The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-03-24
HAD NOT sINNEp.

JuuRo Hiram r. Gay lord, ot Ken lucky, takes great intcrest In religious rcvivNls. In his ncighborhood no mourner's bench can hope to be a suc- cess without his administering earc. He has been known, during court. to silence witnesses and take Jury see verely to task that ho might hurry horse thieves into tho penitentIary, not that he fclt certain of their guilt, but that hc might adjourn court and take his place nj n neighboring mourn CTS bench. He has way of rubbing the seekers, as though thcy ho suffer. ing great physical pain, and hc has been known to sponge tho taccs of the agonizing, telling them that he wanted to mop the ooxo of Satan from thoir brows. Recently, during revival, the old judge, having taken his aecus- toned place, was attracted by an old fellow who groancd with the loudness of stray steer, This victim oi acute remorsc was down on his knees. with his face pressed against slab bench. The judge approached and began to rub the back of the fellows neck.
 "Ah, my dear friend" said the lurist, "we will bring you through all right after awhile. Although your agony k great you must have pa- tlcncc, for the great work accom- plished here ls not A matter of im- pulse Don't try to hurry the cli- max, but let resignation and patience be breathed in every prayerful word. Have you been great sinnerr"
 "Powcrful, sah."
 "Well It seems to mo that the great sinner has more reason to hope than the smaller one, for great sins are thrown down with despair, and this bench is tho especial altar of tho dc- spairing. You are of course sorry that you have been "A sinner"
 "Powerful, sah."
 "And If you should receive forgive ness you would not again fall into former habit of misdceds?"
 "Don't know, sah."
 "Did you ever steal anything2"
 "Wunst."
 "Ah, that was bad. Ever kill any body1"
 "No, sah."
 "Ncver was much of liar, were your"
 "Not much"
 And now the greatest sin you have to repent of is the fact that you once stole something1"
 "Yas, the flck that ] stole an the consequences that have followed it."
 "Would you mind telling me, your true friend, what 1t was you stolc?"
 "No, wonidn' mind. l stold A jug O whisky fast night, got drunk an am now tryin' ter sober up, but 1t makes me feel powerful bad"
 "Jug of whisky!" exclaimed the judge. "Wbere did you steal itIs
 "Feller had I. in his wagin, hid under the straw. found 1t by acci- dent, an although have been putty | good sort o' church go!n' .e!!er s!! my l life, couldn't help takin' L."
 "My friend" said the judge, as he kindly placed his hand on the mourn CTS head, "in this state---it might not be so in any other er-but In this great commonwealth, man who finds jug of whisky covered up with straw--I say man who finds jug under such circumstaDces, and does not steal 1t, is A thief and 6 hypocrite; and the man who steals 1t and then does not drink some Of the Ticker, Is liar of most dangerous character. You did your duty in the first place, and tine thing of getting drunk was matter oysT which man has no control. You have no need to waIlow here; you arc all right. Come, let us get the Jug, and then we'll discuss the moral points of this great question"
 4 long felt want in the ball room