Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1884-08-22
A Mail Carrier Experience

A Mail-Carrier's Experience.
A great while ago-lOng before
the late war-there was a young
man who carried the mail between
Madison and Macon, Georgia. His
name was Robert Lovic. He used
his eyes and ears pretty well, and
never-lOnd as he was Of a good
stoIy-told lies. To say Bob Lo-
vic saws so was to certify to the
truth of a statement, which was
certainly to his credit; and, more
over, he was as honest as the day,
and could have been entrusted
with untold gold or uncOunted dia-
monds. Morally you could not find
a fault with Bob. Mentally, he
was very we'll for an uneducated
man; but he had one great failing
great particularly in the eyes OF
pretty Annie Wesley, who other
wise esteemed Bob perfection. lie
had allied himself with a certain
class of persons who termed them
solvos tfree Thinkers
This theological difference at last
led to little quarrel, and Bob
tried to get Annie out Of his mind,
but failed to do it; and Annie was
very miserable, as well for the sake
of Bob's soul as for herself; for,
though she had offers in plenty,not
one-not even rich John Grab, who
had ever so many acres of land
could be compared for a moment in
her mind to Bob, had Bob only held
proper sentiments.
SO, though they kept apart for a
whole month, at last one bright
morning, as Bob rode along, slowly
and stupidity for him, he saw, sit
ing under a tree, little figure in a
blue dress that he couldn't pass to
save his life. SO he stopped his
horse and called out
annie, is that you p
Yes, Bob, SAID Annie, showing
a pair of wet eyes. Il came here
on purpose to see you. I've talked
in my poor weak, womanish words
but You talk so much better than |;
that of course, it's no use; and all
the while there is One who talks so
plainly to us, and the words are
here; and I've brought them to you
and please, dear Bob, to read them,
and perhaps
She did not finish the sentence,
but placed a pretty Bible in Bob's
hand.
I'vehad it bound very nicely for
YOU, and oh for my sake read it
it will teach you so much, Bob-so,
so very much =
Bob took the book. For a mo-
ment he felt annoyed, and much
like sneering, but Annie was very
dear to him; so he kept his anger
down for her sake, thanked her for
her present, and placed it in the
breast pocket of bis coat.
AS if | were to be converted like
q sinner in a tract ? said Bob, after
he had ridden on little. 'But
women are not expected to have
minds like ours And out Of an
other pocket he pulled an infdel
tract, which friend, an unbeliev-
ing doctor, had loaned him, and fell
to reading.
1t was not a very wise thing, as
the event proved, for the horse, left
to himself, stumbled over some
thing in the road and was lamed /;
not badly, it seemed but it forced
Bob to dismount and stop at a
country store to examine and battle
the limb, and then he had to allow
the beast to take his own time af-
terward, so that instead Of trOtting
briskly into Macon before sundown
the young man found himself bella
ted on a lonely road hours after
the sun had quite vanished his
horse growing lamer and his hopes
of supper quite gone.
Hang the tractp grOwled Bob,
'what did ! bother it for?' And he
gave the paper toss into a clump
of bushes, and then his mind went
back to Annie Wesley's Bible.
He felt for it. 1t was safe. He
wished that he was somehow better
and he walked along with the bride
over his arm in quite a melancholy
mood.
Suddenly a shadow fell across
the road. Bob looked up. Straight
before him sat mounted man with
q black mask on his face and a pis-
in his hand.
sHaltr commanded the individu-
al, ferociously; and Bob halted. If
you are quiet, you will come to nc
harm said the man. Il only want