The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-08-22

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man of PRAYER, finally bringing up full
length in the sand, striking just as he
should have shouted free" for the fourth
time in his glorious chorus.
Fully convinced that his alarm had been
well-founded, the shote sped out from I'M
der the gigantic missile hurled at him by
the donkey, and sCampeTed down the road,
turning first one ear and then the other to
detect any sounds of pursuit. The donkey,
also convinced that the object before which
he had halted was supernatural, started
back violently upon seeing it apparently
turn to a man. But seeing that it had
turned to nothing but man, he wandered
up into the deserted fence corner, and be-
gan to nibble relreshment from scrub
oak.
For moment tho elder gazed up into
the sky, half-impresSed with the idea that
the camp-meeting platform had given way.
But the truth forced its way to the front
in his disordered understanding at last,
and with painful dignity he staggered into
an upright position, and Tegained his bea-
yer. He was shocked again. Never before
in all the long years it had served him had
he seen it in such shape. The truth is,
Elder Brown had never before tried to
stand on his head in it. AS calmly as pos
Sible he began to straighten it out, caring
hut little for the dust upon his garments
The beaver was his special crown of Gigni-
ty. 70 lose it was to be reduced to a level
with the common woOl-hat herd. He did
his best, pulling, pressing and pushing,
but the hat did not look natural when
he had finished. 1t seemed to have
hoo, Lid
tiOns and town lots. Like well-cut jewel
it had face for him, view it from what
ever point he chose, a quality which so i'm
pressed him that lump gathered in his
throat, and his eyes winked vigorously.
Elder Brown was not, however, q man
Tor tears He was man of action. The
sudden vision which met his wandering
gaze, the donkey calmly chewing scrub
buds, with the green juice already oOzing
from the corners of his frothy mouth, acted
upon him like magic. He was, after all,
only human, and when he got hands upon
a piece of brush, he thrashed the poor
boast until it seemed as though even its
already half-tanned hide would be eter-
nally ruined. Thoroughly exhausted at
last, he YEARLY straddled his saddle, and
with his chin upon his breast resumed the
early morning tenor of his way.
"Good-mornin', sir"
Elder Brown leaned over the little pine
picket which divided the boOk-keepers' de-
partment of Macon warehouse from the
Soom IN general, and surveyed the we'll
dressed PACK OF gentleman who was
buslly figuring at a desk within. The
apartment was carpetiesS, and the dust Of
decade lay deep ON the old books, shelves,
ana the iamIar advertisements OF guanO
ana 1erthzers winch decorated tho room.
An old stove, rusty with the nicotine con-
trlbuted by farmers during the previous
season while waiting by its glowing sides
for their cotton to be sold, stood straight
up IN bed OF sand, and testoOns of cob
webs chung to the upper sashes of the
murky windows The lower sash of one
window had been raised, and in the yard
without, nearly an acre in extent, lay a
few bales of cotton, with jagged holes in
their ends, just as the sampler had left
them. Elder Brown had time to notice all
these familiar points, for the figure at the
desk kept serenely at his task, and deigned
no reply.
Goo l-mornin', sir" said Elder Brown
gain, in his most dignitied tones. as Mr.
Thomas in"
"GO0d morning, sir" said the figure.
"I'll wait on You in Il minute" The min
ute passed, and four more joined it. Then
the desk man turned.
"Well, sir, what can | do for you?"
The elder was not in the best of humor
when he arrived, and his state of mind had
not improved. lie waited full minute as