Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1884-07-02
A Nethodsse S3hcst story.

One secret Of the power which At-
tends the simple ministrstiOns Of the
Methodist preachers Of tie primitive
type was that spiritual and unseen
things we're to them what they are tru-
", more real than the objects Of mere
ans The training Of some Of these
men wal favorable to this. An illus
tration was once given by an old man
with whom | used to chat In the neigh
borhood Of Boscastie. One evening.
- Nc sat by the fireside. l referred to
the old Minister Church not far od. In .
romantic valley, and spoke Of the curl
Gus, ghastly legends that foated about
It Eyes, sir" said he. queer things
have been said. and queer things have
been met with. say what we may.
There was one John Warden. sir-yes,
John Warden that afterwards got to be
q preacher. John Warden. sir, was .
farmers boy--a laborer. poor fellow.
The Lord touched his hear, sir. and
John Warden turned Methodist. Well,
sir. his master and all about him turn
ed upon him. and the poor boy had to
bear all sorts of persecution. Ono
night, as they were all sitting around
the fire in the kitchen, and many ways
had been tried to put poor John out Of
temper, the master said at last: 'Relig-
ion, chr said he. What kind Of relig-
ION hast thee got, John, ehf Why.
Incest DO afraid to 60 down to the
church tonight ut IL O'Clock. Religion,
eh! This was q sort Of 4 challenge,
sir, to try whether John was good
enough to be above fear. Poor John.
sir, in the simplicity OF his heart
thought the credit ot his religion was
really at stake, and scrcwing up his
courage, no said quietly: Mo- bean't
afraid to 20 to the church By night or
by day. WIN thee 60 tonight, then,
and let's see what your religion is
made OFF Yes, / will They waited
till midnight, and John started. sir.
The farm WAS not far up from the val
ley. The question was now they should
know he bad been to the church. A
plan was hit upon. He was to take a
large spike nail and a hammer. AND to
drive the nail into the church door.
John went of with his hammer. nail,
and q lantern; and he told me after
ward, years afterward when he was q
preacher-yes, sir. he never forgot it
As l went down among the trees. says
John, and the wind moaned, l felt a
little queer, but | got to the church all
right, though just as I was going into
the church tho wind came whistling
round the church, and out went my
light l declare l then wished myself
away from the place. 1t was pitchy
dark. l asked God to help me, and l
then felt my way to the door, put my
nail to it and gave tho first blow. l felt
Q tiDgiing all over me IS the echoes
went round inside the church. They
sounded hollow. But l picked up cour-
age and hammered away until the nail
was q long way in. Then l turned and
CROPPED my way back TO the farm.
They laughed at me-, and said they
would go down in the morning to be
sure l had been there. They went
down early, and there was the nail.
But when they opened the door to see
whether it had went through. oh. how
they stared at one another! There was
the nail turned back, turned in and
clenched to the door as if the ~cleverest
carpenter in the world had done it. "
Sunday Mdgasmt.