The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-06-08

Il
for rags; but the house was now mort
gagged up to lis full value t.
pay the debts Of tn,
SON who had lain down in that BET
of shame and sorrow-a drunkard'
grave. Pretty Ruth knew no NOR
about getting on in the world thar
Ephraim. They were as worldly wis
as two babies in the woods Having ,
new Westinghouse. for which the,
praised themselves not . little. ant
feeling secretly conscious they coult
pay seven hundred year rs easily a!
they paid Mr.. Downey four. the Blue
Rock people were not modest in ex
pressing their dissatisfaction with tn.
pas.o wife. The four hundred dol
lars began to fall behind in payment
and Ephraim was compelled TO breal
up housekeeping on his own account
and go and live in the wing of hi.
father-in-.aw's shabby house. and this,
of course. made matters worse.
Though small. Smyrne had its retailer
of the unpleasant, and as the Fosters
were not supposed to have the feelings
that go with full purses. through them
Mr. Downey speedily learned that tie
church was growing disaffected toward
him. He resigned at once. The Lord
Rad need of him elsewhere. he reasoned.
But that would have been an anxious
year had it not been for the never-fail-
ing tenderness of father and mother
Foster. who we're even unreasonable
enough to weep when he received n
call to Sawville. a village of two thou
sand inhabitants and real post-office.
The Sawville church had big new
bell tower. and debt of prorortionate
size. The late pastor hal gone away
in stiff quarrel. rs had each one of
his predecessors. and the church was
divided into two hostile camps of about
equal numbers with either of which it
was destruction for the pastor to SYM
pathize. For eight years Mr.. Downey
administered to this people. trying to
bring peace where. from the nature of
things. there could only be pieces"
At last the election of deacon dis
turbed the hardly maintained equilib-
rum to such degree the pastor was
compelled to resign. IL did the best l
could" he wrote to DR.. Strong. But.
my dear old friend. they would fight
St Peter Ispeak simply the truth"
ITO justify self. we sometimes ap-
proach dangerous ground. " wrote back
DR.. Strong. with very black lines under
the words; but he added. kindly: Il
have sent your name to Sandy Greek.
most desirable settlement and also 20
Annex"
Sandy Greek was determined to call
a D. D. Plenty was to be had cheap.
Ephraim. therefore. never received so
much as postal card from that COM
mittee. But Annex. being oppressed
by big debt and the failure of one of
its principal givers (known vaguely as
"a speculator'). called him at twelve
hundred doIlars-eight hundred less
than the last they had ever before
given \ pastor. Annex prices were ex-
orbitant. But Ephraim was ignorant
of this fact. and believing this call 80
leading of Providence" as no doubt it
was. accepted it The church member
ship was very like panorama. Fam
lilies moved in from Zoar. staid a year.
then. tired Of living ten miles from a
lemon" returned. It was very neces-
sary that the Annex pastor should he y
drawing man, the permanent residents
said, to persuade newcomers of means
to remain. He must of course. be a
social man. and know the gossip of
Zoar. His wife. too must be
lively. and credit to the congrega-
ton. With weedy whiskers. mild gray
eyes. and red hands. Ephraim could
NO more he stylish than he could fly But
good clothes. could he have afforded
them, would have improved his looks,
and a horse and buggy would have
greatly facilitated his sociability; for
Annex was in the hands of real estate
men. and though small in numbers.
was vast in distances The late pastor
had received ten hundred dollars per
annum more. His wife. too, had a
private fortune, AMI he hid hcen able
to 60 about in neat cospo. in excel
lent broadcloth. and. most pleasing of
all. at his own expense. Then. too. he
had been to Europe. and had \ stand
ard by which to make critical suS.
gestionS But the end would not have |
come so soon could Mr. Downey have |
brought hims IF to preach without y
The pastor Of the largest |
and most fashionable church IF Annex
stood up before his people like q pres |
t;digitator who wishes to convince his |
audience there is nothing up his sleeves,
and breaches without visible note.
His sermons. were good. too. and the
ease with which he delivered them
went far to prove the assertion made
by the un,hinking part of his congre-
CATION, viz. that they were extempore.
Il write my serm ons out and commit
them." admitted Dr. Bland. when Mr..
Downey, after a hec:oring deacon's
questioned him on the sub
iect at is nervous business.
positively must not be disturbed while
am at work-for nothing less than a
leath or the house afire. Fan time is.
too. very trying to me; and never 90
INTO the pulpit without nervous chill,
est restless child be in the audi
snce."
Yielding to the persistent nagging
Kept u by his deacoas. Ephra M went
'ne Sunday into his pulpit without his