The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-11-29
pErRoID THE FIRST.
CHATTER !.

Iamlly uNIuk lu ku4t COAnAHuoAty WGAC @A dinner, devouring boiled cabbage with the intensity of appetite for which those hardy people are noted, and a man should pass the house, each member would know by instinct that some one was passing, and would leave the cabbage, hurry to the door, and specu- late upon the identity and business of the strangeEsln In fact, trustworthy authority declares that the black folds of midnight, fail, in the Wiley's Ford neighborhood, to screen a stranger from the penetrating eye and acute ear of curiosity. The strange man who created the sensation on the occasion herein to be treated, made no effort at concealment. On the contrary, he seemed to court the gaze of the curious. He was tall and slender, with a mass of brown hair falling an his shoul- ders-keen of eye, though with a face marked by the lines of deep humility as though he were acquainted with grief. He rode small white horse, with out saddle, and with a rope halter in- stead of a bridle. Stopping at fence surrounding a small field where party of men were rolling logs, he stood high in his stirrups, and exclaimed in a clear, ringing voice:
 Hark, all ye who finger in the path way of the damnedp'
 The men threw down their hand-spikes and approached the fence.
 How are you, gentlemen ?" said the stranger, shaking back mat of hair that had fallen on his breast.
 " Howdy do P replied old man Parker. The others bowed awkwardly and re- mained silent. For few moments they were all silent. A boy left off playing with dog and began to litter.
 suppose you would all like to know why am here," said the stranger.
 "Wall, we ain't so powerful keen, still if you've got any explanation to make, we'll listen to you with patience, rejoined old man Parker.
 "My name is Fetroid the First"
 "Sorter curious name, aint 1t ?"
 "To the deaf and dumb and blind yes to those who hear with the ears oi learning, talk with the mouth of wisdom and see with the eyes from which the scales have fallen, mo-"
 "Come here, Ben Hardin," said old man Parker, tuning to little old fellow "You've seed more O the world than the rest O us. Talk to this here astonishin creetur fur it peers like he's been some whar."
 "l ain't got nothin' to say" replied Hardin. "I've been as fur north as Indiany, an as fur south as Texas, but never run across sich a chap as he is don't believe I've got any business with him."
 My bretheren, you all have bushes. with me. You all believe in the teach ings of holy writ, do you not p
 "Wall, yas," replied old Parker, VI believe in it, an try to live up to it, still q stranger mout not think that it was oa< of our strong p'ints."
 "l seek the acknowledgment, my friends, rather than for evidences of prac. tice. did not expect to 6nd any of you perfect. Had 1 thought you were, yoG never would have seen me. My busi ness is among the sinfui, not among saints, yet am pleased to know that yos believe in holy writ Now comes th< question, what # holy writ3 The bool called the bible2 No, my friends. Il WAS, but it has been repealed. l do mol wonder that you stare at me as though wese crazy man. Many people thought thak Redeemer the First was crazy, bu what a fatal mistake they made. | Petrsid the First, have been oommis. stoned to complete the work left un. 6nishsd by Redeemes the First. Here have she papers, written by the pen ofin. spirasisn-papers which repeal the old bible. do not wonder at the smiaes oi incredibly which l see on your faoes, bu, ere loag, mark my words, that smise oi disbelief will be changed to the grave ex- pEessioo 0f settled conviction" Here he held up a sOn of manuscript. "Yoa al doubtless agree that in the history of the world many strange occurrences are re- corded"
 "Yss," rqjsined old Parker, "thal have been some mighty onnach ul things even in my recollection"
 @An honest confession, my friend. You know of many things that you would not have believed had you not seen them, do you notr
 "Yes, sir"
 Well, then, as the practical mind oi