy women spoke IT ,os ;Icn- bling tones a; the eSpenenoe meetings of heavy crosses to bear and sa, down cry ing as If ihelr hearts were breasing. was al@ays ,oucEed by this pi,iiul proceeding and doubt no, their petitions wen; further into heaven than any of the o;h- CTS.
 The boy knew one happy family in h:s childhood, and onlv one. That $ per haps ihe ful. proportion 70 be found in the kind oi rustic communities described There was a manifestation Of love and affection in this family, and they were no, ashamed tc le; each other know they were dear to one another. There was d pile of children. a ho4se running over w,;h them.
 think The. Meek was abou, the only man in our country who vas IS good a, home as he was d; church, and hls fam fly of which boys were laggheFs like him. ard always Con.ented and hap py. Their mother. a large. iresh-looklng woman, who was noted for her capacity 10 lead IT prayers and bless ings when her husband was away. was good-na,ared. too. l; was the happies. family rad ever known, for though they were all besei with difficulties. eyery one of them having either weak eyes or sca.d head, they seemed not 10 mind l.. bu: patiently applied sulphur for one and IT 'il,in tea for the other, remedies which were kep: h saacefs and bottles all over me house.
 0nc S;rikiEg po.n, n ;he book is ,he large number of e.a,a ,ers inc au,ho- weaves mo his story ana eaT-Ies to the end. D.ckens scag ely -erpas ea him n this. They al have dis,iuc; ,Fai:s Q: ,he.F o~n. winch are trough; oG: IT q guaia,. strong way They are alike F only one ,espec;-ihe :.Eed sadness th-; $ over them al. You VI. see lsi sgch Iei.ecled n .he faces of most oi the grown ,aen